Store bought phal failing

[ROSIEonFIRE]

Hi all! I recently purchased a Phal at a grocery store. It seemed to be in good condition. However, when I repotted it, the roots looked to be in bad shape. I figured it would pull through with some TLC but a month after repotting, the leaves look dessicated, like the plant isn't getting any water. By contrast, my other store bought phal is thriving in the same location with the same care.

Any advice? I recently started watering 2x/wk instead of 1x. Also, the plant is currently located next to a window and I live in the north east.

[estación seca]

Have a glance at a thread here. From the left yellow menu Forums choose Beginners. Near the top look for the sticky thread The Phal abuse stops here. Read through the first few pages.

[Ray]

Keep it moist, very warm, very humid, and shady. Adding KelpMax to the water can really help, as well.

Invert a clear plastic bag over the plant and pot to trap the humidity. Don't close it.

[Shadeflower]

I suspect you have lost all roots and need to remove the remains before it can recover.

The difference you are seeing is one didn't lose its roots, the other has.

[ROSIEonFIRE]

I'd like to get some Kelpmax but as a student, 40$ + shipping feels out of my budget. I have a water soluble 20-14-13 orchid fert, do you think that would do? Also I found a liquid seaweed fert called CleanKelp by Bloom City which is half the price, do you think that could work?

[ROSIEonFIRE]

PS here's a picture of the plant's flower. It actually came with a tag: spooky espresso. It's so pretty I'd hate to lose it! Also, I think I see a root bump so I'm pretty optimistic this plant will pull through.

[estación seca]

The most important factors are warmth and humidity. The warmer you can keep it the faster it will root.

[Shadeflower]

Rosie, I wouldn't spend that for just one phal.
The fertilizer will make the biggest difference but whether regular watering will make it grow new roots is hard to say.

Like I mentioned I would go over the roots a second time, feel every root tip, if it's hollow then tug on it. You want all your root tip to be firm. Sometimes half the root is still good but just the tip has gone bad. Hopefully you will have some functional roots left. Leaving too many bad roots can be disruptive to the root zone.

If you fertilize once a month then a good amount to add would be 2 grams to a gallon I'd estimate but water it with plain water in between.

Or use a weaker mix more regularly, just be aware 2 grams to a gallon is quite strong and will last the orchid a considerable time.

You might want to fill a container and use that throughout the year, you can also use half a gallon and add 1 gram, works out the same strength or quarter of a gallon and add half a gram. It really won't need that much if you only use it once a month.

Don't follow the instructions on the label. I am sure it will recommedn to feed far more, some even go so far as to withhold fertilizing completely if the orchid is in bad shape. Just start slow and see how the orchid responds. It usually takes 2 weeks to see any signs of changes.

[ROSIEonFIRE]

Ok, I'll definitely try cleaning the bad roots out! Thanks for the advice Shade and anyone else who answered this post. I'll let you guys know how it turns out