sick phal update

[tedro]

i decided to examine the phal roots since recently repotting.
at first phal responded, only been 2 weeks.
but seemed to slow or stop (there’s was a new leaf to watch, months old new leaf).

here is an album link of 10 photos i took of what i observed.
orchid sick ?22 - Google Photos

several root tips are black.
i stripped away the old leaf leftovers.
there were 2 blacks spots (among other black stuff, as long ago), if you look closely at the fresh light green where i removed old leaf, on opposite sides, same “latitude”, there these black spots. You see the indentation on each side where i “popped” out the black spot(s).

i sprayed again with household (chemical) flea, tick, insecticide spray.
i created a smaller pot: clear plastic cup with tons of holes (including bottom) i made with soldering iron.
i changed the medium: i removed ALL sphagum — this place temp is 65f-74f. no less. so i think the bark stuff just doesn’t get dry in here. thus, i used rocks and as many of those tan colored marble type media as i could scrounge, in the end i had to finish with the bark, as i ran out.
i will order more of the “balls”.
btw, THAT, might have been how this happened in the first place, ie, when i enlarged the pot a year ago, i used a bunch of bark.

it’s strange because i see phals for sale FULL of bark and topped with lots of sphagnum.

in the pics you also see the root core. when it first got sick nearly a year ago, that was slimy black so i cut some off. I was told not to do that. Looking at in these pics, why not trim off that bottom dead looking part?

now phal is in the cup, no watering — not sure about that — i want the pesticide to not get rinsed.