is this phal saveable (no roots, leaves deteriorating)?

[fergusdog]

Had it for about a year, was doing well, then the roots started to rot. I'm guessing it was slightly overwatered and not in the best medium (moss). By the time I took action and started to scour the net, all roots were dried up, nothing left. The plant still had 2 healthy leaves at that point. I watched some youtube videos and the general advice was to cut the roots with sterilized scissors and put it into a cup with water, without the plant touching the water and spray it with water every day. Did that for maybe six weeks now.
The leaves are yellow/brown and look like they will fall off. The plant has a stem, with the top also dried off, but at the first segment it's sprouting a new leaf that looks very healthy. What concerns me most is that there is absolutely zero sign of new roots sprouting.
Is this plant lost? Any advice to save it if it's not?

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board.

If the plant had enough energy to make a leaf, it will probably make roots soon. There are people who successfully resucitate Phals. with the water method. When the roots are forming you can repot into the medium of your choice.

As to what happened - Orchid roots require lots of air around them, especially Phals. They breathe through their roots. Overwatering isn't what kills them, it's the lack of air. Moss works well for Phals. if watered properly. It should not be thoroughly doused the way you would a house plant. Run water over the top for only 1-2 seconds, wetting only the moss on top. It will diffuse through the pot, leaving plenty of air. Water again when the top of the moss is crunchy dry.

In larger chunk media, such as bark, cinders or expanded clay balls, watering is done by running a lot of water through the pot. Some people in lower humidity environments even soak them in a bowl of water for several hours.

Have a look at a thread here. From the left yellow menu select Forums then Beginners. Near the top is a sticky thread, The Phal. abuse stops here.

Another cause of root death is cold temperatures. Phals. are warm to hot growing plants. Many people keep their homes cooler in winter than Phals. prefer.

Finally, I never cut off roots. You can't be certain which are deaf without a microscope. Even a few ugly but living roots can keep a plant alive until new roots form. There are a lot of videos available online but it's hard for beginners to separate the useful information from the clickbait.

[fergusdog]

Thanks, good to know not all hope is lost yet. And thanks for the additional info.