Dehydrated phal - Orchid Board

priz_m · #1 11-11-2008, 02:25 PM

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I started a thread. I have a phal who's been through a lot in the last year (root rot, recovered, didn't like s/h, lost its roots and grew them back, etc) and lately I think is doing weird, not bad, nor good, just weird.

it has about 7 leaves and a new one coming and very little roots at the time, 2 of them new. The leaves are all wrinkly and thin but very green, for a minute I thought root rot again, but I unpotted and things were pretty much the way I had left them, not many roots but not any less either.

Could it be that it has way too many leaves for it's little roots

Is there a way to get them any better, I don't want to over water it though.

Besides that it seems to be a very good phal, meaning its growing things, you know?

I appreciate any advice, and will post pics later today. Thank you!

RosieC · #2 11-11-2008, 03:46 PM

My Phal with very few roots does now grow very small leaves (it's growing leaves why won't it grow roots!... sorry I have another thread about mine, ignore my rant).

I'm not sure about the wrinkling though, it may be that it cant' support the number of leaves, but in my case (where I think it can't support the leaves) I get wrinkling on the oldest leaves while the new ones come out smooth.

BikerDoc5968 · #3 11-11-2008, 04:25 PM

sounds like a water issue. don't know if something like Hormex or SuperThrive would stimulate root growth for you. I like Hormex because it contains both rooting hormones like KLN

priz_m · #4 11-11-2008, 05:40 PM

I personally find it weird, but not really, I just don't want my baby to stress over having too many leaves. I'll try to soak it in KLN and see how it develops, fingers are crossed

Thank you!

priz_m · #5 11-12-2008, 02:22 PM

Hello again, here are the

as promised

#1 - whole phal
#2 - close up on the wrinkled leaf (almost all of the rest look very similar)
#3 - wrinkled leaf vs. healthy leaf (newest)
#4, 5, 6 - viable roots, 3 total
#7, 8, 9 - new inquiry, totally different phal, would you say it's a spike or keiki?

I was thinking of taking 3 different courses of action, the first to build an ambient with very high humidity, which shouldn't be a problem being so close to the beach, but you know, anything for my babies.

Secondly, with new growth evident, I could give s/h another try hoping it will like it this time around.

And for the third I thought using live sphag as a medium, I was just amazed with the http://www.orchidboard.com/community...g-results.html in the thread I just came across.

As always your opinions are very appreciated. Thank you all very much!

camille1585 · #6 11-12-2008, 02:35 PM

I would not opt for s/h. It is not a cure all, and you risk killing the few roots you have since they are not tailored to s/h. I definitely would raise the humidity though,and it looks like you could water a bit more. The root in the pot looks white, which means it 's dry. When you water they turn green,and once they become white again, it's time to water. That's the great thing about the clear pots!

BikerDoc5968 · #7 11-12-2008, 02:45 PM

I think I'd just keep things moist, but not soaking wet and see what happens. The one root on the surface may or may not begin to grow again. As for the new phal with the spike coming from an old spike; it may be a flower spike or it may be a keiki...it's just a bit too early to know. It is up to you what you do with it....if it is a flower spike, the flowers may not be as large as they might have been with a new spike growing from the stem of the plant....While I like big flowers, sometimes I don't cut the old spike soon enough and a new spike begins growing and I guess I like having the flowers no matter what size they are.

priz_m · #8 11-12-2008, 02:57 PM

Thank you guys! I will try putting a plastic bag over it, I just don't want to over water it, I almost killed it when I first got it because of that.

As for my spike/keiki, I am not sure of what it is, I am kind of crossing my fingers to have it be a keiki, since that phal is a rescue it already rebloomed once, just one little flower, roots haven't developed as much it dropped 2 leaves and re grew another and I really thought this was its attempt to reproduce before going to orchid heaven, but with these girls I never know what they have up their sleeve.

I'll keep you posted on the progress. Thnx again!

mnoor · #9 11-12-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

I would not opt for s/h. It is not a cure all, and you risk killing the few roots you have since they are not tailored to s/h. I definitely would raise the humidity though,and it looks like you could water a bit more. The root in the pot looks white, which means it 's dry. When you water they turn green,and once they become white again, it's time to water. That's the great thing about the clear pots!

Bingo, this is the info I have been looking for!

So can I assume that as long as the roots are green in color, no watering is needed until they turn white again regardless of the time frame?

camille1585 · #10 11-12-2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnoor

Bingo, this is the info I have been looking for!

So can I assume that as long as the roots are green in color, no watering is needed until they turn white again regardless of the time frame?

Yes that's it. If you watch the root color, you will water when the phal needs it and not according to your fixed schedule. That's why clear pots are so wonderful, you can really monitor the roots. After watering they become nice and green and you see moisture beads in the pot. Progressively the roots become silvery-white again and the moisture beads disappear. Then it's time to water again. Gotta love the clear pots!