Aw man!!!! Rot!

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by ChasWG

That stinks Ryan! It's good that you caught it now though. I just repotted one of my Phals and found some rot as well. Not a lot, but enough. Clipped it off, washed the rest of the roots and repotted into new fir bark with charcol and perilite. The plant otherwise looked fabulous. 4 open flowers, new leaves growing well. A very robust plant. It was totally packed into this tiny little clear plastic pot with thin little slits. The roots had grown threw the slits and I had to cut the pot appart to get the plant out. Ended up cutting one small section of root, but not bad really. I didn't have the next size up in plastic pot, so for now I planted it into the creamic outer pot untill I cn get over to Tagawas and get a new one. I'll try the watered down bleach treatment.

Good luck with your's!

Chas-- I think the issue is that some of the roots weren't great to begin with. Plus, I followed rote instructions that is accepted as the method of doing things-- such as soaking the new medium for 24 hours before use. I think because the roots were already weak and the center a bit too water logged, putting it in fresh, moist mix only aided the issue of rot. My stronger yellow phal is in 100% hydroton. I've have good success with this medium with my amaryllis- especially in the case of ailing bulbs-- so between the rooting hormone and the hydro, I think that one has a chance. The purple phal remains sitting ON the normal bark mix but has sphag moss around its remaining roots-- loosely, of course, to encourage air flow but enough to keep moisture near. I plan on coaxing the roots back to a more turgid state in hopes of getting the leaves to rebound a bit (though I think they're just floppier than my others anyway).

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Umm, I don't think a bleach solution on roots is such a good idea, even if it is weak. If you have cut all the rot off and rinsed that should be sufficient. No point in shocking them senseless needlessly.

Hi terri-- thanks for the input. I wasn't so sure about this myself! However, I've used the method before on some of my amaryllis bulbs, which have striking similarities to orchid roots. It has staved off rot for me before and when I read that a quick dip in a weak solution can help with orchids as well I though I'd try. The roots don't sit in the solution (though some say it should). Frankly, i don't think the roots really cared either way as they were washed thoroughly afterward anyway.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I used to have issues with rot after repotting. I think the reason why was because the bark was soaked before repotting, and I would start my normal watering routine right after repotting. Now I wait for the plant to completely dry out after repotting and I take it easy on the watering for about a month, and I haven't had root rot issues since.

Camille-- I believe this is what happened here. So sad But the good thing is, the method I used to plump up some of the aerial roots of my white phal has worked great and I think I even see growth on one or two of the roots. So I applied the same logic to my ailing purple. She has, as you could see in the photo, loads of semi-aerial roots and I have loosely placed sphag about them in an effort to rejuvenate them. It takes care not to over water it and patience. Purple remains sitting on top of the bark mix so should she choose to root new roots, she has mix to go into.

Yellow on the other hand has gone into hydroton-- have you ever used this? I use it a lot for my amaryllis who HATE wet feet of any kind, and they seem to love it.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Camille-- I believe this is what happened here. So sad But the good thing is, the method I used to plump up some of the aerial roots of my white phal has worked great and I think I even see growth on one or two of the roots. So I applied the same logic to my ailing purple. She has, as you could see in the photo, loads of semi-aerial roots and I have loosely placed sphag about them in an effort to rejuvenate them. It takes care not to over water it and patience. Purple remains sitting on top of the bark mix so should she choose to root new roots, she has mix to go into.

Yellow on the other hand has gone into hydroton-- have you ever used this? I use it a lot for my amaryllis who HATE wet feet of any kind, and they seem to love it.

One thing that seems to help encourage new roots (at least on some of mine) is to mist the top of the medium every day. The top dries out the fastest, so I think the roots up at the surface appreciate the added humidity too.

I don't use hydroton for practical reasons. I'm a student, and I have to move my orchids back in both my train between France and the Netherlands. Hydroton is just too heavy. But once I graduate and get a job, I plan on moving some orchids to s/h.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

I don't think your plant looks bad at all. And I have Phals with leaves that flop and then, straighten out and become firm again. This usually happens on those that grow at a faster rate. In fact, these Phals have grown double spikes and put out more blooms than the slower growing ones I have.

If these were mine, I would put them in fir bark (big pieces) and add some chopped spagh in the center. If you've got CHC, I would add that to the mix as well. A little rooting hormones (SuperThrive, KLN, etc.) to the water will also help it along and don't pack it in too tightly. Don't over water, let it get a little thirsty first.

This plant looks fine. These roots aren't meant to live forever. As new ones grow, some older ones will eventually die off. Some Phals seem to grow a lot more roots than others and while this plant doesn't have a lot, it also doesn't have too little.

Good luck!

Thanks for the support Sandy I think part of the issue is me being a nervous parent! But if rot ensues, I feel i have to do something. I used a large particle mix of bark, charcoal and perlite but the roots I think we in decline when I repotted from the original mix. I just didn't know enough to realize they were on their way out. I'm still not convinced I like the bark mixture I have now, though, as the top gets dry quite fast and the bottom remains wet! I think this has more to do with the pot itself that despite having drainage holes, there isn't proper air circulation. So for now, I have moved one into a new medium and the others will get a very close watch!

Consequently, I have a phal species that I also moved into hydroton and I found two new roots growing!!!! So I must not be completely hopeless with these plants.....right? LOL

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by camille1585

One thing that seems to help encourage new roots (at least on some of mine) is to mist the top of the medium every day. The top dries out the fastest, so I think the roots up at the surface appreciate the added humidity too.

I don't use hydroton for practical reasons. I'm a student, and I have to move my orchids back in both my train between France and the Netherlands. Hydroton is just too heavy. But once I graduate and get a job, I plan on moving some orchids to s/h.

Camille--

Yes I agree with the misting. I have done it with my white phal and the roots look to be a very healthy green when before they were completely dehydrated. So I'm doing the same thing to my purple phal.

I never noticed hydroton being all that heavy though I guess when it is freshly watered it can take on a bit of weight. As I said, my amaryllis love it-- they even wrap their roots around individual balls. Its fascinating to see.

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[Sandy4453]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I'm still not convinced I like the bark mixture I have now, though, as the top gets dry quite fast and the bottom remains wet!

No matter what medium you use, the top will always dry faster than what's doing in the middle. The lop layer is exposed to fresh air which will dry before all the rest. That doesn't mean the plant isn't getting good air circulation. This is where you get to decide what works best for you, when you get the full understanding of the rate in which mediums dry. You can always use a wooden barbeque skewer (found at any grocery store) and keep it close to the center in the pot. It's a good measuring device on just how wet/dry the medium is.

Originally Posted by Pilot

Consequently, I have a phal species that I also moved into hydroton and I found two new roots growing!!!! So I must not be completely hopeless with these plants.....right? LOL

I know a commercial grower who pots all his Phals in Hydroton. He add a little coir (about a handful) to the pot and waters every 3rd day. I've got one Phal growing in s/h and am using the Hydroton. It's had a very hard time growing so this year when new roots began, I transferred it. Overall though, Phals love Hydroton. There are many growers who use only that for their Phals. I typically like keeping my Phals in the same medium...it's just easier to keep track of the watering, all drying at the same rate.

[quiltergal]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I'm still not convinced I like the bark mixture I have now, though, as the top gets dry quite fast and the bottom remains wet! I think this has more to do with the pot itself that despite having drainage holes, there isn't proper air circulation.

Ryan this is exactly why I like the clear plastic pots with the inverted cone in the bottom. The cone adds lots of ventilation to the center of the pot, allowing the medium to dry more evenly. Slotted Clear Orchid Pots - 5 inch Check these out. I have some pots with a cone that goes even higher up inside the pot.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Ryan this is exactly why I like the clear plastic pots with the inverted cone in the bottom. The cone adds lots of ventilation to the center of the pot, allowing the medium to dry more evenly. Slotted Clear Orchid Pots - 5 inch Check these out. I have some pots with a cone that goes even higher up inside the pot.

Terri-- wow I have not come across these yet-- thanks for the tip! I don't know if you've followed my other responses on here but for now at least I think I have a course of action,which is better than feeling helpless I've bookmarked the site you posted and will definitely check it out.

[ChasWG]

Ryan, I like to use the wooden stir sticks I get from Starbucks. They re a great way of reading how wet the center of the medium is. It's always right. The stick from SB's are also very thing and small so there is less chance of doing damage to the roots. I also always place the stick back into the same hole. Cheap and effective. You can't go wrong.