trouble shooting my orchids for root rot, etc

[myshka]

maybe i'm just worrying too much, but just in case, i have some specific concerns about my new orchids.

i just bought these two plants a few days ago.

i bought them both from lowes and they were in moss-type medium with a lot of rotten roots. i repotted the pink one because it looked like the medium was causing too much rot. but immediately after repotting i noticed that the flowers started drooping.

i know you're not generally suppose to repot while they're in bloom, but i felt like it was a choice between severely damaged roots or pretty flowers.

anyhoo, some parts of the plants are blackish. what should i do about these spots? will the orchids be able to remove them on their own or should i be taking some other actions?

also, (only) one of the leaves has an uneven green tone. it's been like that since i got it.

i'm including a picture of my dog just for funsies. couldn't have camera time without including him.

[RosieC]

I think you did the right thing to report, it's best to repot and stop the root rot, even if that causes you to loose the flowers. Best to save the plant and get more flowers later.

I'm not sure about the black spots. I've had some dark areas a bit like that before on some of mine which have turned out to not be a problem, but I can't be sure if yours is the same.

(Oh and cute little dog)

[tuvoc]

Your repot job looks pretty good, but judging from the first pic, I think it might be a little dry. Remember that fresh medium will dry out a lot faster than old, especialy bark, so I would give it more water for a few weeks. The spots are nothing to worry about.

Kim
P.S. ARF ARF.

[K.Veren]

when you remove rotten roots, should you only cut off the rotten part or cut the root off where it originates from the plant?

[camille1585]

Only cut off the rotten part, since the root might branch off at that spot. When you do cut off, make sure to cut high enough that you take off a small piece of healthy root. This is to make sure that you don't leave any rot that could spread again up the root.

[Ray]

A little dry, Kim? It looks like it's been growing outdoors near you! Other than that, I see no significant issues.

Don't sweat the black areas, and the leaf coloration irregularity is probably nutritional in nature. Feed the plant properly, and that will likely vanish.

Personally, I'd have put the plant in moss into a larger pot, but i tend to overpot phals compared to most folks' preferences.

[K.Veren]

Hullo all -
I just bought another orchid the other day and it looked fairly healthy despite the sodden mass of moss it was planted in. I felt sorry for it and repotted it, but in the process I noticed a gray discoloration around one of the roots. I gently poked it to see if it was a rotted spot and some gray flakes fell off.

is this anything to worry about, or is it root rot? if so, what should I do? the rot is at the base of the root and on some of the surrounding tissue at the plant's base.
Is there anything I can do to save my beauty?

Sorry for the quality of the pictures, my phone isn't the best...

[RosieC]

I can't really see, but I'm wondering if it could be mineral deposites.

I wonder what others think

[tuvoc]

My thought exactly, Rosie. From what I can see, the plant looks pretty good. Nothing to worry about.

Kim

[Orchid126]

Myshka, the first picture of the pot in the basket looks very overpotted. Overpotting allows for too much medium that can stay too wet and rot the roots. The rule of thumb is a pot that only accommodates the roots and a bit more.