new phal, bad roots

[murphy48]

I just got a phal in the mail today and I'm really worried about its roots. I noticed it was falling over in its pot so I decided to repot it. Upon taking it out it appears to only have one long root that is really broken and does not turn green when put in water. It also had two ariel roots that look healthy.

Is there anything I can do to help it? I got this a a gift for someone else but I can't possibly give it away if I'm not convinced it is healthy.

Also, it was suppose to be blooming size, is this blooming sized? It seems so small but it does appear to have a dead spike on it.

Thanks

[murphy48]

I'm so sorry, it seems that this got posted twice, once in the middle of me typing it.

Could someone send me in the right direction for how to do water culture to help the roots?

[Narnia]

Awe, that's such a sad looking phal. Here is a thread on water culture which has a lot of information

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You've got two very strong roots, a few dead ones, and one that's alive but raggedy looking. This is all you really need to start something. The Phal you've got shouldn't be as difficult one to grow compared to the green leafed ones.

It'd be helpful to also know what kind it is. This is a bit more of a specialty kind of Phal...

Phal stuartiana?
Phal phillipinensis?
Phal schilleriana?
Phal x leucorrhoda?
none of the above?

[Ray]

I agree with King. No need to go to extraordinary lengths with that one - trim off the old spike (obviously making it blooming size), pot it up in something appropriate for the "giftee" and away you go.

[murphy48]

Its a schilleriana v. purpurea... one question about repotting the two healthy roots. When the plant came they were aeriel roots. Will they rot if I pot them in the bark?

[Sandy4453]

Originally Posted by murphy48

Its a schilleriana v. purpurea... one question about repotting the two healthy roots. When the plant came they were aeriel roots. Will they rot if I pot them in the bark?

This Phal doesn't look bad at all. Aerial roots are the same as those that grow down into the pots, difference being....the obvious...these grow over the medium. These roots look like they're in the right direction now and you shouldn't have any struggles getting them covered when you do a re-pot. This Phal looks fine!

[RosieC]

I agree that you should just pot this up and care for it.

Arial roots are not adapted as such to go under the medium, but I have found that provided your medium is an airey enough mix they will do OK and the new growth from the end will be adapted correctly (they look like they are actively growing from the look of the tips).

I would pot it up with all the roots in the medium.

[Ross]

I personally haven't seen any difference in behavior between "aerial roots" and roots that are growing into medium. In fact I usually carefully guide so-called aerial roots down into the bark where they tend to remain and thrive. I have had existing sub-surface roots come up out of the mix then go back down into mix all by themselves. In nature all Phal roots are aerial since the plants occur in trees (typically). As others have said, just trim the old roots and the spike and perhaps sprinkle some cinnamon on the base of the plant to discourage decay then pot up. I tend to favor large chunk bark as it has more air spaces.

[RosieC]

From observation I would tend to disagree that arial roots are not different. They do not start out fundamentally different, but as they grow the outer surface adapts to where it is.

This means that if the tip of an arial roots is guided down in to the medium the new growth will be adapted to be underneath. I do this ALL the time.

I know (from burying arial roots lots of times) that if you bury existing growth it will never look like roots that grew under the medium.

I've heard some people say that if you bury existing arial root growth it will rot. I have NOT found that to be the case, but I have always been careful to make sure it is under medium/large chunk bark so that it is still in an airy enviroment.

When I've had Phals with a very small number of roots like this I have always buried the arial roots and so far it has worked.

I would advise potting up all the good roots you have in this sort of situation.