Over watered Phal

[etex]

The tip that Cinnamon is a strong dessicant is a good one! It is easy to be overgenerous with cinnamon because the smell is so pleasant!

[nibbler]

I had read about the cinnamon. I thought it was an antiseptic rather than it drying out the plant. Quite horrified to discover that.

Camille, Je suis tres désolé. I found the picture on line I havent gotten around to taking a photo of my own orchids. It is a Ghost Orchid and I thought it was the most beautiful flower I have seen but I am afraid I do not own one.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by nibbler

I had read about the cinnamon. I thought it was an antiseptic rather than it drying out the plant. Quite horrified to discover that.

Camille, Je suis tres désolé. I found the picture on line I havent gotten around to taking a photo of my own orchids. It is a Ghost Orchid and I thought it was the most beautiful flower I have seen but I am afraid I do not own one.

Cinnamon has antibacterial properties so that's why it's recommended to use on open wounds on plants. So putting some on cuts is a GOOD thing (like the end of broken root or a leaf wound) but not all over the roots!
If you do want to put some all over the roots without the drying effect, you need to make cinnamon tea and spray it on the roots. Making 'tea' will extract the active component of cinnamon. Youput roughly 2 tablespoons of cinnamon in a half liter of boiling water. Then you put it in a corner for a few days to let it steep and then strain it through a coffee filter. Then spray the liquid.

Too bad about the ghost orchid, I was hoping you had one. They are incredibly hard to find in Europe, partially because even the orchid nurseries have trouble keeping them alive. And I have to agree, ghosts are one of the most beautiful orchids!

[nibbler]

I would love to see one in real life. I googled ghost orchid and basically it said give up looking for one. If I ever make it to Florida I am going to go on an orchid hunt. Thanks for the cinnamon tea tip.

So far this week. I have over watered the plant then the cinnamon. The poor thing. It was so beautiful before I decided I was going to be smart.

[RosieC]

The good news is that I've had one recover from poor roots followed by over use of cinnamon and mine had less roots than yours to start with.

It took a lot of time and patience but it's now growing some good healthy leaves and roots.

[nibbler]

It seems to be doing well. Thanks for all the help and advice.

[Orchid126]

When you start watering again you might consider using either Dyna-Gro KLN or Superthrive for a couple of months.

You might also look for Cinnamon extract in your grocery store. You can use that by drops.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Orchid126

When you start watering again you might consider using either Dyna-Gro KLN or Superthrive for a couple of months.

Unfortunately neither one is readily available in Europe, they are extremely hard to find. Did find some at an orchid supply place in the UK, but they don't ship out of the UK....

[frostedeyes]

a picture might help! yes uve done the right thing... but give it a rest like a week without water... place them outdoor. im not sure in your area.. but if ur in the tropic and give it air dry.. sorry but i dont know about you guys... after reading all the culture requirement ive discovered phal loves on a dryer side... but high humidity... lol weird! once its dry... pot them in a new orchid medium... tightly secured not wiggly on the base!~

[nibbler]

There is a picture of the roots on page 1. Outdoors is not an option. Its currently +7C here up from -15C about a week ago. Plant is ok. I had been wetting the roots so it wouldnt dry out while it was out of the bark. That was a large mistake. I have had to put it back into the old bark (Which I have dried out). There is only one type available for sale and its dreadful and the online shops I have found are closed until the 25th of Jan or dont deliver/charge 39GBP. I dont mind paying that because I will order more plants but my cymbidium and dendronium have a fungus infection. Dont want to waste money on new plants when I can kill them and the only thing I can get to kill the fungus is rose fungus killer. (That was recommended by the garden centre).