Sad Phal - Wilted & Yellowed

[Unseelie]

Thanks everyone, for the advice! I'll give some thought to what I should do, and in the meantime, I'll make sure the next one is not nearly so rotty!

[conjuay]

Originally Posted by jeffg

Well, having undertaken a few "salvage" jobs myself, here's what I can tell you. When I asked my Orchid Mentor about how to care for / revive a particularly ill plant he said "You're not running an infirmary!" He also told me he would come by when needed to "issue last rites"
He helped me see that growing healthy plants is challenging enough, and I don't need to be in the resuscitation business. I have found this to be helpful.

And yet, the experience of reviving an ailing plant is critical to learning how to care for healthy ones.
You ARE running an infirmary, because these plants don't naturally grow in your yard, do they?

It is a continuous resuscitation. Get a new mentor.

[Unseelie]

I figured I may as well cut off the dead roots to see what is to be seen. There is exactly one green (mostly) root. I figure it can't really -hurt- to try to revive it with no real expectations for it as long as I don't allow myself to get frustrated. If it dies, it dies, but if all else, I've already learned quite a bit about orchids in the process -- that's at least something to walk away with, right?

For my own knowledge, how is it mounted with no medium? (I would need to get it some medium since the current medium, apparently moss, seems as much of a mess as the roots did.)

And lest anyone think I cut off salvageable roots, the vast majority of them were seriously not.

[jeffg]

Originally Posted by conjuay

And yet, the experience of reviving an ailing plant is critical to learning how to care for healthy ones.
You ARE running an infirmary, because these plants don't naturally grow in your yard, do they?

It is a continuous resuscitation. Get a new mentor.

Maybe it's just me, but I think I'll follow the advice of a 40 year grower - 30 of which has been in commercial greenhouse sales over another Jr. member with one post.

I strive to learn how to create good cultural conditions to help them flourish because they don't grow in my habitat naturally, not play doctor with sick plants. I learn from mistakes and agree that experience with correcting deficits in culture / care is fundamental, but have no problem "composting" and moving on, hopeful to not repeat the mistake.

[frostedeyes]

actually i really like to buy sad phals... especially when u were able to make them happy... im pretty sure they will reward u with the best flowers... lol they have feelings! i suppose... anyway i still feel sad when ive killed orchids.. even though ive killed a dozens... i just throw it outside my house.. sometimes in my roof man they are toasted!

[Becca]

Originally Posted by Unseelie

I figured I may as well cut off the dead roots to see what is to be seen. There is exactly one green (mostly) root. I figure it can't really -hurt- to try to revive it with no real expectations for it as long as I don't allow myself to get frustrated. If it dies, it dies, but if all else, I've already learned quite a bit about orchids in the process -- that's at least something to walk away with, right?

For my own knowledge, how is it mounted with no medium? (I would need to get it some medium since the current medium, apparently moss, seems as much of a mess as the roots did.)

And lest anyone think I cut off salvageable roots, the vast majority of them were seriously not.

Well if you are going to try and keep it alive perhaps I can try and give you some help. I'm not sure where you live or how high your humidity is, but the higher the humidity the better. From the looks of your pictures, I believe all of your leaves are wrinkled, meaning they are showing signs of water loss. Phals have no way to store water so when they are dehydrated and have no water it comes from the leaves. The higher the humidity the better, it will help slow down the water loss (dessication) from the leaves. Please keep in mind you are in for a long slow recovery if this one makes it. I suggest you try water culture with this orchid. Many have had good luck with reviving orchids with this method. Keep in mind your only root is not adapted to this type of culture and will most likely die off over time, but by then hopefully you may have new roots. Also if you have a remaining flower spike you may want to cut it off so it can try to put all of it's energy into recovering and not trying to produce a keiki. Hope this helps some! Feel free to ask more questions and here is a link to some threads on water culture....enjoy reading up on it! Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! - Search Results

[Unseelie]

Thanks for the info! I was having trouble accessing the board, but read up as much as I could on the water culture and that seems the method to try -- people with terrible cases like mine seem to have turned them around that way.

Unfortunately I'm in Michigan where it's pretty dry this time of year, but I'll see what I can do about moisture around the leaves in the meantime.

[conjuay]

Originally Posted by jeffg

Maybe it's just me, but I think I'll follow the advice of a 40 year grower - 30 of which has been in commercial greenhouse sales over another Jr. member with one post.

"Ending is better than mending", Egh?

While that mentality is necessary for a commercial grower (or they'd go broke), someone with a few plants,-especially ones that have been given to them by friends,- have a different value.
I've bought orchids burned, waterlogged, and near death's door just to see if I could turn them around. I'm NOT bragging, we just have a different mindset.

My comments regarding your mentor were unwarranted, I apologize for that.

[jeffg]

Originally Posted by conjuay

"

My comments regarding your mentor were unwarranted, I apologize for that.

Apology accepted - thanks.

Maybe I presented too ridged, as if I just bail at the first sign of trouble. This is not the case. What I've found is that with 215 plants, I cant afford to have sick ones potentially affecting the rest - this has happened to me. As well, I have tried long and hard to "save" sick plants, and find in the end, I have to compost. Maybe I just make the decision quicker now if the prognosis isn't good and the plant isn't responding to cultural changes.

Grow on.