repotting a very unhappy phal - Orchid Board

deathofregret · #1 05-22-2010, 05:47 PM

hi guys, i'm back with another newbie question!

i have a phal that's very unhappy - i think there are definite signs of root rot, to begin with. it had several new blooms and the beginning of a new bud, but all have wilted within the last couple of days. the stem has turned a dark purple color, but i've got two live leaves, slightly cracked, and some live roots, i think. (i've attached photos for everyone.)

i figure that since the leaves are alive, i can attempt to save the plant. i know it needs to be repotted, but i don't know what the best medium for a phal is, and i can't seem to find a conclusive answer. i know i need to trim the roots, but should i also trim the stalk? should i repot in something bigger?

finally, does anyone have any suggestion on books about orchid care? sometimes the internet isn't the most conclusive source of information out there.

as always, thanks!

heather

RosieC · #2 05-22-2010, 06:09 PM

Hi Heather.

The reason you can't find conclusive advice on the best potting medium is that it's one of those things that depends on many factors.

Ray has some good advice on choosing on his website. Choosing Potting Media

If you have had problems with rot you are likely to be best to go with bark, which is also the one I favour.

You want to put it in a pot which is just big enough to hold the roots. Sometimes that means it is top heavy, but I use a larger outer pot to balance it.

I used to try using very large bark to compensate for a pot that was too big (with the theory that large bark would leave lots of air gaps, so would not stay wet too long). It didn't work... the large bark just wouldn't dry despite the huge air gaps and the plants did not really like it.

I have found that Phals with root problems do FAR better in the smallest pot you can fit them in with fine bark, than they do in a bigger pot with larger bark. Since moving my struggling ones, each in to the smallest pot I could get it's roots into, they have just taken off with root growth, leaf growth, and even a spike on one (my very first orchid which I almost killed and has been struggling for almost 2 years until recently).

deathofregret · #3 05-22-2010, 06:17 PM

thanks for the informative link, rosie! right now the phal is in sphagnum moss, which might explain the root rot. i'll probably go grab some bark today. any suggestions or good links for trimming the roots?

WhiteRabbit · #4 05-22-2010, 06:19 PM

Yeah - different people favor different media - but if there are problems with root rot, bark is probably a good choice. I have even had trouble with bark myself lol. The last phal I got I put a small overturned net pot inside the pot I was using for the phal. That one has been doing well root - wise. I have used small plastic standard pots as well as net pots for other orchids, and that seems helpful too, but a net pot provides the most aeration. Styro pnuts can also be used. Myself, I would go with a coarser bark mix, but then I haven't tried using finer, and it has worked for Rosie, so I can't really advise against it - especially as she has much better success with Phals than I.

I may have to try it sometime

deathofregret · #5 05-22-2010, 06:21 PM

two votes for the fine fir bark it is, then. you guys are always prompt and on the spot - gotta love this board. i'm nervous about repotting! this is the first time i will have done so. maybe it will make it easier for the next plant...

WhiteRabbit · #6 05-22-2010, 06:22 PM

Oh! I forgot - Ortho's Complete Guide to Orchids (not Ortho's All About Orchids), Orchids for Dummies. I'm sure other's will have more suggestions.

Trim off any mushy roots.

WhiteRabbit · #7 05-22-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathofregret

two votes for the fine fir bark it is, then. you guys are always prompt and on the spot - gotta love this board. i'm nervous about repotting! this is the first time i will have done so. maybe it will make it easier for the next plant...

My orchid growing has definitely improved since finding OB. Like I said - myself, I would go with a medium bark, but obviously finer works. I would suggest if you go for finer make sure it's not too fine. I have some fine bark that is extremely fine - too dense for most orchids. Then I have some 'fine orchid mix' (Gubler's) which works much better. While the bark in it is much smaller than a medium bark, it is still coarse enough to drain well. It's more very small chunks of bark, rather than pulverized into dust lol
Also - while I haven't used it myself, I have read that Miracle-Gro orchid mix is to be avoided - another one that is much to dense for most orchids.

deathofregret · #8 05-22-2010, 10:44 PM

okay, so here's the result of the repotting:

fine bark was very difficult for me to find, so i went with the smallest bark i could come by, which i soaked in water. after removing the phal from the sphagnum medium, i realized the root system was pretty thoroughly trashed. i used sterilized clippers to remove everything i could, which left very little - i'm wondering if this isn't a lost case already. while repotting, i lost the rest of the pathetic wilting blooms.

so i'm left with my repotted phal, which i've heard needs to be kept in less light than usual. first question: for how long? second question: what do i do about the flower stalk? the color on it is so awful; should i remove it completely? what do you guys think about the three sad left-over roots?

thanks, as always,

h

mspatt · #9 05-22-2010, 11:22 PM

What's the humidity like in your part of California? Some areas are very dry, but if you can give your orchid good humidity, then I would repot in the smallest container that will hold the roots. Those three roots can sustain a plant that is the size of yours. Then I would put it out in that humidity (in a sheltered location) and watch for new root growth. Leave it outside until you see new root growth. These are only my suggestions because I'm sure I grow in a different climate than what you have. But these things have worked for me...

When you are repotting, I would remove the flower spike completely to give the plant a better chance at concentrating its energy in producing new roots.

deathofregret · #10 05-22-2010, 11:25 PM

the phal's in a pretty small container right now - 3 inches across and 3 inches deep. should i go smaller? that's going to require another repotting. will that stress it out too much? i'm in norcal; humidity today was at 67% and it's usually pretty cold outside - 52 degrees right now. it seems like it would be happier inside, what do you think?

how do i go about removing the spike? do i just clip it as low as it can go?

thanks for the info!