Phal with only one root left - needs saving

[LuizaG]

I recieved a phalaenopsis as a present and had no idea how to care for it and my flat does not have proper conditions for an orchid. It ended up with roten roots and wrinkled leafs and flowers started to fall also some little bugs inside the medium.

I got new medium (medium grade bark), soaked it for a couple of hours and got the plant out of the old medium. I cut off almost all roots as they were roted - only one longer, a very small new one and a part of one that had it's roten tip cut off were left. I cut off the spikes. Rinsed the roots, left them to dry out and planted in a pot of the same size in which I made lots of holes for ventilation. Most probably it needed a much smaller pot for only one long root left. I repoted it about 4 weeks ago, kept watering it properly since then about every 4 days. And since there is no place in the house for it it ended up on a south-east facing windowsill with the need to place a sheet of semiopaque baking paper in the window when the sun is up. Ventilation is present at all times as even when the windows are closed they dont close properly anyway. The little root grew a bit, the tip of the long root became green but they are growing sooo slow. Is that normal? The orchid also had a new leaf that started to wrinkle too but not as bad as the other. The leaf grew a bit to sart with but doesn't seem to get any bigger. I mist it every morning, not sure if that helps it with anything.

Reading the forum here I found out about liquid seaweed and bought some. I diluted it at third of the strenght recomended and watered with that the last watering. Also reading here I saw about rooting hormone and aplied a bit on the tips of the roots. Hope this is not a dissaster. Also to protect from any tempted bugs I sprayed a few days ago with a 1% solution of neem oil.

Not sure what else I could do besides finding a good fertiliser orientated for growts reather than flowering. Do you have any suggestions? Am I doing anything wrong as it seams to be stagnating? Would the green tips on the roots, even if they grow very slow, indicate that there is still hope?

Here are some photos:

Picasa Web Albums - ChristiLuiza - Orchid


Luiza

[Rosiefuture]

Hi Luiza, welcome to the OB!

I'm no expert on Phals, I've only been growing them since the beginning of the year. But, from what I have read here and experience from saving rescue plants, they are pretty hardy orchids. The new leaf is in better shape that the other leaves but still a bit dehydrated. I think a lot of things you have done should help. I don't know about using seaweed fertilizer, I use an orchid specific fertilizer at about half strength each week (know here as weakly-weekly). The fact that the roots are green is a good sign and the fact that the plant doesn't seem to be doing a lot I don't think should worry you. As it's gone through a lot of damage and stress I would think it is just regaining it's strength. I have read on here of Phals in far worse condition coming back to health.

I'm sure others will come in soon who have a heap more experience that me and give you some good advice.

Happy growing

Marion

[nutgirl]

Welcome!

Your plant looks like it can be revitalized, however if it only has a few roots I think it might be in too large a pot.

If you can find one (or make one) that is not much larger than the roots it might be better.

If you are seeing root growth that's a good thing. Remember that your plant doesn't have many roots so to make up for that try to keep the humidity level a bit higher.

Maureen

[Triffid]

Welcome to the OB

It will take time, patience and a bit of TLC, but it can be done.

For my sick Phal I decided to put it in the bathroom and well the plant seemed to like it (So long as you have reasonably light within) seems to promote growth.

Downsizing pots will also help. I myself had trouble finding the right size clear pots in local garden stores, but I can tell you of three recommended Orchid Suppliers and Nurseries within the UK. All members of the British Orchid Growers Association (BOGA) so their standards are monitored.
All three should have the right size pots needed (or at least a good selection) and can even offer advice.

Orchids by Peter White

Burnham Nurseries

David Stead Orchids

(Seems like advertising but I'm not getting paid these guys just come well recommended)

As already stated the remaining roots with green tips seem to be doing all right. It's now a matter of keeping up with the proper care and waiting. I was sure mine would kick the bucket until one day it shot out new healthy roots and a new leaf, it now seems to be one of the most virulent of my little collection.

I'm sure others will pipe in as well soon enough, as I'm sure you've already noticed there are lots of friendly helpful knowledgeable people round here (Who helped me to save mine!) that are all to keen to help you keep your precious plants alive.... Which is nice

[RosieC]

I think you certainly need to get hold of smaller pots.

All the websites listed by Triffid above are good UK ones. Orchid Accessories is part of the 'Orchids by Peter White' one and that's where I get my medium and pots from. But I also think highly of the other two in fact I was in Burnham's shop earlier today and they have a nice range of pot sizes all with plenty of holes (see my comment below).

I think you've done all the right things, I spent a lot of time trying to get my first ones to recover after I used the bark medium from the local garden center to repot and it actually killed the roots, so based on that here is my list of tips...

1. Always repot with good quality medium. Be aware that the stuff in the garden centers/supermarkets/B&Q type places may have a low turnover and not have been stored correctly so can already be decaying... that actually caused the root loss in my first phals.

2. Use the smallest pot you can get the roots in to. This is especially true with recovery of ones that have lost roots. Mine seemed to be sooo slow growing new root until I got them in to small pots. Small pots means the medium dries quicker and so you can water more often (which the plant likes... it just likes the air around the roots as well which is what quicker drying can give).

3. Make sure the pot has a good number of holes (I can see from your pics you already know this). Many of the pots in the UK garden centers are from Stewart and they just don't have enough holes at all. I doubled the number of holes in the bottom of one and it still wasn't enough. They are much easier to get hold of but make sure you put a LOT more holes in the pot than with some of the ones sold by the orchid speciaists.

4. Water with luke warm water, not cold water. Phal roots seem to love that and put on a growing spurt. I have a hunch (but only a hunch) that watering this way can inhibit flowering... but when an orchid is weak it needs to grow not flower.

[marydaniellesantos]

Along with all the other info on here, you can add a small layer of sphagnum moss to the top it helps with humidity. I take my chids in the bathroom with me when I shower, they love the humidity. Other than that all the other advise is great. Good Luck! and Welcome!

[LuizaG]

Just want to say a big Thank you to Marion, Maureen, Triffid, RosieC and Marydaniellesantos who replyed and took time to give me advice on what to do next and encourage me.

I took on board and here's an update on the progress so far:
As I had a hunch and as I've been encouraged to do I repoted a pot size down. I did look at the links I've been given and I found Orchids by Peter White to be an excellent website. I was impressed but did not get a chance to order or look in stores for small pots as last night when I picked up my Phal to look at it I accidentaly droped it and half of the medium fell out of the existing pot so I had to repot right then reather than later as I did not wanted to stress the plant further. So I went out at the only shops open at that time and found some deserts (chocolate mouse) in clear small, cute little cups and bought them, fed the contents to my husband , washed really well, made holes and poted in one of them. I used the same bark, the one that did not fell all over the floor as it was only 1 month old tops. Also after looking everywere for some polystirene chips I ended up scavanging my printer's box for some to place at the botom of the pot. Before I poted my phal I rinsed the root and bath it in a solution of some powder root hormone diluted in lukewarm water and again in a solution of seaweed fertiliser.

I have to say that it looks much better in this new made up pot that is 7 cm wide and 7 cm in hight, the root is fitting better and the plant is more secured inside than in the old pot (a yougurt pot) that was 9 cm wide and 8 cm in hight.

To increase the humidity I placed the pot on top of a saucer with ornamental shells siting in water. Also beacause I read that is good to not place it again in the normal contitions for the first one or two weeks after repoting but in a shaded area, instead of taking it with me to the bathroom only when I have a bath I just moved it there. The bathroom has a small semiopaque window facing south west that lets some light through but not bright light.

I have made some pictures during the repoting process.
Picasa Web Albums - ChristiLuiza - Orchid
There are pictures of the root that looks better than I thought. The long one has 3 green tips and the tiny new one is still green. My only concern about the long root is that it seams to be black and very thin somewere in the middle of it. That bit of the root is not actually siting inside the media when potted. Also I think I saw a place where a new root might grow but is was so so small that I'm not sure if that is true (not showing in pictures). There are pictures of the root hormone and seaweed fertiliser I used, a picture of the Neem oil I used a while ago to spray the leafs and a picture of the fertiliser I intend to buy for the future: Orchid Focus - Grow. Has anybody used it? Is it any good?

Many thanks again to everybody who encouraged me.

Luiza

[RosieC]

Old food containers make great pots. I've actually been collecting drinks bottles to cut the bottom out of to use as Semi-Hyrdoponic pots (S/H uses holes in the sides only so it's difficult to buy pots for it).

It's looking good in the smaller pot, definately the best way to go.

I'm using the Orchid Focus - Grow at the momment but I've not been using it for long. It's quite balanced which is good. I don't bother with the Bloom fertilisers as they don't really help the blooms... I just use the 'Grow' types of fertiliser all the time.

Most powder rooting hormones don't really help orchids. They are actually too strong for orchids and don't work as a result.

There is one called KLN which is a liquid one that is good for orchids, but it's difficult to get hold of in the UK. I got it from Orchid Accessories (Orchids by Peter White) but I'm not convinced it is worth it. I got just as good an effect by using luke warm water.

[RosieC]

I would not worry too much about the thinner bit in the root. Mine do that sometimes and I think eventually the lower root will die, but until then it should still do it's thing.

[nenella]

I agree with what Rosie says; apart from the KLN. which I think works ;If you can get some...
Your plant is far from past it & you need to concentrate on getting those roots growing as well as that new leaf firming up. (the older ones will stay wrinkled) It looks very good in it's new pot ..
You can try putting a bag over the whole plant & pot but it must not stay as wet as your last pictures show. so let the bark dry out a bit more before
putting a plastic bag over it - be sure to let some air in every day ot two and I wouldn't water again untill the bark is dry which will help promote root growth.(leave out of of direct sun as you have been doing) It can take months & months... but you are on the right track !
Good Luck!