Phal-yellow leaves some root rot-sorry long thread.

[roxymusic]

I received a Phal as a gift it- came from a florist.-I watered it carefully (I thought)checking to see if it were dry. I wish i had found this board earlier. Anyway, the leaves began to turn yellow on one side. I pulled it out of the pot-it was packed tightly with spagnum and sheet moss, and in a pot way too big for the root size. I cut away all the mushy/dead roots, put cinnamon only on the tips of roots that i had cut damage away from. It still has some nice green roots, what do I replant it in?-I know it needs a little pot. Also the roots are all on the 'outside" of the plant like a crown-i dont' know what a healthy phal root system looks like.
Thanks in Advance.

[WhiteRabbit]

glad you found us!

Cinnamon is great - but it can desiccate good roots, so I'd make sure the good roots don't have any on them. I have definitely seen worse looking Phals (mine, usually)

A lot of people like medium bark mix for Phals, as it's quite "airy"... I have bamboo skewers in all my orchid pots to help me determine when to water, and for Phals, I have learned to let them get almost entirely dry before watering ...

I'm sure others who do better with Phals than I have will have some good advice for you

good luck

[roxymusic]

Thanks for the advice. I bought a little ceramic orchid pot and some medium bark mix and repotted it. I also have it on a pebble tray for humidity. Hopefully it will survive, it was beautiful when i first got it.

[BobInBonita]

Welcome to OrchidBoard!

I agree with the above - the plant can definitely be saved.

A word of caution - be careful with some ceramic pots labeled orchid pots. Make sure they have good drainage. I have seen some beautiful pots with attractive slits on the side, but the bottom inch will fill up with water.

Remember that ceramic pots will dry more like plastic pots. The skewer idea is great, since you can't see the medium.

[camille1585]

Sounds like a salvageable orchid!

Same comment as Bob, check the drainage on the pot. Did you make sure to soak the bark mix overnight before using it? New bark won't hold water very well unless it's had a good soak first.

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Cinnamon is great - but it can desiccate good roots, so I'd make sure the good roots don't have any on them. I have definitely seen worse looking Phals (mine, usually)

Yes cinnamon is a dessicant, but only if you cover the root with it. Applied to the cut end of a root it will speed up the healing process and is not dangerous for the root.

[CTB]

lots of good information, be sure to keep your leaves dry. Water in the crown will start rot real quick like, I water my phals from the bottom if possible. That's why they are potted in regular plastic pots and just placed in pretty pots for display.

[roxymusic]

Thanks all for the good advice. I had soaked the bark overnight before repotting it, I put some sterile pebbles in the bottom of the pot-just to add more drainage, and tested out the drainage before I put the plant in. I do have a bamboo skewer in the pot too (great idea btw).

One more question-it has a huge flower spike (done flowering) do i cut it off, or let it die on its own?

[jrodpad]

You can cut the flower spike when it's really done... but phals can often times bloom twice from the same spike!

Once it drops all of its flowers, keep an eye on the little bud-looking terminal ends of the spikes. If they start to swell or start to branch, you might get a re-bloom. If they turn brown/yellow and the rest of the spike follows, then you can trim off the spike for sure.

I like to cut them off with a flame sterilized scissors as close to the base of the plant as possible (I can never get truly flush, there's always some sort of nub), and then I dab the wound with cinnamon.

One note of caution, best to use cinnamon from sticks that you grate yourself -I recently learned from a foodie friend of mine that much of what's sold in the supermarket as ground "cinnamon" is really a much cheaper cinnamon-flavored alternative. And in the USA, there's no restriction on calling it "Cinnamon" on the label. I have no idea if the alternative has the same anti-fungal properties of the real stuff. I can't imagine that it would.

Good luck!

-J

[camille1585]

Seeing as the plant is trying to recover from a loss of roots, I would cut the spike all the way down. A rebloom may just further weaken the plant.

[roxymusic]

How long should it be before the roots start to pick up??