Rescued Phal does not have stem - Orchid Board

katie197888 · #1 02-19-2011, 05:16 PM

I was given a sickly Phal from a friend of mine. The stem was and still is completely brown and dead. The leaves are very healthy and green, but there is no sign of a new stem. All my other Orchids are happy and healthy. Is there any hope for this Phal to grow a stem and bloom again? Should I remove the short dead stem?

Please help!!
Thanks!!

camille1585 · #2 02-19-2011, 05:21 PM

Firstly, welcome to Orchidboard!

If the spike is dead and brown, yes, you can cut it off. If the plant is otherwise healthy there's no reason that it wouldn't bloom again. Keep it in a spot where it gets very bright indirect light, a few hours of morning or late afternoon sun is fine. Usually most phals will start spikes in the fall, when the lowering temperature initiates the process. Some phals can bloom at other times during the year, so keep an eye out for a spike

What other orchids do you grow?

camille1585 · #3 02-19-2011, 05:30 PM

Just saw the pic, it wasn't there yet when I replied.

The pot that is below the plant, is that what it was potted in? If so, it's much too large. Phals like to be snug in the pots, IT should be only just large enough to accomodate the roots. And the medium in the pot looks very soil like. Fine stuff like that doesn't work well, it doesn't allow enough air to go through the pot. Phals in the wild grow on trees so need lots of air around their roots.

katie197888 · #4 02-19-2011, 05:34 PM

Yes this was the pot that it was planted in when I received it. It was supposedly an "Orchid Pot" ...thats what my friend said. I have moved it to a much smaller Terracotta pot which my other orchids seem to thrive in. My others are also in dirt, what do you recommend as a good medium?

camille1585 · #5 02-19-2011, 05:56 PM

The most common medium to plant orchids in is a bark based medium. Be careful about getting most of the readily available 'orchid mix' (in big box stores for example) they usually have too much fine stuff in it. I don't live in the US anymore so it's hard for me to recommend something in particular. Other can probably help you out with that.

Or you could order medium on repotme.com. Lots of people recommend that site for medium. You either order a premade mix for the type of orchids you have, or custom make one.

katie197888 · #6 02-19-2011, 06:01 PM

Ok, thanks! So what do you think about this stem? Should I remove it? Will another one grow back?

camille1585 · #7 02-19-2011, 06:11 PM

You must have overlooked my very first post, have a look at it I answered those questions there.

Becca · #8 02-19-2011, 07:30 PM

I agree with the advice Camille has given. It is ok to remove the dead flower spike. Given the proper growing conditions such as light, temps, and water, it will bloom for you again but it may not be until next year. The pot does look way to large as Camille also mentioned, and dirt isn't what orchids should be repotted in, and as Camille also mentioned, the stuff the big box stores sell isn't really good for orchids, go to repotme.com and get a pre-mixed potting medium for phals. Also, I think your roots are going to need some attention, they don't look like there are many good roots, the dead roots should be trimmed off. If the roots are firm, they are good, mushy or papery dry feeling means they are bad.

james mickelso · #9 02-20-2011, 04:54 AM

I wouldn't be too hasty with trimming those roots. Most of them look ok. Any dead roots won't hurt anything if left on when you repot. If any of the roots are too long to put it in a smaller pot, cut them with a new razor blade or sharp shears dipped in alcohol (or bourbon/scotch/good whiskey) and let the wound dry in the air for a day to heal. Or put sulphur or Rootone on it. Leave the dead stem alone for now. It won't hurt a thing. Spagnum moss or a bark/perlite mix will work well as a medium. Have fun.

camille1585 · #10 02-20-2011, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james mickelso

I wouldn't be too hasty with trimming those roots. Most of them look ok. Any dead roots won't hurt anything if left on when you repot. If any of the roots are too long to put it in a smaller pot, cut them with a new razor blade or sharp shears dipped in alcohol (or bourbon/scotch/good whiskey) and let the wound dry in the air for a day to heal. Or put sulphur or Rootone on it. Leave the dead stem alone for now. It won't hurt a thing. Spagnum moss or a bark/perlite mix will work well as a medium. Have fun.

Dead roots will decay in the pot. Anyway if they're dead, they're dead, they might as well be removed while the plant is unpotted. As for cutting off good roots, that's not a very good idea for a plant which already doesn't have a decent root system. Letting the roots soak for a while will soften them up and make them easier to bend, and can be fit into the pot. And if there are so many roots that they can't fit in a pot, well, just get a bigger pot!