The Phal abuse ends here.

[silken]

Originally Posted by RalphJones

I have a Phal that I discovered had some moderate root rot once I replanted it. However, the rotted part is often in the middle of the root, and has good solid green root above and below it. I think maybe that when the orchid was last re-potted by someone they broke some of the roots in half and cause rot around the area.

Should I have left the whole root alone like I did? Or should I have cut right above the rotted part and discarded the healthy root below that?

Thanks,
Ralph

I have seen this before as well and it makes me wonder how the part below can survive. If there are plenty of other healthy roots, I would cut above the rotten part. If it's the only root I might have second thoughts. However, the rotten part could spread bacteria to more of the root so I would lean towards cutting it off. The remaining part of that root should still survive and possibly branch out and continue to grow. Hope that helps.
Remember to let the pot get very near to dry before watering. If it is not always soaking wet, and there are good air holes in the pot as well as in the media, hopefully it won't rot further. You could have soaked it in Physan or brown Listerine etc. to try and disinfect it before potting too.

[3mily90]

Hello! I have been a long-time orchid lover, and finally got one at Lowe's this past summer (late June, early July, maybe?) when it was in bloom. I'm in love and things have gone well so far and I'm hoping for flowers in the spring, so when I happened upon some inexpensive Valentine's Day phals at Walmart last night, I excitedly scooped one up to join my little collection and to rescue it from an untimely Walmart death. I selected the one that seemed the healthiest from what I was able to ascertain at the store (packaging was a hindrance, but once I got it home and dug around, it seems to have lots of promise).

I don't have access to my orchid potting mix at the moment (Miracle Gro orchid blend I think, and I'm fertilizing every few weeks with the same brand's 30-10-10 food), but I'll be able to remedy that and repot my new little plant baby this weekend. I want to make sure I do this right and give the new plant what it needs- the Lowe's phal I started my new hobby with was in excellent shape when I got it and immediately repotted it in a more suitable media, but this one will need a little more TLC and I don't want to miss any root rot OR, conversely, get too eager with the scissors!

I apologize in advance for all the pictures and the barrage of questions! I would really appreciate some more seasoned growers' advice!

Here is the first orchid I purchased, looking good! The top two leaves are shiny and new. The spike it currently has is from last summer and never died like the tan, dead one whose remnants are still sticking up (should I cut that the rest of the way off?)

Those little knobs appeared on either side of the base of the plant sometime around early September and have been hanging out just as they are ever since. What are they-new flower spikes? Shouldn't they have been growing a little more by now?

This is last night's Walmart rescue.

Here are the new plant's roots, as seen through the plastic container Walmart had it potted in.

This is the underside of the pot- it was a little difficult to get a clear, unblurred shot with the camera phone in one hand and the pot in the other- I apologize. There seems to be a little dark spot in the middle of one of the roots sticking out the bottom- is it rotting? What if I discover the rest of the root to be ok when I repot on Saturday?

Roots sticking out of the pot- I'm not overly confident in my ability to tell what's healthy and will keep on keepin' on, and what's starting to decline. How do they look?

Another root. The pot I have ready for this orchid is at least twice as big as the little plastic pot it's currently crammed into, so I don't think the roots necessarily have to climb out the way they are doing now once repotted- do I just bury them loosely in the woochip mix and they can crawl out again if that's what they want to do?

Thanks so much for any help and advice you may have to give!

[CWMorrow]

I would imagine the root has rotted from sitting in water at Walmart.
Someone more experienced than I will be along shortly.

[silken]

Welcome to OB. Your new (and old) Phal looks lovely. From looking thru the pot, it has an awesome set of roots. However, what's in the centre could be another story. But they could also be fine. First off, Phals like to be root bound so you should start finding a smaller pot. Twice the size will be too big and encourage root rot. It should be only as large as the roots will comfortably fit. I can't tell from your other photos of the first one, but they should be potted in a pot with good air and drainage holes. Phals in the wild grow on trees where their roots are out in the air. They get rained on and the breezes dry them quickly. So an open potting mix is good and they should never sit in water. A good thing to do is to place a bamboo kebab skewer in the pot near the centre and leave it there. When you're thinking of watering, pull it out. If it is dry or just barely cool (damp) then you can water. If it is wet, it is too soon.

As for the roots, any firm green or silver coloured roots are alive and healthy. Soft mushy brown ones are rotten and should be cut off up to new healthy material. Make sure to get all the rot. You can give the roots a good rinse once un-potted and then it will be easier to see all of them and their condition. Re-pot in pre-soaked bark, or bark/sphag mix or some other similar mix. Then let the plant dry quite well before watering again so the roots that were cut can heal. I looks like your other one seems happy with what you are doing so carry on! I really can't see the little bumps in the photo to see what they are. They could be roots or spikes. Often a little cool spell in the fall will induce blooming. Maybe switch from your current fertilizer which is very high in nitrogen as that promotes leafy growth not blooms. The middle number (phosphorus) promotes blooms. Good luck.

[3mily90]

Thank you! I can see only one or two little brown strands of root through the pot, so I'm really hopeful for the center when repotting. The roots at the very bottom of the pot, where all the water would have likely collected if it was going to puddle, are looking nice and green from what I can see of them all piled up against the side My biggest concern with the roots hanging out on the outside of the pot is the discolored spots- they're a little brown/yellowy, but the roots themselves are plenty dry and firm in spite of these spots and I'm not detecting any mushiness when I gently squeeze them between my fingers. They're not jumping out at me as totally rotten and definitely needing hacked off, but they're not green/silver through and through like some of the other roots are, you know?

Should I just "repot" the new one into the same pot it came in with fresh/looser potting media? I was thinking it was too small because there's not a whole lot of potting media in there and I can see a lot of roots coiled up in the bottom all packed against one another and the side of the pot with nothing around them. There are indeed holes and slits for drainage on the bottom, so it's not a terrible pot or anything.

I can see now I was probably a little overambitious with pot size for the older orchid- the pot was definitely significantly bigger than the one it originally came out of, although the plant has been doing great nonetheless- probably because it was doing so well to start with. There's a sizable drainage hole at the base of its current pot, and every time I water I make sure to thoroughly flush the wood chips, let it drain, and then tilt the pot so that the excess runs off through the hole. Then I come back later and check it/tilt again. I like the bamboo skewer idea!

Thanks for the fertilizer recommendation! How close to spring blooming should I switch from the higher nitrate to the higher phosphate food?

[The Orchid Boy]

You should switch fertilizers a few months ahead. For example I have a Paph. Magical Venus that blooms around January 1st. I switch to bloom fertilizer in September or October. So around three or four months before it opens its first bloom.

[Bud]

Silken, that is a precise concise and very sound advice. Very informative too. Thank you !

[silken]

The top roots that are a bit discolored are likely fine. They tend to do that. Maybe like a suntan or just colour from the bark etc. Most of mine are like that even tho the roots are healthy. If the plant will fit into the original pot that is great. Clear pots are nice because the roots photosynthesize and you can see what's going on. However, once you unpack it all, it may be a little hard to stuff it all back in there. But I often do manage it. So long as you are careful not to over-water your other one it should do fine and it does appear happy. It's just that the media often takes too long to dry out when there is too much of it in a large pot.

As for the fertilizer, it's hard to always know when the orchid will begin a spike. You want to use it before that as the phosphorus is what encourages the beginning of a spike. Although there are thoughts that it is just the decrease of nitrogen that actually does the trick. Usually a bloom booster has low nitrogen (first number) and very high phosphorus (second number). Either way, many hybrid Phals get 4 to 6 weeks of cool temps in the fall (maybe 60F) and very soon after, spikes appear and take part of the winter to develop. So I would use it in late summer. Often when you buy a new Phal, the greenhouse it came from has forced it to bloom out of its season so it could take a little longer to get back to its regular schedule.

[aberardi]

im a window sill grower in nyc..having a hard time deciphering what to grow my noid phals in. Is bark better than moss? ive been pretty good about letting it dry out completely between waterings. also opinions on kln rooting? to get the roots growing how often should it be used and at what concentrations?

thanks

[Bud]

I use a mix of large coco chips, charcoal, lava rocks, medium hydroton and large sponge rocks...I order them online already pre-mixed or you can go to 1st av between 5th&4th supply store (assuming you are in Manhattan NYC) and find a bag of similar mix=without the hydroton and lava rocks

you only use the KLN rooting stuff if your plant is still a seedling , severely damaged or dying...if it is healthy do not mess with it...KLN is a hormone so think well before using it