The Phal abuse ends here.

[flexdc]

I have used rooting hormone that I bought from home depot in the past. Dip or apply with a qtip the hormone powder to the affected area before you use the bag method.
The powder has fungicide in it. It should help stop the rot.
Best of luck
Andrew

[georgeFH]

I actually tried a semi-bag method. Placed a clear plastic bag over the pot overnight. But in just one night, there is a layer of white mold over the black part above the roots in the pictures. is that crown rot?
I've already cut away most of the black rotten part, but not everything. and I've soaked it with peroxide.
Now, I'm afraid to try the bag method again. Would water culture have a better chance to bring this phal back? Keeping just the roots in water mixed with rooting hormone?

[Wynn Dee13]

I think it has stem rot. I don't think it will survive with the rot. Sorry.

[Flobish]

Ok, just joined, first post. Anyone ever have the opportunity to get a nearly unlimited supply of fir bark?
I'm pretty sure that's what I have...
Being a woodworker by trade, I have a knack for being able to sniff out a common species of wood, literally. Fir, to be blunt, is unmistakable by scent. It's probably my favorite, also.
So, when my neighbors felled a 60+ feet tall fir, which had to be at least fifty years old and 2-2 1/2 feet around in some spots, I jumped on the chance to never again worry about seeking out (and paying for) new potting media. Wouldn't you?
Anyway I do go on, so I'll wrap this up in hopes someone may respond... Has anyone ever done this? I have 2 trash bags full of the stuff I spent 2 hours or so chiseling off ONLY ONE SECTION of the sawn up and stood up stumps.
I've repotted with it successfully a few times, but it hasn't been all that long and I'm wondering if my rapture at finding this treasure trove caused me to be a bit impulsive and overlook important things.
I'm admittedly quite the noob, with so much to learn, but I seem to have a touch with my modest collection (several phals, a dend. nobile, a miltoniopsis ;NOT miltonia, as it was labeled :-), an intergen. Odon/onc. And, I think, an odontobrassia) and I love them like children (am I alone in this? I actually HAVE children :-\)
I'll post pix soon when I'm not so overwhelmed :-P

To anyone who stuck this far, thanks for the time. Any wisdom, any at all, would be most appreciated.

[Wynn Dee13]

I don't know if fresh fir bark is ok to use. I have only seen it sold dried.

Good luck and I hope someone can answer your questions.

Oh and Welcome! If you don't have much luck with people responding, you should start a new thread in the potting forum. More people will see your questions.

[Flobish]

Thanks, you'll probably see a lot of them in the coming weeks, months, etc:-)

[Wynn Dee13]

That is what Orchid Board is for!

[Flobish]

Did a little more research on my question (see above) and, besides learning that, at least according to Google, I may just be the only DIY orchid bark preparer on the Internet, the packaged stuff you buy is steam-treated and then kiln dried. So, having no kiln but a cooking pot half filled with boiling water with a tight fitting colander over top filled with my self-gathered fresh bark and covered, then dumped into a baking pan and then onto the middle shelf of my preheated oven at 450°(don't ask me why, I just kinda go with my gut on these things).
I let it bake, occasionally mixing it up with a metal spatula, until it started to smoke. Just a little, seriously. About 5 mins of steaming and 15 of baking, then back into the pot with some hot water for... I won't lie, it won't be 24 hours. At least 18, though, before mixing with sphag. and perlite, then repotting my milt. for the first time.
Wish me luck!

[silken]

Good luck! That sounds a bit ambitious for some bark, but ambition is a good thing .

[Flobish]

Silken, is "ambitious" a nice way of saying "obsessive"? Or possibly" get a life "? :-) Anyway, I took WDs advice and just posted on the ice breaker board. That may shed some more light on my mysterious ways.