The Phal abuse ends here.

[silken]

I can't say for sure but the roots do look good so I am thinking crown rot. Do you make sure no water ever collects in the crown of the leaves? Is that part or the stem (they are sort of one and the same) mushy or black at all?

[Talila6]

I would just leave this plant alone and give it a rest. Too much potting and repotting might the cause of this plant distress. Take it easy on your plants. Put it in a small pot, repot with fresh clean bark, keep it warm, and shaded. Talk to it, but don't touch the roots again. I would mist it every so often . Plant it in a transparent pot if you find one. Good luck.

[Horses&Orchids]

Here is a photo of the crown. I did see small spots of black and purple but didn't know it was anything but just normal color changing...until now. I do not let water sit in the crown but maybe I had it potted too deep. It is in it's original clear orchid pot that it came in so I can keep an eye on the roots. If it is crown rot how to I stop it from progressing? Thanks!

[silken]

Originally Posted by Horses&Orchids

Here is a photo of the crown. I did see small spots of black and purple but didn't know it was anything but just normal color changing...until now. I do not let water sit in the crown but maybe I had it potted too deep. It is in it's original clear orchid pot that it came in so I can keep an eye on the roots. If it is crown rot how to I stop it from progressing? Thanks!

That does look like the tissue has a bacterial or fungal problem. It may only go as deep as those leaves. You could pour some hydrogen peroxide thru that area. Then keep that part as dry as you can. Be careful when you water the plant. It looks at an OK depth in the pot.

[Horses&Orchids]

Just wanted to clarify if I pour hydrogen peroxide through the area should I take it out of the pot or leave it in the pot and just let it drain? Thanks!

[silken]

I think you can leave it in the pot. It shouldn't hurt anything. Others may weigh in on that! Try and get it into that dark area and the crown. then dab it out if it collects in there.

[Horses&Orchids]

One last question (hopefully) Should I go ahead and treat it for pests just in case? I keep seeing these very tiny white bugs and I would like to just get rid of the bugs all together. Any suggestions?

[silken]

I see Philip suggested you might have springtails in your media if it is breaking down. Have you re-potted it into new media since it has been out of the pot? Or was the media in good condition?

If it was mine, I would give it a shot of Malathion. It stinks and you should use gloves and a mask, but it kills most bugs. You should do it again in a week in case there are eggs. Hard to advise otherwise since I don't know what kind of pest they are.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

This Phal may be grown too wet.

I would recommend pulling the orchid out of its pot and taking a good look at what's going on inside that pot.

You might even find your answer as to why those little bugs are there in fairly noticeable numbers.

Forgot to mention, springtails prefer dark, cool, and moist areas.

[bellatrix]

Hi

I purchased my first orchid ever on Tuesday! It's a Phalaenopsis orchid. This is all I know about it really.

I uploaded pictures of it in the Identification section - I'll post them again here since I am unable to insert a link in this post.

I have a couple of questions:

1. Do I need to re-pot it any time soon? The leaves look rather crammed. It's still in the medium I purchased it in (from a grocery store). It seems to be in moss of some sort. I suppose the moss looks more compact and stays more moist than one would like it to. And today I noticed a thin yellow outline around one of the largest leaves. I did water it the day I got it (is that bad?). I poured enough water for the medium to look moist and didn't know I had to drain it. I happened to do some research that same night and learned that I had to drain it since the outer pot was holding the water that seeped out from the inner (clear) plastic container. The outer pot was one third full of water when I dumped it out that same (Tuesday) night. The plant seemed fine the next day. A few days later (on Friday) a faint yellow outline appeared.
I now have the inner pot sitting on the inverted cap of a bottle - and all of that is in the outer pot. I'm hoping this will allow it to drain further - the excess water can drip into the bottle cap if it wants to.

2. What sort of fertilizer should I purchase for it? i.e. What concentrations should the three numbers be? I know that Miracle Gro has some specifically for orchids, but would it be okay to use one that would be useful on other plants too? Such as one for flower plants in general. Or an all purpose one. Must I select one for acid-living plants? Is my plant acid-loving? Also, should I get a liquid plant food or a powder?

I have a million more questions but I wrote so much already! Perhaps I can start with these. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Assume I know nothing! (And you'll probably have assumed correctly.)