Phalaenopsis Dropping Buds and Yellow Leaves

[boots20]

I purchased an orchid about one month ago and the new buds have all shriveled up and fallen off. The flowers that had already bloomed are still healthy. The bottom pair of leaves have turned yellow. The plant stays in an air-conditioned room (70F) and is watered once per week. I have attached some pictures of the roots and the flowers. Is this normal or have I killed my plant Thanks.

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

Most of the roots look OK, although I can see one dead one accross the center the others appear to be OK as far as I can see.

Dropping of the lowest leaves, can sometimes be normal and they do tend to turn yellow before they drop. However it can also be a sign the plant is struggling. One with bad roots will reduce it's number of leaves, but they also loose leaves through age and as they grow new ones.

Flower buds blasting (dying without opening) is yet another thing which can be normal after a change in enviroment (from the nursary/shop to your home), but can also be a sign of problems.

So it's difficult to tell from your description and pictures if there is a problem or not.

If this was my plant what I would do is check the roots. It looks as thought the moss it's in is very dark and possibly broken down which could be a problem. Take it out the pot and gently prise away the moss to get a good look at the roots in the center.

If the roots are mostly firm when you gently grip them in your fingers then they are good. If they are hollow or mushy then they are bad. As I said above I can see one bad one, but if they are mostly bad then that is a problem. Mostly good then it should be fine.

It's possible to resuce if there are any good roots (sometimes even if there arn't but it's more difficult). Let us know if it looks like the roots are bad and we'll try and help with how to save it.

If the roots are mostly good, but the moss seems broken down (smelly, dark etc) then it will need fresh medium. Many growers here don't like moss and would pot in bark (including me) because it is difficult to avoid rotting of the roots if you are in a humid enviroment. Others love moss, but it depends on your watering style and enviroment.

It's best to get fresh medium from a good source. www.repotme.com is meant to be good in the USA. There are other sources but some of the stuff sold in your non-specialist shops is not very good. Even stuff sold as orchid bark is often for terestrial orchids (which is not what you have). I don't live there so hopefully others can adise further on what is good or not.

It's best to check the roots sooner rather than later. If you do and decide it needs repotting it is possible to keep bare root for a while, but you need to soak the roots every day when there is no medium arround them. Either that or try and put back in the existing medium until you can get something new, but if it's 'sour' then it's best to make that as quick as possible.

[boots20]

Thanks so much RosieC!

There are definitely roots that appear hollow.

Does anyone have any advice on repotting? I have new bark and I'm going to reuse the pot. Are there common mistakes that I should try to avoid? How should I remove the dead roots?

[RosieC]

When you repot make sure to remove all the old medium. I usually poke most of it out from between the roots with my fingers, then I rinse the roots in the sink to remove the rest.

Cut bad roots with a sterile blade.

Some people (me included) will also give a rince with a little listerine in a sink/bucket full of water. You don't need much and I haven't used it ever time so if you don't have any don't worry.

Shake the bark down so it settles amongst the roots. Don't pack it too tightly... but with phals the advice is to pack it tight enough that you can lift the pot by lifting the plant.

The only other thing I can think is ensure the new medium is bone dry when you open the bag, but then soak the amount you need for 24 hours before using it. If it's been kept damp it may have started going off in the bag, but you also need to soak it to 'open the pours' otherwise it will dry very quickly once you have the plant in it.

If the medium is showing signs of decay/damp/smelling in the bag then don't use it. I almost killed plants that way when I was starting out.

[Eyebabe]

I agree with Rosie.

The roots we see are in good shape and the crown looks fine at the base.
The one yellow leaf looks "appropriate" and like it is just dying off.
The buds look blasted to me which occurs from changes in temperature and humidity(too low).

The only sure way to know however if you are concerned is to pull it out and look at ALL the roots and the base of the plant etc.

[boots20]

Thank you all so much!

When I repotted it I noticed the medium was very mushy and was stuck to the roots in many places. Otherwise, there were plenty of healthy, solid roots.

Also, the roots that were deep in the pot were dry which makes me think I was not watering the plant properly. Should I be watering the plant until water comes out of the holes in the pot and then letting it dry?

[Eyebabe]

Originally Posted by boots20

Should I be watering the plant until water comes out of the holes in the pot and then letting it dry?

Yes

However, with phalaenopsis you wait until the media is "almost" dry as the plant is not suppose to "completely dry out".

I would much prefer a dry media centrally while the peripheral was still wet; in fact, I've even seen styrofoam peanuts used at the core beneath the plant to ensure this in their potting media.

Phil worked very hard on a thread giving tons of information about the care and culture of phalaenopsis and it is well worth browsing