The dreaded white fungus/mold -- how best to manage

[cythaenopsis]

When I unpotted my phal to check on the roots about a month ago, I had noticed some white fungus forming in some of the moss. I threw that portion out and reused the moss, because I didn't have any fresh moss on hand. What a mistake! Of course, fungus/mold can exist unseen to the naked eye and some of it continued on in the moss.

Here's a shot of the plant when it was blooming earlier this year:


As you can see in my case, I have a "double phal"--basically two plants that came in one pot. The roots were heavily intertwined, so I had decided to leave them as-is. However, one of the plants started showing signs of some suffering. The bottom leaves began to wither. Out of curiosity, I pulled out the top layer of moss to find white fungus thriving underneath again. Darn it! Also, many of the roots appeared beige in color. Fortunately there are still some green roots, so I think the phals will survive if I handle them right.

This time I decided to separate the two plants... and it wasn't as hard as I'd originally thought. They were strongly intertwined, but with light wriggling over the course of a few minutes, I was able to pull them apart. I'm going to pot them separately now (I have plenty of fresh moss on hand). The larger phal had no signs of the fungus, but the smaller one showed some fungus on the roots.

Before repotting, is there anything I should do to help eradicate any traces of the fungus? I saw someone say they gave their plant a Listerine rinse! Is that really safe to do?

[mmursuli]

I have no idea, but I'm curious about what others have to say. You never know when you might victim to the same fungus/mold problem. Good luck! Gorgeous phal, by the way.

[cythaenopsis]

^ Thanks! Yeah, the flowers turned out to be a rather pleasant NoID. I'm just hoping I can get the plant(s) to thrive enough for a repeat blooming splendor this coming autumn.

[camille1585]

A spritz of listerine mouthwash (the original version is known to be safe) on the roots should do the trick. Spray, let it dry, then pot up. No need to rinse. Listerine is antimicrobial and people report that it works well preventatively and as a light curative. Normally in fresh sphagum you should have no problems since it naturally has antiseptic properties.

[cythaenopsis]

^ Thank you, Camille. I gave it a good rinse, let it dry, then moisturized the roots and let the plant have a break for a day. It's repotted now and hopefully it'll get back to thriving.

[Orchid126]

You might consider treating the medium also.

[cythaenopsis]

I did replace the medium with fresh material, but just moistened it with filtered water. I've been told that the fresh organic moss has natural antiseptic properties to it. Would it still be a good idea to soak it in Listerine before using it?

[camille1585]

I don't think that you need to. Clean fresh medium with a hopefully now healthy plant in it, so I'm guessing that it will be fine.

[Bud]

an anti fungal mix...physan 20 (1 capful to 1 gallon) or if you want stronger fungicide phyton27; same formula of 1 capful to 1 gallon...if you are not into chemicals try: 10 drops liquid dishwashing soap, half teaspoon cinammon extract and 2 cups tepid water(hotwater in the sink)...make sure to drench the roots, leaves, media and pot...pls do not reuse anything with molds...throw it away

[cythaenopsis]

^ thanks, I'll put physan on my list. Oh yeah, I sure learned about the pitfalls of reusing medium... not a good idea if there's any trace of mold in it (even what you can't see can produce visible mold later).