orchid turned for worse :(

[Tim P.]

Originally Posted by Wrebbitrocks

is this juihbao fairy?

anyways, yes, the spike robs nutrients the plant could be sending to growing roots. increasing humidity and the tempurature at the root zone could help, ive heard. using a seedling mat to make the root zone warm. i do recommend a hormone like superthrive because it seemed to help my plants make roots

Actually yes it is juihbao fairy. I was kindof surprised at its coloring comparing it to the hausermanns image. It really doesn't have the pink blush throughout. I was kindof disappointed, but it is still VERY attractive! The only orchid I really like more than it is the first orchid I have ever been given hopefully it remains to be my second favorite
because if it doesn't that means the worst happened!!
Thanks for all the help thus far. It's gunna be hard to cut it off. Was looking forward to christmas blooms but the plant is worth more and will give me more flowers if I take care of it right. you guys are awesome!

[Tim P.]

Originally Posted by Junebug

Hi Tim,

Your probably not going to like my suggestion but I'd remove the spike and put it in a vase of water. If you don't remove it your plant will continue to weaken. I can see some nice looking roots but there probably isn't enough of them yet to support healthy leaves and blooms at the same time. Chances are you will loose the lower leaves even if you remove the spike. The upper leaves aren't too far gone yet and they'll likely plump back up within a few days to a few weeks with proper watering.

How long may a spike last in water? do you think it may last until Christmas?

[Zoi2]

I've had cut phal spikes in a vase of water for 2 months. Just keep them out of the sun and change the water once a week or so, just like cut flowers.
Joann

[Tim P.]

I went ahead and took off the flower spike hard for me to do!!!

ok, then i put the plant itself into a large ziploc bag and sealed it to create a humid environment. I put some warm water at the bottom of the bag to get the humidity going, but the water does not have contact with the pot because the pot is in a tray in the bag. Does all of this sound like a good thing? correct me if it is not

Also, i do not have any of those products that you guys mentioned. I am kindof on a tight budget right now, getting ready for college and all. Will it be ok without? i do have powder rooting hormone?

one last inquirey... the pot seems to be half wet and half dry. first of all there is one half of it that is wet on the bottom, while the other half looks dry/dryer! the rest of the pot may be this way.... what is causing this and is there a sure fire way to tell when to for sure water? ( as in wait till the whole thing is dry, wait till half dry... idk) thanks for the help again.

[silken]

When it's in a plastic bag, you might want to open it partway to let some air in. Some people (including me) have trouble with mold when they are placed in a bag. Some powder rooting hormones are too strong for orchids so I would not use it. You do have roots and if you are careful it will likely survive.

A surefire method that I use to tell when to water, is to put a bamboo kebab skewer in the center of the pot down near the bottom. Leave it there and when you think it is time to water, pull it out and see if it is wet, damp or dry. If it is dry or just barely damp, you can water. If it is wet, then wait and test again in a few days. Put it back in the same place so as not to poke holes in roots. It really seems to work for me. In the meantime, you could mist those surface roots now and then as they may be the only ones providing moisture to the leaves and need to be watered if the surface is dry. Just try not to let the whole pot sit wet for days at a time.

[Tim P.]

ok... should i be fertilizing? forgot to ask

[silken]

You could fertilize with 1/4 or 1/2 strength weekly or every other week. Once a month it is good to flush with clear water.

[Paul Mc]

And you're absolutely fine without all the rest of the fancy stuff we were talking about. Those would just help assist your plant with recovery perhaps a little faster, but they are not necessary at all.

[quiltergal]

If it were mine I would not seal it up in a plastic bag, you risk rotting it. I only do that (with limited success) on absolutely rootless plants which this one is not. You will lose the bottom 3-4 leaves no matter what. They are too far gone to be saved. However, if the newest leaf looks good and firm the plant will most likely be fine.

The pot looks exceedingly dry to me. I would do as silken suggests and put a bamboo skewer into the center of the pot and leave it there. Pull it out to check for moisture. Phals like to be evenly moist, and I fear you may have overcorrected by underwatering.