URGENT=>Phal emergency treatment for roots in moss? - Orchid Board

ElenaMarie · #1 12-30-2011, 05:48 PM

Hi All--

I received two NoID Phals several days ago. Both are in narrow, tall ceramic pots (3" diameter, 4" tall) and when I received them both were dehydrated, one more than the other.

I watered both and then tried to pick the moss out of the top of each. I got a bit out but the roots appear to have grown over most of it. Now I'm concerned that both plants may be potted in moss itself which, if I understand correctly, isn't a good thing.

What should I do for these plants while waiting for the opague orchid pots to arrive? Heel them into a clay pot until the shipment arrives? Cross my fingers and hope their roots aren't rotting? Something else? Of course watering is out of the question at this point.

Both plants have short, obviously damaged aerial roots that appear to have been broken during shipping. Other than that I cannot tell what's happening with the roots without lifting them out of the current pots.

The leaves and blooms appear fine. One plant, the one that was most dehydrated, still has slightly droopy leaves but it has improved a lot after watering and some TLC.

Ideas?

Thanks in advance!

calypsoB · #2 12-30-2011, 05:55 PM

Moss isn't a bad thing, it just depends on your growing conditions. I always take mine out and remove some of the moss when I get a new orchid. If I don't have another pot then I will put it back in the same one with less (usually a lot less) moss with it. So long as it isn't soaking wet and cold I wouldn't worry about a couple of days.

ElenaMarie · #3 12-30-2011, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calypsoB

Moss isn't a bad thing, it just depends on your growing conditions. I always take mine out and remove some of the moss when I get a new orchid. If I don't have another pot then I will put it back in the same one with less (usually a lot less) moss with it. So long as it isn't soaking wet and cold I wouldn't worry about a couple of days.

Hi Calypso!

I was hoping to repot only once to allow the poor aerials to recover a bit. I haven't tried to lift them out of the pots, I guess I should try that. I have some packaged orchid potting mix here (fir bark base) that I could stuff in the bottom of the pot until the shipment arrives.

Thanks so very much!

quiltergal · #4 12-30-2011, 09:24 PM

It's cool enough that taking it out of the pot won't hurt it and may possibly do a lot to help. If it's planted in straight moss carefully pick it all off. As you said you can just put it in a clay pot with no media for now and spray the roots daily until your potting supplies arrive.

silken · #5 12-30-2011, 10:48 PM

I would slide it from the pot, remove about half of the moss and put it back, being careful not to over water until the pots arrive. I always pot mine with half moss and half bark and they are all doing well. It all depends on your growing conditions and watering habits. Sometimes if you transfer them from straight moss to straight bark they struggle because it is too much of a change.

Bud · #6 12-31-2011, 12:26 AM

moss is a good thing...most florists and sellers use moss because you water less often...and it sits on the shelves of stores longer; but you need to know the watering regimen for moss (skewer method is usually done)
but then: I use a mix of large coco chips, lava rock, charcoal and hydroton...I like to water more often because it relaxes me...
once you get a new plant from outside: always make it a habit to isolate it first and check for bugs or fungi...check the roots and the media that nothing is inside there with eggs to hatch: repotting is best done immediately so you know you gave your plant fesh clean media and the roots are well nested to establish on the pot(chances are: you have a plastic pot over the ceramic pot= just make sure they both have holes) you can even repot on the same pot...just clean it well and spray lysol to kill fungi, algae or bacteria on the pot
Phals are tenacious...you can repot even while it is in bloom...just be careful not to damage any of the healthy roots but get rid of dead roots and decaying moss
Good Luck! Good growing and Welcome to OB

JerseyGirlBecky · #7 12-31-2011, 11:57 AM

Someone just gave me a couple of mini phals that they got at Lowes. They were packed so tight I had to take a table knife and carefully pry them out. Go all the way around the outside and carefully pick out the moss. there was so much in there and so tight. Suprisingly they had decent roots but were super dry. I repotted in mixed back and spag. One did have wrinkled leaves and I thought for sure the roots were gone. But, they just needed water. That's a first.
Good luck with yours.

orchidsamore · #8 12-31-2011, 01:11 PM

I do not know any commercial grower of Phalaenopsis that dose not grow his phals in moss.

I have seen some far east growers grow in large amounts of peat.

The key to using moss is to use high grade and change it yearly.

calypsoB · #9 12-31-2011, 02:18 PM

So How did the plants look outside of the pot?

ElenaMarie · #10 12-31-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calypsoB

So How did the plants look outside of the pot?

Ohmygosh, Calypso, it was NOT pretty. Like JerseyGirlBecky said below, the poor plants were literally stuck inside these pots--no plastic pot beneath the ceramic--and not even a hammer would break the darn pots! I had to get tongue depressers and work around the edge to get them out.

The plant I was most concerned about was better off in the root department, only about a quarter of the roots were shriveled and/or going black. The other plant had a sopping wet solid mass of moss right up on the stem and both the moss and the roots in contact with it were a nasty black. The stem itself looked healthy so I cut away the nasty tissue, which left about half the roots once I was done. Both plants' remaining roots were picked clean of moss and rinsed repeatedly under running water. I didn't have anything on hand to spray them with so I guess it's just fate at this point.

Rather than wait for the mail I ran to Home Depot looking for something more suitable. I hadn't planned on using terra cotta but they did have terra cotta orchid pots that fit so I purchased them and immediately went to work on the new babies. They're in good bark/charcoal/perlite mix now, sitting atop homemade humidity trays, and I'm watching and misting them carefully. The clay, I think, should help the roots after such a miserable time in that muck.

I cut off the spikes to nodes (?--hope that's the right word) and left the remaining spikes on the plants. One had a new flower spike developing at a node when I got it, I'm hoping it'll continue but I won't be surprised if it doesn't. At this point I just want to save the plants.

Oh, I do have a question though. Since I can't see through the terra cotta, how do I determine that the roots have resumed growth? Will the plant feel more secure in the medium when gently jiggled at the base? Something else?

And if I recall correctly, I shouldn't begin fertilizing until the roots are growing. Is that correct?

Many thanks, calypso, for the great advice! Hope you and all who have commented here to help me have a wonderful and safe New Year!

---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:18 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseyGirlBecky

Someone just gave me a couple of mini phals that they got at Lowes. They were packed so tight I had to take a table knife and carefully pry them out. Go all the way around the outside and carefully pick out the moss. there was so much in there and so tight. Suprisingly they had decent roots but were super dry. I repotted in mixed back and spag. One did have wrinkled leaves and I thought for sure the roots were gone. But, they just needed water. That's a first.
Good luck with yours.

Wow, were they in pastel colored tall and thin pots? That sounds exactly like mine except mine were in very wet moss. I watered them once, not even close to enough to cause that kind of mess.

Thanks, and I hope yours go well too!

---------- Post added at 09:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud

moss is a good thing...most florists and sellers use moss because you water less often...and it sits on the shelves of stores longer; but you need to know the watering regimen for moss (skewer method is usually done)
but then: I use a mix of large coco chips, lava rock, charcoal and hydroton...I like to water more often because it relaxes me...
once you get a new plant from outside: always make it a habit to isolate it first and check for bugs or fungi...check the roots and the media that nothing is inside there with eggs to hatch: repotting is best done immediately so you know you gave your plant fesh clean media and the roots are well nested to establish on the pot(chances are: you have a plastic pot over the ceramic pot= just make sure they both have holes) you can even repot on the same pot...just clean it well and spray lysol to kill fungi, algae or bacteria on the pot
Phals are tenacious...you can repot even while it is in bloom...just be careful not to damage any of the healthy roots but get rid of dead roots and decaying moss
Good Luck! Good growing and Welcome to OB

Hi Bud!

I confess I didn't do the quarantine. My bad. But I have limited options for good growing areas--think one

--and I really like these two phals. I did pick up some spray while looking for pots and all plants are under insecticide/fungicide treatment.

I did have enough sense to clorox the pots, and the snips after each plant, etc. Once I saw the black mess I figured infection control was required.

Thanks for the tips and the welcome!