Phal - cutting back rotten roots and aerial roots - big mistake??

[hyprgrl79]

Ok, so I have this deleriously happy Phal getting ready to burst into bloom & I'm pretty sure I just doomed it... I'm hoping for some advice how to help it recover.

I lifted it from its growing pot & trimmed back the brown mushy rotten roots & set it in some fresh media (mostly fir bark)... Now I've read that by cutting those rotting roots I may have introduced bacteria and/or fungus to the root system. Is there any way at this point to prevent a bacterial/fungal takeover?

On top of that, I am ashamed to say that (without doing any research first) I trimmed back all the aerial roots. Mistakenly, I thought they were dead. I didn't realize how vital they are to the health of my Phal.

So now, it has one open bloom, tons of buds, several green fleshy roots, healthy leaves.. but no aerial roots.

Is it doomed or is there anything I can do to encourage its continued flourishing... or do I just need to step back, let it be & let it recover in its own time...

Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!

[Wjs2nd]

Hmmmmm, you can make a paste of cinimion and elmer's glue. Spread the paste on cut ends. You should be okay. You need to cut mushy roots, but no more aerial roots.

[hyprgrl79]

the mushy rotten roots were basically cut all the way back to the base of the plant... i couldn't really see any ends... i know most sites suggest cutting back to the healthy tissue, these were rotten all the way through... should i unpot & apply the cinnamon paste to the base of the plant or just leave it alone?

rather than just assume, i'll go ahead and ask... the abundance of mushy roots is a sign of overwatering or not being allowed to dry out between waterings, right??

and thanks, i'll never cut the aerial roots back again

[Wjs2nd]

Could be overwatering or not drying out. What was it planted in before you changed to fir bark? What is the pot like, lots of holes?

You can probably leave it alone and should be fine. You can allows apply the paste and repot. Phals are pretty tough.

[tucker85]

I'm not sure why you decided to repot your orchid just when it's starting to bloom but the plant might be OK. Cutting off the rotten roots was the right thing to do. Generally you don't want to cut aerial roots because those are the newest roots. I don't put anything on the cuts. I've never had an orchid get infected from a cut. I would just give the plant normal care and hope it recovers. Orchids are very resilient. It might even continue to bloom if you're lucky. Let it get almost dry between waterings.

[hyprgrl79]

i didn't really do a total repot on the one in blooming mode... and i have no idea what possessed me to touch it at all... i'm usually a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" kind of girl...

i basically lifted it out, some of the old media (which undoubtedly was retaining too much moister) dropped away on its own.. started trimming the rotting roots back, and the potting media attached to those roots fell away as well... to keep from re-inserting the plant into a media mixed with the trimmings of the rotten roots, i put fir bark that had been soaked for a couple hours in tap water in the bottom of the pot, set the plant (with its healthy roots) back in & back filled around the stakes and remaining roots below with mostly fir bark & a small bit of the original orchid potting mix that had retained some moisture...

i left it in the clear growing container to air out for the night & misted the leaves (making sure they were dry before i cut off the full spectrum lamp that provides most of its light for the night)...

the aerial roots are still there.. just nearly non-existent... i know not to trim them back again in the future..

thank you guys for all your suggestions & insight... your perspective & knowledge sharing is greatly appreciated...

any other advice would be gladly welcomed

[Rowangreen]

It does sound like it's been getting too wet/not drying out. If you can see any green roots through the pot, let them dry to a pale/silvery colour before you water again, and just run through and let drain at the sink. If you can't see the roots, let the medium go paler/lighter in weight (and not just on top...) and look for condensation inside a clear pot: if it's got it, there's still some dampness there. In my job I visit a lot of different people's houses, and it's amazing how many phals I see sitting totally parched in pretty sunny spots. It seems you'll kill them much quicker by watering lots than by letting them go a bit thirsty!

[hyprgrl79]

Thank you again to all of you -

I think you hit the nail on the head Rowangreen. My mom has always had somewhat of a brown thumb & I told her years ago that I thought the problem was overwatering... I had initially started my houseplant collection with African Violets & quickly discovered they do best when allowed to dry out before being watered again. I think I was having a harder time with the different type of media the orchids are potted in - being able to tell if they'd dried thoroughly. I have heard of folks watering their orchids with ice cubes to allow enough moisture to be absorbed without while also allowing enough to drain away - any thoughts on that idea??

As of this morning, all the buds are still good & the one open bloom has opened a little more. I misted the tops of the media for all four of my orchids & am letting them dry out. I read that after repotting it is wise to just mist for several days to allow the roots to recover from any trauma & also encourage new root growth by causing the orchid to "reach" for the water...

I will take your cue and leave them out of the decorated outer pots so I can see the actual color of the roots to indicate when watering is actually needed. Plus I read the roots have the capacity to photosynthesize? So, I'm guessing exposure to light through the clear growing containers certainly won't hurt them

Again, thanks to everyone!!

[Wjs2nd]

Ice cube watering isn't the best way to water. The water from ice in cold. Your phal in bark depending on your conditions will probably only need watering every 7 days or so.