HELP! Stem split open - long verticle crack

[Leanne]

Hello everyone! I just registered here in hopes that someone can offer advice about my Phal. I received it as a gift in November 2011. It was in bloom at that time and has had the same beautiful and large flowers ever since. I didn't expect it to flower for so long! Everything had been going great, until a couple of days ago..

The flower closest to the end of the stem closed up and looked a bit shriveled. At first I thought the flowers were just naturally ready to start dropping. Over the next two days, the other 3 flowers on that side of the stem also closed up, and their individual stems have turned brown. Still, I thought this seemed natural; it had been bloom for 7 months!

I also noticed several new roots above the surface of the medium. They look healthy -- white, green, some with red tips. I thought this was probably a sign of good health.

But next everything became terribly scary - I noticed A HUGE SPLIT on the stem!!!! AHHH I have no idea how this could have happened, or when. It had to have been fairly recently. I can't find ANYTHING in my research that even mentions this occurrence.

I examined the roots as best I could without disturbing the plant and everything looks fine; all the roots are plump, solid and green/white (some have maroon tips). The only thing I noticed about the new roots is that they are all bursting out above the medium, and one new one is actually shooting out over the top of the planter. This seems to me like it's getting too large for its pot.

Right now, my plan is to cut the spike off below the split and re-pot the Phal. I might try to propagate the spike I cut off by making a second cut above the split

I'm afraid that this huge wound is going to get infected. I know I have to act quick but at the same time, I'm worried about doing the wrong thing.

Does anyone know how this could have happened? Does my Phal have a disease? Can I save it? Advice?

I'm so upset about this - my new Phal has been such a source of joy since November.

One more note -- just now, I noticed one tiny ball of sticky, clean, sap-like substance on the stem, near the flowers.

[Wjs2nd]

Roots look very healthy. Your spike appears to have broke under the weight of your flowers. Cut under the crack and above a nod (little green bumps in stem). It may re-spike off of the nod. If not, no worries, it will rebloom for you from a new spike. The new spike will come from the base. It will take sometime for the new spike to grow.

[Leanne]

THANK YOU! I'm so relieved to hear that! I hope it's true; I was so afraid it was a disease. I am going to move forward with my plan of cutting below the split and re-potting. Right now, the Phal is in a sphagnum moss medium. I purchased "Hoffman Special Orchid Mix" today, which consists of pine bark, fir bark, and special charcoal. Will this be OK to re-pot with?

[Wjs2nd]

It will be okay to repot with this mix. Everyone has preferred mixes they like to use. Repotme.com has some good mix ideas/options. Also, you can find lots of venders online who offer mixes. There are videos on YouTube about repotting. Does the current pot have drain holes? Orchids (most, not all) hate being in standing water and will die.

[Leanne]

Thanks again! Yes the current pot does have drainage holes. The new one I bought for re-potting is slightly larger and has more holes than the last. I did stumble upon repotme.com - glad to hear that they are reputable. Maybe I will consider purchasing the medium from them instead. My only concern is waiting for it to come in the mail, as it seems like I need to re-pot ASAP.

[vjo]

You dont have to rush to repot your plant,it is fine. The mix you already have is fine too. I do hope you dont put it in too big of a pot tho, they can usually go back into the same one unless is it really small. Good luck and dont be afraid, it will be fine....Jean

[littlefrog]

You can always wait a little while, it is waiting months that gets you.

I strongly suggest unpotting the plant, looking at the roots, and then (and only then) selecting a new pot to put it in. You want one that fits the roots with a little to spare, but not big enough that it is like dancing in a empty ballroom. If you don't have the right one, you can certainly leave the plant sitting on the counter for a few hours (or a few days! Or weeks, if you water it!).

I like clay (terracotta) pots, especially if you only have a few plants. Phals are top-heavy.

[vjo]

By the way those little drops of sap on the stem, that usually means the plant is happy with all you are doing,so dont worry. It is called happy sap...LOL
Jean

[Leanne]

WONDERFUL thank you all for your advice! I can't express how glad I am to hear that my Phal is OK! I will wait to re-pot until I'm confident with my potting material and pot. I keep reading that clear pots with slits on the sides are good because you can see the roots and increase the drainage. I also heard that terracotta is good because it wicks away excess moisture. This is the first I've heard about it providing extra weight to counter the top-heavy Phal, though. Makes sense! It's confusing because there is so much information out there for a beginner; it seems there are a lot of different techniques that work well if done correctly.

One more question: I've never used any fertilizer on my Phal. Trying to find information on the split, I read that they should be feed "weekly, weakly." Should I start feeding now? Do I need to ease into it - will sudden routine feeding stress the plant?

These plants are so captivating!

Thanks again!