Time to give up? (Paph roth)

[The Mutant]

I checked the roots today and it was a very sad sight that met me. I'm seriously considering giving up and I honestly don't think this little guy will make it. I'm very sad at the moment...

The roots:


I'm thinking about potting it into some sphagnum as a last desperate attempt, what do you guys think about that? Good or bad?

It's standing on a heating mat and is being kept a bit on the dry side as well as receiving less light, so the only thing I can think of now is sphagnum.

Please help me try to save it!

[Lexyfly]

I know how you feel I am dealing with the same thing! Did you try hydrogen peroxide? I am useing that and it seems to be working. Does it have any live roots left? If it does not I was told that it will most likely not make it. sorry.

[WhiteRabbit]

Is that long root firm? Or do you think it's a goner?

[Magnus A]

Why did you check the roots? You just disturb the plant and set it back furter!

Plant it in a normal paph mix and keap i MOIST not WET. Make sure to secure it strongly so it has no possibility to move. You can sprinkle gravel on top of the substrate to keep it still.
Then leave it for several month, keep it moist and do hope for the best!
The worts thing you can do with plant that starting to lose roots is to lift it up every second week! That will for sure make it continue to go downhill!

[The Mutant]

I've received plenty of good advice on Slippertalk where I posted the same question and am happy to announce that I'm not giving up on Mr roth quite yet so please keep your fingers crossed for us!

And I think I've started to understand a wee bit how darn slow this species is when it comes to growing!

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Is that long root firm? Or do you think it's a goner?

It's firm which is why it's still there but I don't know how "alive" it is, but since it's firm I'm not touching it!

[camille1585]

I would say to pot it up again and then leave it alone until it either dies or thrives. Checking on the roots all the time just sets it back each time. If you really want to keep an eye on what is happening down there, use a clear pot. After all the discussions on OB I also suggest using seaweed extract on it, to try to stimulate some roots a bit more quickly.

[Lagoon]

A good choice of pot would be to put it in a clear plastic so you could keep an eye of the root system.
Roth roots are slow growing and can be the more difficult paphs to grow.

[The Mutant]

Please don't rub salt in my wounds. I already have a very bad conscience for disturbing it too much so I don't need other people practically telling me I'm an idiot, I know that already.

It's one thing to hear that they are slow but a completely different one to understand it and I didn't understand until a member of Slippertalk told me how slowly his/her roth grew two new roots - now I know and will leave my poor baby alone to hopefully grow.

I've already put it back into its pot and the substrate I had it in (bark/sphagnum/perlite), removed it from the heating mat, placed it together with the Phal crew, will keep it dryer and the humidity high, and, most important of all; I won't disturb it.

Oh, and I've fed my orchids seaweed extract for approximately three months now so I'm already doing that.

Thank you and I'll leave OB for a while because I'm too sensitive at the moment and take everything the wrong
way. I'll return when I feel a bit stronger again.

[camille1585]

Oh Therese, we didn't mean it badly!!! No one was implying that you were an idiot, we were only giving our opinions as to the best course of action. You are NOT an idiot! Everyone, including the most experienced of growers, have problem orchids, and go through their ups and downs during their orchid journey. Many people (me included) have trouble resisting the temptation to peek at the roots every 10 seconds. Does that make you an idiot? NO. Just a concerned orchid grower that loves her plants. But just like with human children you sometimes need to step back, stop the pampering and let the 'chid do things under reduced supervision.
Please don't leave!

[Susie11]

I have just spent an hour repotting all of my paphs for about the third or fourth time in three months!! I had no idea that it was a bad idea. I have a maudiae with a bad root system like your roth and I have tried everything to encourage more roots. She has been stable for ages- nice healthy firm green leaves- but the roots are hard but they have no new tips left. My problem was sphag. It burned all of the tips off and no more have grown. I applied seaweed extract and potted her up in a bark, charcoal,perlite mix (as I did with all of the others that were still in stagnat moss) -sphag! I hope that they all make it....

One thing I wonder about is why can't it grow new roots? It has bumps were they look as if they might emerge from so why isn't hasn't it produced more roots after all of this time?