Purple leaves on Phal???

[PoeticFlames]

I have a Mutt Phal (NOID) I rescued from Lowe's "Left for Dead" section and am hoping I can save it!

I found the roots and crown were pretty bad once I got it out of it's pot (see pics) but I'm hoping to save it anyway.

I was curious to know what purple tinged leaves mean... I read in one spot that it was a lack of light, another said too much light, another suggested it was simply an attribute from it's parentage. Any suggestions based on the photos?

Thanks!!!

[Wynn Dee13]

Usually the purple tinge means it has a flower that is dark like purple, dark pink etc. In Cattleyas it can mean the plant is getting its max amount of light so maybe that could be it too. But I think you have a dark colored Phal.

Sometimes dark green leaves in orchids mean not enough light but I haven't ever heard of leaves turning purple from not enough light.

[PoeticFlames]

Awesome, Thanks! I've only had it for under a week and it was a wilted mess. The leaves have remained the same color of dark green with tinges of purple, but I didn't know how long it would take to change color if it was indeed supposed to be brighter.

I have a Mystique Blue I saved as well and obviously it's leaves are dark with blue tinges as it is dye injected, so I thought maybe this one just might have darker pigment too.

Some of my phals are bright green, others are darker and all are in the same environment, so I'm glad it might simply be their nature if all other sign point to happiness.

[PoeticFlames]

I had another questions as well...

In the second pic you can see the sad amount of roots left. Do you have any suggestions other then the Phal in a Bag method that might help faster recovery?

I haven't been able to find any root treatment in any of the stores around me and am not sure if I should be feeding it anything other then water either.

[Wynn Dee13]

Don't feed it because it doesn't have any roots to take it up. If you can find a rooting hormone that would be good. Many Lowes or Home Depots cary SuperThrive. First Rays has KelpMax and KLN. KelpMax is a seaweed extract that is a rooting stimulant and KLN is a chemical version. You can spray the undersides of the leaves with water and a week solution of fertilizer. The undersides of the leaves have little pores that can take up water and nutrients. Just make sure you don't get water in the crown.

Is that cinnamon on the root area? It's ok to put a tiny bit on the cut ends of the roots but don't put it on healthy roots. It dries them up. If I were you I would rinse the cinnamon off if that is what it is.

I don't really know any other way besides the bag method except keeping it in high humidity and misting the undersides of the leaves. I have had success with the sphag and bag method. Many people say it doesn't work but I don't think they let enough air movement to the plant. I take a zip lock bag and cut the bottom corners off. I also cut holes in the side of the bag for air flow. I put moist sphagnum moss in the bag and lay the root area on the moss. You can close the bag all the way or open it as much as you need for the right amount of air flow. I have also potted a plant in a clay pot with sphagnum moss and put a zip lock bag over the plant and zip the bag around the pot. I cut holes in the bag with that method too. More holes for bigger bags. Here are some pictures I took for someone else. The plant in the pics isn't a Phal but you can get the idea.
The first pic is how I cut the bag. Of course you would use a bigger one for your plant. Second Pic is with the moss in the bag. Third pic is with a plant in the bag. I used one of my mounts as an example but with a Phal I would put it in the bag upright like how they are potted. Fourth pic is the method where you pot the plant and put a bag over it. The fifth pic shows the hole in the bag. Make sure the holes are open and are not collapsed if you use this method. If you need more air flow you can open the bottom of the bag more.

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[PoeticFlames]

This pictures are great! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions so well! I've made some adjustments to their "sick bay" based on your advice and am sure all will be well in the end!