Green roots, NO leaves - suggestions??

[megan-sue]

My recent obsession with orchids got me the title of 'Office Horticulturalist' at work.. so, a girl gave me this orchid. She was going to toss it in the trash, but since it had decent looking roots, I thought I would give it a shot..

I have it in a plastic bag with phal bark mix on the bottom, sat the plant on top and gave it 1 spray of mist.

Any other suggestions??

[WhiteRabbit]

It was probably crown rotted. When I crown rotted a Phal, and left with a pot full of good roots, I just continued to care for it as usual - potted, allowed to dry between waterings (tho in lower light). After a couple months it started a basal keiki. No guarantees it does tho, but if the roots stay alive with care, I think there's a decent chance of it. Might be some time before it's a bloom size plant again ...

[james mickelso]

Toss it. (Did I say that??!!!) No kidding aside. This will frustrate you. I am the king of rescues but this I would even throw away. Yes it might put out a basal keiki but I wouldn't spend the effort. I say throw this and go to Home Depot, get yourself a nice healthy big box store phal, and grow/rescue that. I have lots of rescues that will someday.....someday....... produce a flower/flowers but I have the room. Just my opinion. That's all.

[Lagoon]

If you really have you're heart set on trying to save this orchid - then try to rescue it, you just might get some new growth, but I warn you, its gonna take along time (if it works out).

Best of luck to you

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Lagoon

If you really have you're heart set on trying to save this orchid - then try to rescue it, you just might get some new growth, but I warn you, its gonna take along time (if it works out).

Best of luck to you

Mine sprouted a basal keiki fairly quickly, and the first spring-summer grew quickly, but the last couple of years has been slooooooooooooow Growing lots of roots tho. I mostly have kept it just to see how it goes. Usually I root rot Phals, and this one had good roots, so hated to toss it ...

[Lagoon]

Yep, I had these too Sonya. I really think its hit & miss. Sometimes the new growth can be weaker then the old growth you lost
All you can do is try

[Silje]

I'm using these kinds of rescues for trial and errors and testing. It's a long and slow process, but it's really fun when they actually do recover! At the same time, their death does not give me sleepless nights. I swear, I'll be going though a long-term mourning process if a couple of my favorites decide to die on me but that's not the case with these struggling noid phals. So I'm bagging and misting and kelpaking and fertilizing and trying S/H and green water and what have you with these poor guys. So far....*laughing* a lot of errors, not so many successes, but I've got a couple now (rootless ones, mainly, not leafless) that are growing nicely.

The method I prefer so far, is plant in clay pot with no growth medium and regular misting with a bit of fertilizer/foliar feeds. In a warm and protected area with as high humidity as you can provide them with.

Good luck!

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[Junebug]

You just never know when it's over for an orchid because they're experts at survival. Your leafless specimen looks pretty sad, but on the plus side it does have green roots and in the last photo it looks like there might be a nub/new growth growing just above the roots. Keep the new growth dry if that's what it is and quarantine this plant from the rest of your collection because whatever happened to it might infect your other chids. The leaf loss is probably a result of non-contageous crown rot, but you never know.

It's unlikely that your plant will recover, but it's not an impossibility. The green roots are a good sign, but not a guarantee for recovery. Saving a chid from the brink of death takes time, so patience is required. Most growers would toss a chid at this stage, so don't feel bad if this one doesn't survive. At least you're giving it a chance and a recovery would be very rewarding for both you and the plant. Good luck!

[Leafmite]

I always give plants a chance. Yes, sometimes they die but, sometimes, they do very well. Last November, many of my orchids suffered from Black Rot (now I add calcium). The ones I saved suffered serious set backs. I have chosen to be patient. One of my other hobbies is growing fruit and nut trees and they often take five to ten years to produce a decent harvest. Most of my orchids are seedlings.

[megan-sue]

Thanks everyone for your input! My outlook is like Silje's - I'm a newbie and using these free rescues as learning opportunities and 'experiments'. If they die, it's not a big loss to me.

I like hearing how everyone else has handled these!