My orchid roots

[JLooker]

My fiancé bought me a phal orchid for my bday 4 days ago. Immediately I knew it had been over watered. I took the plastic pot out of the ceramic pot to find 2 inches of standing water in the bottom. I immediately dumped the watered and drained the plant as best as I could. Im waiting for it to dry out before watering and fertalizing the plant. It currently has 2 stems on it and is in bloom but the flowers are starting to die off too early in my opinion, prob due to it being week. Some of its roots we're already rotted, some are alive still. The arial roots all died except a few and a couple look shriveled. It obviously had lost a leaf and it looks like it may have gotten a mild form of crown rot around the area the leaf was lost. I'm assuming all this happened from over watering. What should I do to save it before its to late? Should I wait to repot it till all the flowers have fallen off or should I get it out of the wet medium it is in ASAP?

[Bill U.]

Okay, here are some things you can do:
1) I would repot it into a normal orchid bark mix that can give it a good balance of aeration and moisture-retention (remember, it's a good idea to soak the bark you are going to use for 12-24 hours before potting to help the moisture permeate to the core of the wood)
2) I would remove any bloom spikes that you have on there (I know, a sad thing to do, but it is the best thing to try and keep the phal alive in the long run)
3) I would get either some 3% hydrogen peroxide or 70% rubbing alcohol solution and a cotton swab and wipe down the entire crown/central stalk area and the leaves to help reduce possibilities of fungal growth
4) After potting, it can be a good idea to give the potted plant in its bark a 30 minute soak in a KLN or Superthrive solution (rooting hormone solutions that will help induce root production- follow directions on the container, normally a few drops per gallon is the max)
5) place in an area that gets adequate light and air movement (I wouldn't put it directly in front of a fan, but air movement is good to help it dry out some)
6) place a bamboo skewer towards the center of the pot amongst the roots where you will be able to regularly pull it out and check the moisture levels. If the skewer is wet or damp, wait until it is almost dry. When the skewer is almost dry, water again. This method will help reduce further root rot.

*General notes:
-when potting up a troubled plant, it is always nice to use a clear or translucent pot to be able to actually SEE when the roots are drying out (in the past, I have used old tupperware containers in emergencies. Best ones to use are polypropylene- they don't leach plastics over time)
- avoid fertilizer for a month or two to let any roots get re-established before trying to bombard them with nutrients
- in most conditions with a bark mix, you should be having to water approximately once a week
- make sure that the pot has drainage holes and allow the phal to drain for at least 5 minutes after watering to allow excess moisture to escape

Start here and monitor daily. Be careful to word choice- MONITOR, not PLAY WITH. Sad, sick orchids need time to recover and they like consistency...

Good luck!

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by JLooker

My fiancé bought me a phal orchid for my bday 4 days ago. Immediately I knew it had been over watered. I took the plastic pot out of the ceramic pot to find 2 inches of standing water in the bottom. I immediately dumped the watered and drained the plant as best as I could. Im waiting for it to dry out before watering and fertalizing the plant. It currently has 2 stems on it and is in bloom but the flowers are starting to die off too early in my opinion, prob due to it being week. Some of its roots we're already rotted, some are alive still. The arial roots all died except a few and a couple look shriveled. It obviously had lost a leaf and it looks like it may have gotten a mild form of crown rot around the area the leaf was lost. I'm assuming all this happened from over watering. What should I do to save it before its to late? Should I wait to repot it till all the flowers have fallen off or should I get it out of the wet medium it is in ASAP?

It sounds like it would be beneficial for you to repot it now, preferably into a medium that has better airflow and drainage. It will give you a chance to inspect the roots well and cut off the ones that are already dead (with a sterile instrument!!). I don't know much about crown rot...=\ Sorry.

[JLooker]

Thank you! So is rooting hormone the same as orchid food or is it a completely separate product?

[Bill U.]

Rooting hormone is a completely separate product.

Fertilizer is a method for you to artificially feed your plants what they need so they can grow and bloom.

Rooting hormone on the other hand is pretty self explanatory, but it is a separate product. Some people will mix a bit of rooting hormone in with their fertilizer solution so they can fertilize and treat with the hormone at the same time, but given that this is only 1 phal, I wouldn't recommend that in your case. If you go to some of the big box stores like Home Depot, you can often find Superthrive or some similar rooting hormone. Make sure that you are NOT getting the rooting hormone powder! The powder is intended for terrestrial plants, not epiphytic orchids (ground vs. air plants). The latest product that I have switched to and am currently trying is Maxicrop, a liquid seaweed solution that contains natural rooting hormones and micronutrients that our orchids love. I haven't had any personal success stories with it yet (just made the switch and applied a day ago), but there have been many who have.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

PS- Welcome to the OB! We are a community here to help in situations like these!