AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[purpledot]

Righto. I am the proud new keeper of a beautiful white and purple plant. It appears to be a Phalaenopsis with 2 flowers, 6 leaves and 9 buds.

Here are some early observations.

1. Roots. A couple of the roots have shrivelled up into dry matter. Some roots hang outside the pot.

2. Soil. The top of the soil feels dry. (But, the soil underneath feels very slightly damp.)

3. Leaves. One of the leaves are torn. Some of them are brown at the edges. All look a little dusty.

4. Pot. It grows in a pot with just one drainage hole.

5. Climate. Hong Kong temperatures are chilly, approx. 50 to 60 °F. Humidity is 65%. Occasionally I turn on a small heater at night, which raises the temperature a little and lowers the humidity.

6. Sunlight. It is not in direct sunlight.

How do I care for it? Grateful for your comments! I'm not even sure what questions to ask. Please tell me if anything needs to be done pronto. Without your assistance, this orchid shall - despite my best intentions - most certainly perish.

[Tabbyblack13]

Roots: are they shivelled up and hard or are they soft.

Soil: is it dirt, potting soil, or bark chips?

Leaves: those sound find. You might want to take a damp cloth to them and wipe them off.

Pot: not the best but it will work for now.

The top of the soil can dry out but you don't want the mix near the roots to get to dry.

There is a topic called "Phal abuse stops here" that has a lot of good points for beginners. Check it out and you will get a good idea of basic care for your orchid.

[Dan796]

Phals like temps to be 50 -60 degrees at night.
It stimulates them to initiate buds to bloom.

[james mickelso]

Can you take a couple pictures and post them? Pictures are really, really helpful. It is probably potted in sphagnum moss and has been in this media since it came out of the compote. So the roots are probably going downhill fast or are already at the bottom. No fear. The roots at the top are what is keeping this alive. Those shriveled roots are still good if they can be watered. Roots have two parts to them on orchids. The inner part which looks like a thin wire is the root and transports water and nutrients to the leaves. The outer part is called velamen and this tissue absorbs water and nutrients. The velamen can dehydrate but still be viable if rehydrated before the cells die completely. But here is the problem. Rehydrating the roots also puts more water into the media down in the pot exasperating an already soggy situation. So what we advise is to repot it into a more airy media like small bark or even very loose new sphagnum moss. Once the roots are in a media which has lots of air movement but retains a little moisture, the roots will usually rehydrate. And yes please wipe down the leaves on both sides with a damp cloth. And post a few hellos to us so you reach the 5 post initial photo limit. And welcome to the Board.

[purpledot]

Roots: are they shivelled up and hard or are they soft.

Shrivelled in parts and firm.

Soil: is it dirt, potting soil, or bark chips?

Well, it certainly isn't bark chip.

Leaves: those sound find. You might want to take a damp cloth to them and wipe them off.

Cheers. Will do.

Pot: not the best but it will work for now.

Should I get one with lots of holes?

The top of the soil can dry out but you don't want the mix near the roots to get to dry.

There is a topic called "Phal abuse stops here" that has a lot of good points for beginners. Check it out and you will get a good idea of basic care for your orchid.

Great! Thank you!

---------- Post added at 11:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:17 AM ----------

Hmmm, I am still unable to post photos.

---------- Post added at 11:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 AM ----------

OK! Photos for assessment are up!

I have been able to post them in my gallery. Click through on the little camera icon. Cheers!

[Polarizeme]

The plant looks beautiful. It will probably need to be repotted in a fine bark mix the first time around. I have found that Phals raised in sphagnum moss do much better if repotted in a fine bark mix as it will retain a bit more moisture, something that they are more accustomed to. If left in moss, the roots will surely rot. Water sparingly for now and be prepared to repot after it's finished blooming or you notice new root growth.
It has been my experience that if they are taken out of moss and placed in a course mix, they don't do well. They need that fine mix to start with and gradually move to a coarser mix.
You may want to consider getting a pot with more holes for air, a clear pot or a something similar.
Please do read the article listed above, it's packed with lots of good info.

Good luck and please keep us up to speed with pictures!

[purpledot]

Originally Posted by Polarizeme

The plant looks beautiful. It will probably need to be repotted in a fine bark mix the first time around. I have found that Phals raised in sphagnum moss do much better if repotted in a fine bark mix as it will retain a bit more moisture, something that they are more accustomed to. If left in moss, the roots will surely rot. Water sparingly for now and be prepared to repot after it's finished blooming or you notice new root growth.
It has been my experience that if they are taken out of moss and placed in a course mix, they don't do well. They need that fine mix to start with and gradually move to a coarser mix.
You may want to consider getting a pot with more holes for air, a clear pot or a something similar.
Please do read the article listed above, it's packed with lots of good info.

Good luck and please keep us up to speed with pictures!

How sparingly? Sparing in frequency or amount?

Should I avoid the drench and drain method then?

[Polarizeme]

Originally Posted by purpledot

How sparingly? Sparing in frequency or amount?

Should I avoid the drench and drain method then?

While that plant is in moss, you need to water less frequently for sure. You see, the moss acts like a sponge and holds the water, and lots of it, on the roots. Phals like to have their roots in pockets of air and moist substrate. They like light on their roots as they photosynthesize through them.

The moss basically suffocates the roots when it's sopping wet, and it stays fairly wet for a long period.

I would water from the top in measured doses. Run water slowly in small amounts. The moss on the top will absorb water and be very wet, but you may not have any water further down. It's a tricky situation. Water until some water starts to come from the bottom of the pot, then stop.

Repot the plant as soon as you get the nerve to do so. I repot as soon as I get them. Phals in bloom generally won't miss a beat and continue to keep the blooms.

There is a lot of instruction in the repotting subforum on how to repot and what to do with the bad root, how to identify them etc. Go have a good read!

[Polarizeme]

Have you repotted?

[topiarybud]

a