Lots of Problems, Lots of Questions

[MeAndMyPhal]

Hello everyone!

My wife and I decided to buy a Phal from a big box store, shortly after that I became impatient and I repotted it in a bigger pot and sphag mix from repotme.

Things I now know i did wrong
- I bought a fairly large pot (5in)
- I overwatered (all the time)

to me, my phal looked fine; it was producing new leaves, and new blooms.

I read alot about S/H and decided I wanted to try it. I bought a S/H kit from hydro-orchids and when i attempted to repot in S/H I realized the damage I had really caused to my poor phal
- i had to trim a significant amount of roots (there really isn't much left now)
- due to the over watering I appear to have a crown rot issue


Now to my questions
i dabbed the crown with HP and dusted with cinnamon
What should i do now?

I have soaked the LECA in KLN already
should i move forward with repotting in S/H even with the shallow root system?
what about the crown rot?

I am also worried about lighting, there isn't a decent window in my apartment that will get very much sun

I got in way over my head and didn't really do my research and i need your help digging myself out

[RandomGemini]

Well... with crown rot, I'm not sure what you can do that you haven't already done. I would not repot it again right now.. the roots need some time to heal. It can take years for a phal to recover from the kind of damage you describe. Post a couple more times, so you can throw up some pics for us and we'll be able to help you more with your plant.

[magicatt]

Personally, if it were me, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, I would throw the plant out. Crown rot is death to new leaves for the plant. I would just start fresh with a new one.

If you really want to nurse along an ailing plant I'm sure people on this board will help you. Post a few times so you get picture allowance and we will see what we can offer for help.

[AnonYMouse]

I would not switch with a compromised root system. Often, roots are further lost in the process of adaptation. I kill Phals in S/H but they thrive in plain LECA for me.

Others can grow Phals in S/H but I'm sure they will tell you to start with a healthy plant with newly emerging roots.

Regardless of how you plan to recover this plant, it needs to be kept warm >65° and not too bright light 800-1500 fc.

Magicatt has a point. It depends on how bad the rot is/was.

[quiltergal]

I have to agree, based on what you have described you are better off tossing it and starting over with something healthy. With crown rot AND root rot you will be looking at a very long recovery if it recovers at all. Now that you know what not to do it should be a little easier.

Something you need to remember about transferring plants to S/H is that they MUST be starting new root growth. Most of the old root system will rot away and the plant needs to have new roots started to take it's place.

[ALToronto]

Typical newbie mistakes - too many changes all at once. Get another phal (big box store phals are bred to be disposable, and they're cheap enough that you can afford to make mistakes with them), and don't do anything else to it until it establishes itself in your apartment's conditions.

At the store, pull out the clear plastic pot and look at the medium and roots - you are looking for non-soggy medium and fat, green roots. Once you find a healthy one, don't be in a rush to change the medium - why when it's happy where it is? Don't repot until you start seeing the roots degrade, which can be more than a year after purchase.

[Polarizeme]

My Phals didn't do well in S/H. All of mine are in a bark mix and doing very well.

I know it's hard to throw a plant out. If you want to try to get this plant to recover, go for it, but the chances are pretty poor with the amount of damage this plant has.

As others have said, consider getting a new plant and start fresh. You'll have a much better learning curve with a healthier plant.

[MeAndMyPhal]

I need to retract, I've looked closer and I'm not entirely sure it's crown rot. It looks like the base of one of the leaves is turning black. I looked under the base of that leaf and the remaining leaves are still nice and green? I need to get my post count up so i can get some pictures.

Hopefully i can get pictures up and you guys will tell me it isn't crown rot and it can still be saved

[NYCorchidman]

I suggest that you repot your plant back to the "conventional" potting mix.

Repotting can be done anytime of the year, but it's best done when the season is warm and the plant is in active growth in the root department.

Do you see your plant growing new roots?? if no, it's probably not the best time to switch it to s/h.
Also, what climate are you in? if the temperature isn't warm enough, it is also not a good idea to switch to s/h. wait until warm season arrive and the plant is in active growth mode, then it will have easier time to adjust to the change.

The dark mark under leaf is bacterial most likely.
I would cut that leaf off and stop worrying about it.
It is really the most simple and quick solution. then keep your eye on the plant for the next few weeks to see if anything further develops.

Good luck!

[MeAndMyPhal]

I live in Missouri, temps are very cold right now. I keep the apartment at 67. The orchid is on a plant stand in the mornings and evenings. When I get home from work I move it away from the window as I worried the temp by the window would be alot cooler than the room.

I've decided to save the KLN from the soak and put the S/H away for now. I've ordered a smaller clear pot to put the orchid in.