HELP ME, MY new phal!!! - Orchid Board

Viper · #1 01-13-2014, 06:22 PM

So i bought this new phal as some of you know as you said how lovely it was ( i am sorry) but I thought it would be a good time after a few days to repot it into a glass vase with a medium of a tiny bit of moss (mostly on the top) and large stones. It had no drainage but i would pour all the water out by putting it upside down, and the roots would not be in water much and stayed a bright plump green however the flowers started to fall off and the new buds turned yellow and suddenly im left with one flower and wilting leaves.!! Im so sorry i was so stupid.

Then after realizing i should re-pot it again (which i know would cause it more stress hence the yellowing) I put it in its original bark medium in a bigger pot. after about 4 days its leaves are still wilting a a bud looks okay but not very healthy with yellowing on lots of the stems.
I HAVE RUINED THIS BEAUTIFUL ORCHID FLOWERING!! IT WOULD OF HAD OVER 20 FLOWERS.

It only cost me £9.95 ($16?)
and it is such a rare beauty so sad but i will learn from my mistakes
here is fact file

Leaves: Wilting and 2 have fallen off, and these look like they soon will, but arent yellow.

Flowers: None, however there is one bud that is not yellow and looks like it'll open soon but not that health.

Stems: The one with the bud is green and has some growh while the others have yellow bits and tiny growth.

Aerial Roots: Since i repottted i wasnt sure which roots where aerial so i made sure to cover all the roots nearly, however the roots on top are a little bit green but squidy to touch and not plump like they were.

Normal Roots: Bright green and plump.

Medium: Bark the orginal medium, i have pics i hope it is not too moist or under moist? Am i over watteirng or under wattering.

Positon: In a small room that has no draught, it is in very indirect sunlight on a high shelf. I have misted it daily on the roots and leaves but have layed of a spray orchid feed.

sorry i am an insult to orchid growing, i will learn, i promsie

magicatt · #2 01-13-2014, 08:25 PM

Your pot is clear so that is good. When the roots go from green to silver/grey its time to water again. Drench it till the roots go green again.

I wish I had a better view of the crown of the plant. Don't worry about the flowers, there is always the next spike.

And frankly, there will be times you kill an orchid. Lord knows I've killed my fair share. Just learn from your mistakes and move on.

Viper · #3 01-14-2014, 04:45 AM

Is it suffering from crown rot? I heard hydro peroxide and cinnamon helps it.

magicatt · #4 01-14-2014, 07:10 AM

I don't know, I can't see the crown very good. If it is, personally, I'd just toss the plant and buy a new one.

When you water, make sure that no water is left standing in the crevices between the leaves. I just take a deep breath and blow it out myself or just use the corner of a paper towel to dry it out.

ETA: I just saw you are 16. That makes it important to save this plant since you probably aren't working yet and can't afford to just toss it out.

Look at the crown, is there any black or mushiness? I don't know if once the leaf growing part of the plant is damaged if it will ever come back. I hope there is no mushiness.

Good luck with your plant.

Daethen · #5 01-14-2014, 12:01 PM

The plant does not look good, but as long as you have some plump firm roots, there is always hope for a keiki. I have one phal that completely lost all leaves, but the roots were good and I kept caring for it and it started a new set of leaves (keiki) from the side of the old dead set. And if it does die, just learn and go on. I am a save it at all costs kind of person, but still you lose some.

quiltergal · #6 01-14-2014, 01:05 PM

I would stop misting. Especially the leaves. It appears to me that water has gotten into the leaf axils (where it joins the plant) and those leaves have died. It looks like you will lose at least 2 more. Water only the bark making sure that any water that gets on the leaves is dried off. The crown of the plant looks OK from what I can see, but it may be too soon to tell. If it does have crown rot there isn't much you can do except wait for a basal Keiki. If the plant has good roots starting a Keiki shouldn't take long.

I would cut off the spike to reduce stress. This will allow the plant to put what little energy it has into growing new roots and leaves.

Viper · #7 01-14-2014, 03:41 PM

Thank you all for your replies Ill add some pics of the crown, and also a keiki is obivious to see right? it has those spiderly spangly roots and what are the spikes?

And I want to save it for all costs!!

Daethen · #8 01-14-2014, 05:24 PM

The spike is the flower stalk. A keiki, if it starts will start near the base of the existing leaves. I will look a bit like a new root at first but then start to look like something else. Keep posting pics and we can help you learn.

blackvine · #9 01-14-2014, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magicatt

Your pot is clear so that is good. When the roots go from green to silver/grey its time to water again. Drench it till the roots go green again.

Magicatt, you are correct that clear pots are great tools to check root health, but . . . I have to disagree on the statement that the pot roots will go to silver/grey when thirsty. As far as I know - please, OB friends, correct if I am wrong! - pot roots are different from aerials. They will NOT turn silver/grey when dry, as an aerial root will. Healthy Phal pot roots are definitely green, as you noted, but if they are swamped on starved for water will simply slowly dessicate into a brown or black. They will never be silver/grey.

MrsH530 · #10 01-15-2014, 12:07 AM

Blackvine - my phal roots in the pot definitely turn to a silvery color when they're ready to be watered. This is one of my "fail safes" I always check before I water because I'm a terrible root rotter - if they're green they don't get watered, if they're silver they do.