Phalaenopsis leaves fell off, bugs in root - Orchid Board

chacheng · #1 02-07-2014, 05:03 PM

Hi,

So yesterday I noticed that the top leaves fell off (they were still green) and underneath was a leaf half rotting that also fell off (picture below) and another leaf that is very yellow and also looks rotting. A couple weeks ago the bottom leaves were yellow and fell off as well, but I thought this was normal. The flowers started to die about 4 weeks ago and now the final ones are shriveling up. What I am really concerned about as well is that where the leaves are connected there are tiny like silvery/white bugs crawling around... (picture attached if you can see them bugs) Attached are some pictures. What do you guys think I need to do?

This is my first orchid. I'm not sure if I even know which kind it was... my boyfriend gave it to me and he said he didn't know what kind it was... I got this plant about 4 1/2 months ago and everything was fine until around the beginning of December when the leaves started to get a little wilted and wrinkly, I thought this was a watering problem because I left it without water for about a week... but since then it seems to have gotten worse.

Orchidgirl83 · #2 02-07-2014, 05:22 PM

Unfortunately, it looks like that plant is a goner. It looks like crown rot, which means water got in the center of the leaves, and killed the plant. If the root are still good, it could possibly grow a keiki (baby plant), but it would be a long time until it can bloom. If it were me, I would just throw it away and get a new one.

james mickelso · #3 02-07-2014, 08:45 PM

It was overwatered and due to the pot/wrapping paper, little air circulated around the roots killing them. Probably some crown rot too. It's planted in, uhg, sphagnum moss. Nice, dense, airless sphagnum moss. Sorry. Don't frustrate yourself trying to save this. get another one right away and bring it here. We'll help you keep it forever. Sorry.

chacheng · #4 02-08-2014, 04:51 PM

Thanks for your feedback! I took the potting apart to see what condition the roots were in... there was pretty much only 1 green root left so I decided to throw it away... so sad, but I ended up getting a mini Phal instead! I thought maybe I should start with something smaller, especially since I'm graduating college soon... Once I find out where I'll be next year, I'll buy a full-size

Any tips/problems you see with it now?

ALToronto · #5 02-08-2014, 05:16 PM

It looks good - don't overwater it. It's planted in a clear inner pot, so from time to time, have a look at the roots. If they stay plump and green, you're doing well. I'd water it once a week, max.

MattWoelfsen · #6 02-08-2014, 05:48 PM

As ALToronto said, water it sparingly. Since you can pull it out of the outer pot, you will be able to see if the plant needs water--bright green, no water. But silver-gray roots means water. I would water the plant at the sink being careful not to get water in the crown of the plant. Drain the pot and then return it to its outer pot. I would recommend watering early in the day so that the plant is not sopping wet at nightfall--that is when crown rot starts.

You have a lovely mini-Phalaenopsis.

james mickelso · #7 02-09-2014, 01:44 AM

This is a nice plant. Too bad it is planted in sphagnum moss too. So......water it sparingly just as everyone has said. I would not water this until it was very light in weight. Then I would put just a little water on it and let that soak in before putting more water on it. Here is why. That moss is so tightly packed that it won't dry out quickly enough to prevent the inner part of the moss ball from starting to rot what few roots are down there. Many folks bring these really nice phals here and we tell them, don't overwater. Then these folks overwater. Soak this ball of moss and it will take two weeks to dry out sufficiently to water again. So.....somewhere between next week and the week after, water it again. But just water it till you see water go through the pot. Lift it out of the outer pot and "feel" how heavy it is. When that weight has turned into feather light, water again. Water it too much and you risk losing it to root rot. Good luck. Oh....and when the flowers start to fall off, we'll teach you how to repot it into a more suitable media like bark.

chacheng · #8 02-09-2014, 12:20 PM

Thanks everyone for all of your feedback! Yeah I definitely will not overwater it this time around! So it's in the plastic little pot thing which has a hole in the bottom, but I know that normal orchid pots have holes on the sides... should I make some holes on the side to aerate a little more, especially since it's so packed in there?

james mickelso · #9 02-09-2014, 12:32 PM

Yes. If you can without cutting any of the roots. Any air to the root mass will help keep it dry. Youwant to hit that sweet spot of having the roots moist without being wet. The sphagnum moss stays wet a very long time so don't water until the pot is fairly light in weight. But not to the point of desicating the roots.

MrsH530 · #10 02-10-2014, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chacheng

Thanks everyone for all of your feedback! Yeah I definitely will not overwater it this time around! So it's in the plastic little pot thing which has a hole in the bottom, but I know that normal orchid pots have holes on the sides... should I make some holes on the side to aerate a little more, especially since it's so packed in there?

When I get a new phal (because I am a terrible root rotter), I always pull it out of the plastic container then make whatever holes I need in the plastic pot. I will then try to loosen the moss a little. You don't want to disturb the roots too much, but if you can pull out some of that excess sphag, you'll be happier for it.