Phal: Small root system, wrinkled leaves and non opening blooms

[RosieC]

I wouldn't say it's a hard and fast rule that if they are in bud they are not growing roots. I've just re-potted some in bud and there was a massive amount of root growth on them at the same time (I'm talking root growth all over the existing roots and new roots starting).

I do think it's best to repot when there is good root growth, it's just some happy Phals can be doing everything at once.

You do risk loosing bud/flowers if you repot with them, however I've not actually had that problem so far, but I do on the whole go for repotting when there is root growth.

Personally if the roots are in a poor state I would rather repot anyway and risk loosing flowers, than wait until the flowers are finished and the roots are in an even worse state, when I risk loosing the plant.

[james mickelso]

I repotted these while they were in flower. They lasted a couple more weeks. The reason they lost flowers was because they were old. Had been in flower awhile. You can repot when in flower. Roots grow when the plant is ready to grow them. Same with leaves. Remember that they are slow growers. Flowering drains a lot out of the plant and that usually has to be replaced before they will flower again. But they will, given good growing conditions, grow leaves and roots at any time. Warmth, good light, good water, proper nutrition, and air will grow these all the time.

[Kerry78]

My Mother in laws Orchid went limp like those leaves too so I had her water hers with rain water once a week and it bounced back at first I thought it was dieing cos of direct sunlight but seems she wasn't watering it enough to begin with or using wrong type of water lol i've got her on a course of Orchid mist and Fido Orchid Feed and its doing great its growing a new leaf now

hope you sort yours out

[Yelena Kosh]

The leaves looked even floppier.
I so I decided to repot my plant again... When I took it out, the bark was completely dry and the roots as well. They were thin and very few of them left. I soaked it in plain water for 10 minutes and they turned greener.

I broke the bark pieces into smaller ones, I added moss and I put the orchid into a smaller pot with many holes. There is almost no roots left so I put it in a smaller pot.

Hopefully the moss will retain more water.

[Yelena Kosh]

Should I cut off my flowers now? So the plant focuses on the roots?

[RosieC]

I would cut off the spike I think. Let it focus on the leaves.

If the medium is still drying to fast you might need to water more often. When you do really drench it, but then make sure afterwards it's not left standing in water.

I wouldn't keep disturbing it now, let the roots have time to get growing again. I've found roots don't grow as well if they keep getting disturbed.

[Yelena Kosh]

Alright, I cut the spike off. And I won't touch it anymore.

Crossing my fingers now.

[james mickelso]

Water it enough to wet the roots. No more. Wet media invites fungus and bacterial rot. There is plenty of energy to get more roots and a leaf. Once the leaves lose their turgidity they won't get it back but that is no big deal. They are still using the water and nutrients you give and living. Orchids are slow s0o have patience. This looks fine.

[RosieC]

Interesting James. I can see why you say about just wetting the roots, though I usually drench. If you go down that route though I would add that you also should water really frequently.

I've recovered struggling orchids before by having a medium/pot size that dries within a day and I then water every day. The medium dries too fast to invite rot, however the orchid would then struggle with it's poor roots if it wasn't watered very regularly (daily in my case).

As the orchid has recovered it's been moved into larger pots which dry slower and I also water less often (watering by how long it takes to dry not by a set schedule.

My experience above is why I recommend the tiniest pot you can fit the roots into when recovering a phal with poor roots.

I still drench each watering, but I do find they do better when struggling if they dry fast and are watered often. This matches with your advise of just wetting the roots (meaning it dries fast). But if the plant is already weak, and it dries fast, then waiting another week to water will steadily dehydrate the plant.

I water my healthy plants by drenching and expect them to take a week to dry and I drench again, ones that are struggling are always in much much smaller pots, so I still drench but expect they could dry in a day or a couple of days. I realise from this discussion I need to make sure I don't miss out that bit in my advice, because you are right, when there are only a few roots in the medium they can dry too slowly and you get rot if the medium is too wet.

[james mickelso]

Most folks don't realize that orchids don't need to be watered all the time or kept wet all the time. I have a bunch of rescue phals in small 3-4 inch clay pots that are growing very well and are only watered weekly when I don't have time. They are growing new leaves and roots. Nice if I could water every three days but I don't have time during the week. Here are some of them.