Phalaenopsis roots shriveling at the top

[Iray]

Hello, I have a problem with my phal.
The roots are basically drying up and shrivelling at the top near the crown...the ones inside the pot don't look bad but I fear for them :s

I repotted it a few weeks ago as I thought it needed more space in the pot (wasn't necessary). Then I noticed the roots deteriorating and I checked the media and it was retaining way too much water, so I repotted it again to avoid rot. But the roots at the top are horrendous! I cut a few and sprinkled cinnamon. I water it when the medium dries and the roots look paler.
What can I do? And why is it happening?

Thank you all in advance!

[WhiteRabbit]

The media looks quite dry - New bark doesn't retain moisture well. With time, it will begin to do so better, but it may take more frequent watering for a while, or even soak it.

It looks like you are using a skewer ? Water when the skewer feels mostly dry, but feels cool to your skin (cheek or upper lip)
If media is most enough, but the surface looks very dry, as it does in the photos, LIGHTLY spray a bit of water on the surface.

[Orchidgirl83]

Did you put the cinnamon on the roots? If so, that is probably why they are shriveling, cinnamon should not be put on roots as it dries them out.

[Iray]

Thank you so much,will do!

[ollypolly]

I had the same thing on a new Phal and since the media it was in was fairly decomposed I assumed it just had some dead roots but when I repotted it I found the roots were growing happily at the bottom, they just looked dead at the top. The orchid is growing well, undead roots and all.

[Iray]

Orchidgirl83: yes I did
Ollypolly: nice to hear someone had the same issue! (Although mine is getting worse by the day atm :'( )
I sprayed it at the top with water a bit and now the roots are rotting! It's getting ridiculous now! So frustrating looking my beautiful plant degrading by the day. Maybe I shouldn't have sprayed on the dry shrivelled roots? Just on the bark around it?
I think my media (bark) was very bad because another plant I repotted is doing terrible..surely I can't repot it for the third time in a month??
Thank you all for the suggestions!

[Iray]

In was thinking to dunk the plant in its pot in water with a tiny amount of bleach to get rid of any bacteria or fungus..
We don't have physan here, so I guess bleach is the most suitable alternative..
Would that be a good idea? If so, should I do it right away or wait for the medium to dry?

[DweamGoiL]

Could it be the roots are dying from being overwatered?

[Jenn4a]

Originally Posted by Iray

In was thinking to dunk the plant in its pot in water with a tiny amount of bleach to get rid of any bacteria or fungus..
We don't have physan here, so I guess bleach is the most suitable alternative..
Would that be a good idea? If so, should I do it right away or wait for the medium to dry?

I know I'm new, but I've seen some threads saying not to use bleach. Especially around the roots?

Btw, I believe Amazon has physan. I'm sure you could find it on ebay too

[ollypolly]

Is it just the roots that are looking bad or are the leaves suffering too because it looks just like mine. You may have to give it some time to adjust to the new medium which looks just like the one I use for my Phals. Water it when the roots are nearly dry and just let it be. Also check the humidity where you have it, if it's above 60% I wouldn't bother with misting.

I'm not an expert but my Phals seem to be happy with me.

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