Root Rot and Droopy Leaves Can I save this Phal?

[vermin06]

Yeah, I tend to try and take preventative action when I buy an orchid from a store. I always look at the roots when I bring it home. If they look fine with no rot, I'd let the orchid finish blooming, then repot in fresh bark. However, that's never happened, haha.

When I repot, I always find sphagnum moss in the orchids, which is a no-no for me as I live in a fairly humid place. When I take it out of the pot, I get rid of all the old medium and rinse the roots. With STERILE snips (or very sharp scissors/razor blade) I cut all the rotten or rotting roots. Then, I spray the plant down with hydrogen peroxide (3%) and let it sit for a couple minutes. I clean the pot with either diluted bleach or the peroxide as well. Rinse the pot well after. I rinse the plant off, pot it in fresh bark, then take a q-tip and dry the areas between the leaves. If the orchid has blossoms, cut the spike. The orchid needs to use it's energy for fresh roots and to rehydrate if the leaves are a bit shriveled.

So, yes, it's usually pretty easy to prevent rots, but sometimes you get an orchid that's sicker than it looks. The best advice for you now is just try your best to figure out what will make your little guy happy. Everyone's environments will affect a sick orchid differently which is why you see "conflicting" advice online.

[KendraRF]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By1J...p=docslist_api

---------- Post added at 02:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:30 AM ----------

This is what my Phal looks like now. Still no roots but the leaves are trying to state alive.

[dolfanjack]

I have a phal that lost all its roots also. What i did is put it in a small glass with wet moss (paper towels) and set the stem of the plant on top of the wet moss. It's very important to keep the plant as warm as possible. It took about a month before I saw a new root form. I then kept the new root from touching the wet moss so it has to seek the wetness. I still have a small keike that has no roots but is in contact with the wet moss and is still alive (3 months like this). If you look at the stem where the leaves were you should see small bumps, this is were the new roots will come from. Good luck, Jack

[bil]

I've asked this question before.

Why is it wrong to get water in the crown? I noticed that when I did, the water drained away pretty quickly.

If you look at the leaves, they are designed to channel rain water etc TO the crown and central core of the plant, where it would run down to the roots. It's a strategy used by other plants in arid zones.

My other question would be, do people who pot their phals in large bark chunks, and allow it to dry between waterings ever get crown rot, or is it restricted to those who pot in sphagnum moss and overwater?

[astrid]

I killed my first phal. It was so pretty, too!!

The same things happened to my phal- losing leaves, shriveling, and looking really sad. I bought another phal and the same thing happened! Argh!

All the roots had rotted off, and I learned that you need to pot phals in a chunky bark mix, in a VERY snug pot that hugs their roots, and have many many ventilation holes.

After that, I just water them once per week by sitting them in a slightly bigger pot.

Phals LOVE air around their roots.

For what it's worth, I am working on a phal that only had 2 roots and 3 leaves when I got it, and has now firmly attached itself to the pot that its in and is doing wonderfully about 8 months later. I don't have a flower spike from it yet, but I think it will bloom again in another 1-1.5 years.

Here is how I've potted my phals- you can make the holes in a water bottle yourself:


Sorry that the image is sideways, but I hope you see what I mean.

So yeah, this is my advice, but find what works for you because there is a lot of other great advice on this forum!