Phalaenopsis won't grow roots

[Raqsharqi]

I picked up a rescue plant in October that I can't get to grow roots. It is a Phalaenopsis Green Aegean Sea. I tried soaking it in a seaweed extract and Quantum solution, but nothing is happening, and I've been fretting over it for several weeks now. I love the color of this orchid: sort of chartreuse with a magenta throat. There is an original green root, but I fear it isn't enough to keep the plant going as the leaves are going limp. I take it out of the soak and let it sit out in the open over the bowl of water, thinking maybe the plant will want to reach the water, but alas, nothing seems to be working. I really don't want to lose this one! Advice?

[hbozeman]

Patience, the quality that all orchids require of us all.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I think you need to pot it up in a very small pot and spray the top with a spray bottle when the top of the media gets dry. That way the whole pot doesn't get that wet. I have a phal that hardly had any roots and I have been doing this with it for over a year. It is very slowly growing more roots. It is also going to bloom soon and it bloomed last year as well. The blooms are not nearly as big as they were originally and I probably should cut off the spikes so all it's energy would go into the roots, but I'm not going to.

[hbozeman]

Agree with No-Pro-ma. Smallest pot you can put it in. In this case, I prefer sphagnum, and water as above. If it has one good root, you are on the way! Sorry for the smart-alec answer about patience, but orchids are helping me with that virtue.

---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:17 AM ----------

Question for others, can't limp leaves be a sign of overwatering?

[Raqsharqi]

I understand the patience thing. Orchids are pretty good teachers! But there is a real danger of not doing the right thing and losing the plant, as I have done in the past. I have three phals with the same problem, but the Aegean Sea is the one I fret over as it's too pretty to lose. It was already in a small pot, but I'll give it another try. Thanks.

[Reeses]

I recently improvised an incubator/greenhouse for a zygo that I almost killed It doesn't have any roots at all, but it was too big for a sphag and bag, so I bought a clear storage bin from Target, like what you could use for shoes. It's only been in it for about a week, so no progress yet. But, if you're worried about humidity and the pot doesn't seem to be doing enough, something like that might be worth a shot

Forgot to mention, I put a thin layer of sphag in the bottom of the bin, and then put the lid on at an angle so there is slight air flow.

[camille1585]

Put it in as small a pot as possible, and keep it in a warm, shady place. If you have a heat mat, use that. Misting the base of the plant/top of media seems to encourage root growth from my experience. Above all, once you've potted it, don't touch it again. The more you disturb it the more it'll sulk.... Patience, patience, patience!

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[Ray]

WARMTH - especially in the root zone.

Most phalaenopsis species are really hot growers that rarely, if ever, see anything lower than the mid-, to upper- 70's at night, much warmer in the daytime. They are reasonably tolerant of the cooler conditions that we prefer, but if they get in a health "bind", they'll have a tough time recovering unless you make them more comfortable.

[Raqsharqi]

Thanks for that suggestion, Ray. I have the orchid in a greenhouse, but the temperature is set not to go below 60, which means that's the normal evening temperature. I brought the ailing Phal indoors, and hope having a little warmer temp will help. Funny...daytime temperatures get so high I have to use a cooler!

[astrid]

My sick phals put on about 4 roots in one year!! It just takes months rather than weeks.

Get the phal in an environment that it likes, and it will do the rest, I think. Winter is a slow-growing time for them anyway, so don't expect to see a ton of progress in these cooler months.