Keiki stops growing after hard fall on my phal den

[Wathepleela]

I have a big dark brown liver spot bloom phal den bought 6months go. It had a glorious spike in full bloom when I brought it home, wonderful chocolaty flavor, with an abundance of vigorous strong as steel leaves and long wreaths of trailing roots.

After the spike was spent the plant started loosing most of its leaves. When the last two remained I knew I had to do something to save it. So I unspotted it completely and wasn’t surprised to see that most of if not all the roots had rotten. I trimmed them all off, left the plant covered in a plastic bag and on the following weekend went to my local night market and asked the seller to repot it for me. He kept it for two weeks and when returning it repotted he proudly pointed out a little bump at the base of one of the canes.

The bump grew to be a keiki and got me jumping up and down, “the darling is saved!” The keiki grew up fast enough sprouting new little white roots to secure itself to the mother plant. Then disaster struck: I dropped it when I was trying to hang it a little higher on my balcony (to shy from the afternoon sun). One of the two precious old leaves broke off along with a couple of the keiki’s new roots.

at the time of the fall the keiki had sprouted 4 leaves, the two youngest one are longer than the former two at the base (which were not fully developed). After the fall one baby root or two have darkened their tip, the others’ are still green. However it’s been at least a month now, nothing has grown any further or bigger, the two young leaves still cling together for dear life and would not separate. The plant has gone into a sleeping-beauty state. In orchid speak, I guess we would say it is sulking. My interpretation is that the hard fall has sent the poor thing into shock. No amount of coaxing “Sorry daddy dropped you on the floor, I promise I won’t ever do that again, ok?” would induce any signs of life. Meanwhile, the one remaining old leave is holding on for dear life, wobblingly. And black burnt rings have formed around the trunks of the old canes, I thing they are all dying….:

What shall I do know? And can anyone tell the id of my phal den?

Thanks

[WhiteRabbit]

I think it looks ok. I would just keep giving it proper care, and give it time.

[eurytides]

Yeah, orchids can sometimes take a long time to recover, like weeks to months. I agree, just give it time and see what happens. I never give up on a plant unless it's dead and dry.

[801229001]

thats not a keiki. its a new growth

[bethmarie]

I think with patience it will make a full comeback. Which is good, because that is a strikingly beautiful Den you've got there

[camille1585]

I doubt it's the fall which set it back, plants aren't bothered by that sort of stuff unless the fall seriously damaged them.

Could be that your plant is simply taking a small break from growing, growth often seems to happen in spurts. So just keep caring for it, and hopefully soon it will decide to carry on growing.

I would call that a normal new growth though rather than a keiki, given it's location on the plant. Misting the roots daily may encourage them to stay growing again, at least that's the experience I've had with some of my plants.
Good luck with it, it sure is a beautiful Den!!

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[Wathepleela]

Thank you thank you all for your words of comfort, encouragement and compliments! Much appreciated. What you have said regarding being patient sent me into mournful regret for having abandoned too soon my other orchids who were equally suffering from my “care” –especially one cattelaya whose gorgeous corsage on the first night made my bathroom not only look, but smell, like a 5-star hotel; but which unfortunately got fried after inadvertenly taking a sunbath while taking a bath one morning!. Nevertheless, none were really ever in death’s throes so to speak, nay their condition simply was being in one extremis or another then left to deteriorate because I had other things on my plate (namely the Rhys). Anyway, no crying over spilt milk now (sob!)

Here is one shot of the Den way back when. It’s a tall plant, one foot high and the spike easily added another foot to its height. Its flowers are big as you can see, its leaves are ramrod armor plates. Even without the bloom, the cascade of its foliage alone grabs one’s attention. That’s why I am holding onto it (and praying.)



In this pic the leaves are clearly in sight, maybe someone can pinpoint its ID/family name/genu (is that the word?) to its fretful owner? Meanwhile I promise to do my best to nurture the young shoot (not the keiki, thank you) back to growth.
Thanks,

[Wathepleela]

Last week I returned home from one week absence, this is what I found.

As of today one leaf remained and is wiggling to fall in a day or two, the canes start yellowing. It looks half dead now.

Is there any “triage” measure I can do at this point? Help !!!

[campchi]

Looks like u got some rotting there. I would cutt off the rot and it it dry then just keep sprinkle it daily till new roots form. This type of den. Phal is a fighter. They will send out keikis after a couple of weeks.

[Wathepleela]

Thanks campchi for the advice. I repotted it, now that there's no leaves left and just make it wet daily. It seems to be... ok, meaning not dying anyfurther. Been keeping an eye for keikis, or something! Actually some of the roots turn green as well, good sign?