Sick miniature Phal

[SerialOrchidKiller]

Hello everyone! This is my first post in this site!

I decided to post my question today after throwing in the garbage my very first orchid. It was two years old and it hadn't bloomed again besides the flowers it came with when my boyfriend bought it for me. Accidentally I left it in the sun, along with another miniature Phal (bought it in December for my bday!) the other day, and it slowly started to lose its leaves. I worried so much because it was a struggling plant with already small leaves and almost no roots anyway. After researching a lot I found some people that had success rescuing orchids with rooting hormone. So I pruned the damaged roots in both plants, sprayed some vinagear to kill any diseases and added the hormone in new potting bark. Today, four days later, I discovered the oldest one dry and even with mold. It was at the most an inch long, without any roots or leaves. After that I decided to check on the miniature one and noticed that the roots were looking thinner somehow and gotten white. Also the leaves look rough and slightly darker instead of being shiny and smooth.

I have washed it to get rid of any residue of the hormone, let it dry a few minutes and then dusted with cinnamon to prevent any rooting. I really don't want to kill this one too!! I need all the help I can get!
Thank you very much in advance!

[wintergirl]

Welcome to OrchidBoard, sorry about your plants. Don't put cinnamon on the roots, it dries them out. If you did you need to wash it off.

[No-Pro-mwa]

First wash off that cinnamon. It will dry up the roots and there already dry. I also don't think the vinegar will help it. I would wrap spagh around it and spray it to keep it moist until new roots start on it. Or if you have a very small pot you can pot it up. The only problem is if you pot it up you have the risk of it staying to wet.

Read the sticky at the top of this thread The Phal abuse ends here it's a very long thread but you will only have to read a few pages to get the jest.


Edit: Colette, we were typing at the same time, hehehehe.

[wintergirl]

Here is the sticky for phals:

The Phal abuse ends here.

[silken]

Welcome to Orchid Board. I agree with the other comments that both cinnamon and vinegar on the roots are going to do more harm. You apply cinnamon on cuts to the leaf or wounds on the crown or leaves. Not the roots.

Some seaweed (kelp) solution would help enhance some root development. Some of the powdered or gel rooting hormones are considered too strong for orchid roots.

[SerialOrchidKiller]

Thank you very much for all your very fast replies!

I dusted off the cinnamon and washed the roots immediately after reading your advice. Then I placed it again on its pot and added some water. The roots seemed to appreciate it but they didn't improve much. They look white and very wrinkled. I think I might have damaged the roots severely already. they look like they are slowly dying. Should I trim the white ones off?

Is the kelp solution something I can prepare at home or where do I buy it?

Wouldn't the wet sphagnum in the roots cause them to root?

Thank you everyone for all your help!

[silken]

The seaweed is often purchased in hydroponics or gardening places in concentrated liquid or powder form. You mix water with it. It stimulates new root growth. I don't like too much damp moss for ailing roots as I find it causes mold. But it depends on your conditions as to what works best. I would find some seaweed and mix some up. Then soak the base for 20 mins and take it out. When dry do it again. Likely several times a day for a few days and see if some roots start to grow. Be careful not to have water soaking in the crown of the leaves or rot could occur there.

[bil]

Pot it in fine bark with a small ball of sphag underneath the roots. Mist it well each day, and keep your fingers crossed.