Can a Phal orchid Burn Out?

[jason45244]

Great job! I too frequent the "death rack" at Lowes! Your orchid is well on its way to recovery.

[turock]

Kudos to you! I love rescuing phals from Lowes. You're doing a great job! It's really amazing that those leaves are still firm and not wrinkly and sulky. Keep us updated.

[Julissa]

Originally Posted by Optimist

If the care (including near death experience) caused the enzymes that cause growth to switch off, then yes, it will stop growing. The leaf length of phals will often reflect their culture and care.

The goal is to have ever-increasing size, but often, if you go from the ideal conditions of the grower's greenhouse, to your place which may lack ideal orchid conditions, then the leaves will show that they are not getting the same care. (I am trying not to antrhopomophise here-- it is not like they are "angry" or anything), they just need to ration their food in different ways, and a short leaf is just as useful as a long one, in many ways.

This makes sense. I have read plants need to adjust to their new environments. I'm just a little worried that since the orchid is growing roots and two leaves at the same time the energy usually placed into growing one leaf will be dispersed among all the growths leading to shorter growth potential. This orchid came with leaf span ranging from 6 to 8 inches and I'm hoping she will continue to grow leaves around that length.

Originally Posted by ThePinkCucumber

Of course it'll take quite a while before you get blooms, but well done, if you continue like this, you'll definitely get there

Thank you. Blooms are the least important part right now. Just seeing the little roots and leaves growing gets me feeling emotions that range from astonishment and joy to anxiousness and fear. At this point I know how to get an orchid to grow roots, now I have to figure out how to keep her from losing them again.

Originally Posted by Luizacft

That was epic! There is a feeling each time we save a half dead orchid. I have 2 phals and 1 colmanara which are fighting for their lives!

Yeah I know what you mean, a sense of accomplishment, joy, and relief that they are going to make it. It still amazes me at how as long as the orchid has leaves, no disease, and a base to grow roots she can still make it.

My dad would look at the orchid with a puzzled face hinting at it's going to die since there are no roots. I explained to him that there are people in the orchid community that have saved rootless orchids and as long as the leaves are green she still has a chance.

Originally Posted by turock

Kudos to you! I love rescuing phals from Lowes. You're doing a great job! It's really amazing that those leaves are still firm and not wrinkly and sulky. Keep us updated.

Thank you. When ever my family decides to go to Lowe's I always go straight to the orchid section just to stare at them and see if there are any on the clearance rack. I stay there to the point where my family is just staring at me with "Well, are you going to buy one or not?" look.

Her leaves actually did softened up. When I bought her she had straight firm leaves. Once she started losing her roots, the leaves started wilting and becoming leathery like. When she started sprouting roots an immediate difference was felt in the leaf texture. They slowly started to firm up again.

I'll definitely keep you guys posted. I still need help in deciding what would be the best course to take once her roots reach 3 inches in length.

[NYCorchidman]

It's funny how you used burn out to mean to mean quite the opposite. lol

Anyways, it is just a survival mechanism in short.
It lost all the roots, so it needs to make a bunch so it can suck in water and nutrients it needs to get going and stay alive.

[ThePinkCucumber]

Definitely keep us posted and don't worry - it'll be all fine, orchids are sturdy suckers, it just takes time for us to realize that

[Julissa]

October 29, 2015 Update:

The roots and leaves growing nicely

[ThePinkCucumber]

Looking great!

[Julissa]

I was planning on doing an update of the orchid at the end of the month but an issue came up.

Here's a picture of the orchid at its current state:


Both leaves are 1.5 inches in length
Has two new roots

November 19, 2015: Watered and added more moss to it covering all the roots.

November 26, 2015: The three largest roots (1.5 inches) are loose at the base of the plant. Each has a brown edge (circled in attached pictures). The rest of the root is firm.





Should I remove these roots? I'm scared the brown area will spread all over the base of the plant. The other roots are firm all the way to the base without any brown area.

I currently have the orchid and roots sitting above all the moss.

Edit: Is it possible they are broken? About two days ago my cat dropped the aquarium where my orchid currently is placed.

[silken]

I wouldn't be cutting nice growing roots off. It is possible they got jarred. But I would observe and see what happens before removing nice looking roots. You could cut off that old black piece below the roots and treat the cut end with some Physan or alcohol. It may be near time to pot this up. I would recommend a clear pot with lots of holes and a mix of sphagnum and medium bark chunks. Remember Phals need to have almost dry media before watering again. It has come a long way and I think it will be fine. Do not over pot it as the media will stay wet for too long.

[Wynn Dee13]

It looks fine. The brown area you are seeing is just where the roots broke through the plant tissue. I agree that you can pot it up now. When you do, try and anchor it in the pot so it doesn't wobble around. Good luck!