Help- NoID Phal getting corrugated leaves??

[ccrow]

I repotted this little guy about a month ago, and roots looked fine. It had the spikes then, but not so many flowers as it has now. It's been increasingly dehydrated-looking, and I'm starting to wonder if all the flowers are the 'last-gasp' sort of thing; but it seemed ok before. Could it be losing too much moisture because of all the flowers?
It is in orchid mix, some from repotme.com and some Schultz mix combined(I didn't really like the Schultz but didn't want to waste it:-/). It was in a south window but I have moved it back so it's not in as strong light now. Taking it out of the pot, I see the roots don't look great, but they're not all dead, either... should I cut off the spikes and put the plant in the 'hospital'? I really like this one and would be sad to lose it

[Optimist]

How long has this been going on? It does not look sudden. I am thinking some sphag and bag might revive it. Also possibly go to semi hydro. I would use some weak rooting hormone in the water too.

[bil]

OK, I'll be brutal. I have a name for orchids like that. It's called 'Compost'.

Unless you wish to spend a lot of time and effort in trying to pull it back from the edge where it is circling the drain, IMO, then it really isn't worth the trouble.

[rbarata]

Or you could use it to practice your emergency processes and, who knows, you might be successful.
BTW, I'm curious about the cause of it.

[estación seca]

I would use the vase method because at least some of the roots are alive. The plant will come back fairly quickly and I bet it blooms next year. But I think you should cut off the flower stalks to minimize water loss.

Right now, soak the roots in pure water with some kelp solution for 6-12 hours, and let them dry. If you don't have the kelp, get some, but start soaking even without it.

Do the long soak and dry cycle every day. Use the kelp once a week. The plant will take up water over the next week or so and plump up. It might go back to normal and it might always have some wrinkles. After it plumps up use a kelp solution once a month.

When it looks good, and is growing new roots, pot as you wish.

[ccrow]

Thanks for the replies
bil, I understand your POV; in this case, I'm with rbarata- it seems to me that I won't be doing much besides waiting, so I don't mind trying to save it. estación seca, what I have is Neptune's Harvest seaweed, so I used that- hopefully it will be ok.
As I recall, it was a little bit wrinkly when I repotted it, but I hoped the repotting was what it wanted... so much for that idea, I guess

[silken]

A south window is likely too hot and bright for a Phal also unless it is well shaded and the plant is back from the window. Phals don't require a lot of bright light.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Do exactly what estacion seca recommended. Several prolonged soaks of the roots only. After the first few, you can probably cut back to something less than a 6 hour soak. The drying time between soaks is also important. The leaves will recover and be functional - not beautiful but good enough for the plant to resume growing normally. I have helped many orchid growers rejuvenate plants in similar shape. You can do it.

[bil]

Originally Posted by ccrow

Thanks for the replies
bil, I understand your POV; in this case, I'm with rbarata- it seems to me that I won't be doing much besides waiting, so I don't mind trying to save it.

Don't get me wrong. Such an exercise can be useful as a learning process, and obviously, if it has sentimental value, then it's worth the attempt.

But it does have to be said that if it is just an NOID phal, it is just about at the bottom of the ladder in terms of intrinsic value.

If someone gave it to me and begged me to save it, I would just put it in coarse bark, prop it in place with three rocks, put it with the other phals, and then I would forget about it. It would get watered with them, same frequency, same strength fertiliser. If I remembered it, I would give it a light spray as I went past with the spray.
That might not sound like much of a plan, but I have had a remarkable rate of success with other types of orchids using it.

[ccrow]

Originally Posted by silken

A south window is likely too hot and bright for a Phal also unless it is well shaded and the plant is back from the window. Phals don't require a lot of bright light.

That probably is a factor- it's been unseasonably cool here and the trees are very slow to leaf out this spring... not much I can do about that, though! Ordinarily they are providing some shade by now.