Phalaenopsis Orchid Root Rotting

[Kanaka]

Hi
I have a Phalaenopsis whose root is rotting I moved to a smaller container Please let me know if I need to do anything.
I love Orchids and get one every year and kill it I dont want to loose this one.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Kanaka

Hi
I have a Phalaenopsis whose root is rotting I moved to a smaller container Please let me know if I need to do anything.
I love Orchids and get one every year and kill it I dont want to loose this one.

It looks like it was potted in something like soil.

Really I would suggest potting it in something like a bulb pan, using coarse bark ONLY.

That way there will be no danger of overwatering

[Kanaka]

Thank you for replying.What I used is a medium used for orchid. It has bark and something like soil. Can you tell me what is bulb pan

[rbarata]

How do you water it?
How many times/week?

[AnonYMouse]

Bulb pan is a shallow pot used for tulip/hyacinth/narcissus (and the like) bulbs.

If your roots are rotting, they aren't getting proper aeration and staying wet too long. A chunky media will help. Your media may be for orchids but it may be old and broken down. Or it may not be suited for your conditions/habits.

To stop the rot, remove it from the media and trim away any mushy roots. Let it dry a day or two (bare root) to make sure the rot hasn't spread farther then repot in chunky media.

An option some growers use is to keep it bare root in a vase and water the roots daily.

[Tindomul]

I don't know how often you are watering. A good way to gauge it is by weighing the pot everyday with you hand. It should feel lighter everyday. When it feels like it is no longer loosing weight, then it is time to water again.

[jh0330u]

I have a thread "experiment: root rot", it is very detailed with my experience. You should check it out.
During this experiment I learned root rot is caused by too much watering.

My root kept rotting even in very loose moss. I had great success stopping rotting by using the no medium method. I suspect your medium is not suitable for Phals as he roots are not getting enough air. Good luck!

[Leafmite]

I agree with everything above. The ancestors of these types of Phals grow bare-root on trees in a hot, humid environment. The medium is just to keep the air around the roots humid. Keeping too much moisture around the roots encourages the roots to rot.
Good luck with your newest Phal!

[bil]

Couple of points.

The secret with all epiphytic orchids is to allow air to the roots easily. Anything that prevents that for any great period of time is a one way ticket to root rot.

The thicker the roots, (like phal or Cattleyas) the more important it is, and the bigger the bark chunks should be. For phals, I always sieve the bark before use so there are no small bits to block the interstitial spaces and choke the roots.
I save the fie bark for oncidiums etc.

As for the skewer, it's a great idea for other media, but I just don't see it working well with big chunks of bark.

Also, if you use something shallow like a bulb pan with good drainage and place the phal up against one side, but leaning towards the centre, then unless it has flower spikes at that time, it won't fall over. If it has flowers, and does start to lean too much, I would put a couple of rocks to hold it upright till the roots grip the pot. Mind you I have a couple that lie flat on the surface of the bark without causing problems.

[Kanaka]

Thank You all for the response. I have ordered for bark, bullb pan and skewers.
I have 3 more Orchids gifted to me and have a lot of questions to ask in this forum, I will get ready wiith the pictures and shoot my questions

---------- Post added at 08:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 PM ----------

once a week I add I cup water ( the cup that comes with the rice cooker)