Rootless Phalaenopsis orchid

[SamLo0001]

Hi all,

I got this Phal orchid hybrid from a nearby supermarket few months ago. Then I noticed the root has rooted. Follow that I experimented it with water culture (without knowing what I was doing), put it back to bark but heating the roots tried to get it to grow (all roots got rotten because of this).

I have put it back to water culture for two days with fertiliser and sugar dissolved in the water. This morning I had to change the water as it got murky and smelly; however, I noticed transparent coating around the root steel (the wooden part inside the root after the rotten bits got removed.). Due to moisture loss, I also covered the leafs with wet paper towels to prevent further water loss. To make the matter worse, the plant has a spike with two seed pods on it, meanwhile, a potential new spike/root is developing on the existing spike too.

At this point, I am still unsure what I am doing but is the transparent coating development a sign of recovery?

[murph7]

I am not sure whether roots can regrow the velamen.

What I am sure is that having two seed pods to take care is not helping the plant.

Others should chime in.

[bil]

Not wishing to offend, but I would bin it in a heartbeat and buy a better one.

Read the phal notes in the sticky to give you an idea.

What I do if I buy a new phal is to take it out the old pot, shakke off the old medium, pot in a wide, shallow pot/bowl in coarse bark, ie abut 2" and sieve the bark to remove all fines.
Leave it two days and then water every two days in the summer. Set up like that you can't overwater it.

Mini phals I always mount.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Velamen mostly consists of dead cells. The cortex is the portion with the living cells. Once the cortex is gone, all that is left are the stele.

The stele contains xylem and phloem. Xylem are dead cells used by the plant for water and nutrient transport. Phloem is the living tissue used for transporting nutrients made from photosynthesis.

If the living cells of the root's cortex are all dead, the cortex will not regenerate.

However, I am unclear as to whether the living tissue in the phloem can persist if the root damage is this severe.

Regardless of whether phloem tissue is alive or not, you will have to wait until new roots grow out.

Keep in a warm and humid location with some good air circulation and hope it recovers.

[GoldStar135]

Originally Posted by SamLo0001

Due to moisture loss, I also covered the leafs with wet paper towels to prevent further water loss. To make the matter worse, the plant has a spike with two seed pods on it, meanwhile, a potential new spike/root is developing on the existing spike too.

At this point, I am still unsure what I am doing but is the transparent coating development a sign of recovery?

If you really want to try to save it, I'll try to offer some pointers-
I would remove the wet paper towels off of the leaves- I think leaving them on will increase chances of a fungal infection taking root on the leaves. If you want to prevent water loss through the leaves then I would provide higher humidity for the plant (maybe keeping it in a large plastic bin?).
The seed pods will probably be draining too much energy from the plant when it needs energy to recover and grow new roots, so I would cut both seed pods off.
Would you mind taking some pictures of the entire plant and of the "potential new spike or root"?

[SamLo0001]

Sure.

Dimensions:

Spike length: ~61 cm from end to end

Seed pod sizes: 10 cm in length 4.5 cm in circumference. 7 cm in length 4.2 cm in circumference. Both have been developed for over two and half months exact date unknown as I didn't put a date when the pod started growing.

Leafs: 2 old leaves with one new grown. 12 cm in length, and 16 cm in length respectively, widest width ~ 6 cm.

New spike/root growth on existing spike: only developed for about 0.4 cm now.

[SamLo0001]

The existing stalk (part beneath the leafs) is about 7 cm.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It'll be about 1.5 months to 2 months from now before those pods are ready. I suggest getting rid of the entire stalk to conserve the plant's energy into growing new roots.

[SamLo0001]

Originally Posted by bil

Not wishing to offend, but I would bin it in a heartbeat and buy a better one.

Read the phal notes in the sticky to give you an idea.

What I do if I buy a new phal is to take it out the old pot, shakke off the old medium, pot in a wide, shallow pot/bowl in coarse bark, ie abut 2" and sieve the bark to remove all fines.
Leave it two days and then water every two days in the summer. Set up like that you can't overwater it.

Mini phals I always mount.

I am only keeping it cause this one has scent.

[murph7]

Are you planning on growing the phal from seeds?