SOS: Orchid that's had a series of problems from root rot to dryness to black spot - Orchid Board

thegirlwiththemouseyhair · #1 01-04-2018, 05:23 PM

OK, this post is basically an SOS for my first-ever orchid, Oscar, whom I have named and refer to with human pronouns and basically treat as my pet; I have had my poor Oscar, an impulse buy from the grocery store, for a little over a year and a half, and this was practically the first plant I ever kept. Oscar is a Plainview Colorfuze orchid, and I believe is a phal although the Plainview Colorfuze website makes it hard to find out the species - maybe they treat it as too obvious to mention?

Anyway, everything was going swimmingly until this September, when a cousin helped me re-pot Oscar from the initial medium to a new one that was packed with a lot of moss. I didn't change my once weekly watering schedule for a few weeks, when I started to suspect I was over-watering. I tried spacing out waterings but by then Oscar had some root rot so I bought a different medium that is all bark, trimmed off a lot of dead, dried roots (super sad, because he had this beautiful network of roots which I lost so much of), and re-potted him again. The fiasco with the medium that was retaining too much water lasted from mid-September to Halloween, so about six weeks.

Lately, I fear I've been struggling with the opposite problem. Because this newer medium drains so well I'm struggling to figure out how to water often enough, and have started using the skewer technique I saw on this board as well as Google calendar reminders to water every five days (I read an estimate online that exclusively bark mediums may dry out every 4-6 days). Oscar greens up when I water, but looks pretty 'eh' otherwise.

Finally, to make matters even worse, I noticed last week that one of the three leaves left had a big black damp spot on it. I cut that whole leaf off with sterilized scissors and applied cinnamon to the cut to stop the spread of any infection. However, the part of the crown that that leaf jutted out of has really yellowed and dried up a lot in the last few days, and I'm worried about that.

Is there any way to save this orchid or should I start preparing myself to get an Oscar the Second? (I've just worked so hard to save this one, which means a lot to me...) I live in Montreal where we are going through a bitterly cold winter, so my condo is dry and static-y from having the heating on all the time. My place gets quite a bit of light, and I have started keeping Oscar by a window to try to simulate a fall/winter rest in cooler temperatures, although indoors in Montreal in winter is no rainforest. Also, I always water from the top which seems especially necessary now after I lost so many roots. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

estación seca · #2 01-05-2018, 01:57 AM

I don't know what the black spot was. The remaining portion of leaf will probably dry up and turn papery brown. It should grow more leaves from the center.

The rest of the plant looks a lot better than I was expecting while reading. The visible roots look healthy. I think all you need to do is water appropriately, and it should grow.

Most people leave the skewer in the pot, and pull it out every now and then to see whether it is damp inside. Maybe if you learn from the skewer how long it takes to dry out, you could water by the calendar. But first you need to learn how long it takes to dry out.

When you water, take the plant to the sink. Run water through the pot until the medium and roots are thoroughly wet. Then let the medium get dry where the roots are before watering again.

Like I mentioned, it looks in pretty good shape.

aliceinwl · #3 01-06-2018, 03:09 AM

I'm pretty new, but I keep my phals in pretty much the same set-up as Oscar. With the quick draining bark media, I've found soaking the pot for 5 minutes and allowing it to drain completely works well for me. I'll fill up the outer pot with water, let soak, then drain all the water out. I put a few pebbles in the bottom of most of my outer pots so that if there is some additional water that needs to drip out of the inner pot it can. I'm able to get away with watering mine every 7 days using this method.

For the inner pot, I've found my phals do a lot better if there are holes on the sides as well as the bottom. If there aren't, I melt some in with a soldering iron when I re-pot.

I had one of my first phals get into pretty much the same condition as Oscar. I don't know if it's wistful thinking on my part, but lightly misting the air roots between waterings seemed to help keep the plant perky while it re-grew its roots.

Ray · #4 01-06-2018, 10:11 AM

I agree with ES that fixing the watering is your key. Understand that orchids need lots of water AND air at their roots, and mastering that combination is the trick. That can be done by making the pot, the medium, and your growing conditions work together to allow you to Mess with your plants on your own schedule.

Your description suggests that you have done a fair amount of reading about orchids, but it also suggests that you think all orchids require the same treatment, which is not correct.

Your plant is a hybrid phalaenopsis, so does not require seasonal changes in the temperature. In fact, it would do very well if kept very warm/hot at all times. It may need a couple of weeks of cooler overall growing temperature in order to initiate a flower spike, but you're a ways off from needing to concern yourself with that.

Personally, I think you made the right move going to a coarser bark, but suggest that you repot it – again, and a bit deeper – after pretreating the bark at a bit.

Put some bark in a colander, pour very hot water over it, wetting it as thoroughly as you can. Wait 30 minutes, then repeat that process. That "opens up" the internal structure, allowing it to hold more water. When the bark is cool to the touch, repot the plant, covering the entire route system. The green base of the plant should be at the surface, not under it. I would also use a plastic pot to slow the evaporation.

thegirlwiththemouseyhair · #5 01-06-2018, 06:54 PM

Ray: Thanks a lot. Yeah, I've applied sort of general tips, not necessarily specific ones to this orchid (how did you even know it was a hybrid phal?), so that makes sense. Is the fact that the heat in my place is dry heat OK? I can move the orchid closer to my heater to be warmer, but that'll be dry rather than humid. Also, I am considering re-potting again, but is there a risk of stressing the plant out more by re-potting so many times in such a short period?

Aliceinwl: Thanks. What is the significance of the pebbles - do they help trap humidity and/or give the plant a buffer so it's not sitting on the excess of water? I am curious and will try that tip when I can find appropriate pebbles.

Estación seca: Thank you so much! I totally misunderstood about the skewer test, and will leave it in the pot from now on (oops...). That's pretty much how I've been watering, but all these changes in medium have made it hard to figure out when it dries out. Hopefully if I can apply the skewer test correctly I'll get on a better schedule.

What do you guys make of orchid fertilizer - should I be adding some? How often? Thanks again for all your help.

estación seca · #6 01-06-2018, 07:08 PM

Get the watering correct before you worry about fertilizer. It's not nearly as important as proper light, warmth and watering. And plants don't need fertilizer when they aren't growing much, like now, in the winter.

aliceinwl · #7 01-07-2018, 04:42 AM

The pebbles are to make sure the plant doesn’t end up sitting in water if I accidentally put the inner pot back in the outer pot before all the excess water has drained out.

Optimist · #8 01-08-2018, 08:36 PM

What I would do is this: Spray the roots every few days. This is not a full "watering" it is just a spritzing. Use good water. You in Canada might be able to melt snow water and or rainwater. (do not use cold water, make sure it is room temperature). If you want to add something to the water, find something with kelp in it. Not selling any brand here. Just a tiny bit.

I have found that when you re-pot, a plant will "sulk." I use semi-hydro, so it is all the same to them. The media never changes because it is essentially "rocks." But changing from a highly water retentive media, to a less water retentive media like new bark will cause a set back.

I think though there are not a lot of leaves, the leaves you have are not wrinkly or puckered and the velemen on the roots looks like it is working (not dead).

As long as you have decent leaves and good roots, you usually have a plant that is still providing itself with food (plants make their own groceries). So it is okay for now.