New Phals arrived with roots in bad shape

[Jlaney]

Hello,

So I ordered several pals online (from a seller who comes very recommended on this board), and I repotted them from Sphag to bark a few days after I received them. When I looked at the roots, they look sad to me . . . many are mushy and clearly dead. However, there is new growth on some roots, and they are all in spike so I can't really tell what state they are in.

My question is, if you ordered Orchids and their roots looked like this, would you say something to the seller, or is this expected? Thank you in advance for your help!

[Lacie]

Dead roots on phals, especially those potted in sphag are, in my opinion, inevitable. That said, it looks like you've got a range there. I can't tell how many plants you have, but I would say the one in the first image looks fine to me, just remove the dead roots, and it looks like it has several healthy roots. The second one looks in bad shape, except for that one healthy root, since the healthy root is branching I personally wouldn't discuss it with the merchant. The third one (and it looks like the 5th is the same plant?) looks very bad, I wouldn't have been happy to receive a plant with roots in that condition (I think it can be saved, but I might try to request a refund or replacement from the merchant). The fourth one doesn't look to have many good established roots, but since it has so many new growths I would think it should establish itself pretty quickly so I wouldn't worry about that one (and actually all those new roots are at the perfect stage to adjust to your new medium right away!).

Hope this is helpful, obviously the final call is up to you. I think when you receive phals you should always expect to trim some dead roots, but as long as you have a few healthy ones and/or new growths it shouldn't be anything to worry about. If you end up having to trim all the roots (or all but one), well, then it's worth bringing up with the merchant.

[estación seca]

Very many plants arriving in moss look like that, especially in winter. I see the plants are making healthy new roots. I personally would expect them to do fine if you keep them warm.

You could send photos to the vendor and ask whether the vendor is concerned.

[Jlaney]

Thank you guys so much! You rock! I feel a bit better now, I may send some pics to the seller and see what they think, but I am relieved that you guys don't think that they are on the brink of death! I did trim the dead roots off and disinfect, so I'll keep an eye on them and hopefully the healthy roots will keep growing. Thanks again!

[estación seca]

Cool winter is not the ideal time to repot warm-growing plants. Any chance you could get a warming mat to help them adjust?

I don't use disinfectants nor fungicides as a general tonic, unless I know what I'm treating. You didn't put alcohol, cinnamon or hydogen peroxide on the roots, did you? Those are all toxic to roots, despite what you find on YouTube.

[Jlaney]

In regards to re-potting during winter, it is has already gotten warm where I live . . . and I keep my Orchids indoors near a windowsill anyway.

In regards to disinfecting, I sprayed the worst looking roots with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. . Did I make a rookie mistake? I have done it before with my older plants and they didn't seem to mind, but I guess just because it didn't kill the plant doesn't mean it was good for it!

[estación seca]

If you diluted there is less chance of damage, but there is still a chance. You don't need to disinfect orchids when you repot. Save the hydrogen peroxide for Halloween hair, cleaning grout and making dogs vomit things they shouldn't have eaten.

Some people put powdered cinnamon just on cut or broken surfaces of orchid leaves, stems, rhizomes and root cores. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties. But cinnamon will damage roots if it gets on the velamen (corky) part. I don't use it. If I had a very humid and warm greenhouse, I might.

[Jlaney]

Okay thanks, thats good to know! I'll pour the peroxide mixture out, before I do any more damage haha.

[camille1585]

The only good use for hydrogen peroxide on orchids is poured pure into the crown (of a Phal usually) in an effort to halt crown rot. Also, H202 is very unstable so if it's an old previously opened bottle, it has mostly degraded into water and 02.

Generally the best thing to do with root rot is cut off the rotten parts, let the roots dry out, pot up and keep the plant (or at least root zone) warm. Disinfecting isn't necessary as most of the bacteria aren't responsible for the rot, but merely feeding on the dead root tissue.

Ordering in the winter is always a gamble, even if the plants don't have frost damage there can be other issues, especially if the plants are shipped a bit damp.