i must save this phalaenopsis

[dbarron]

Ah, I see, (and I was wondering that), you're thinking the abuse began long before it got into the current owner's hands. That makes a lot more sense...I couldn't see how that could happen in a month. I gave the upstream the benefit of the doubt :0
Yes, I'm glad they asked for help before it was too late.

[inbetween]

Actually, this plant was in my office and I asked a colleague to water it when I went on an almost 3 week trip, a little over 2 weeks after this came to me as a present. We had instructions from the place the orchid came from, which sounded like very little water, and not so frequently. I do not know how much he followed the instructions but I didn’t want to give him a hard time or start my thread with “someone ruined my plant”... maybe the office being kind of on the cool side, especially at nights and over weekends had something to do it.

---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

And I should add: the plant was potted in a plastic container w holes at the bottom, and in a solid, heavy outside pot with no holes. Before I left, I put some large pebbles at the bottom so the pot wouldn’t be sitting totally in water if there was water at the bottom, and the amount of water to give was about a third or fourth of those plastic small office water cups, once a week, or something like that... if the instructions were to take it completely out of that outside container, and to water it, hold the plant under running water once a week and let it drain, I bet things would have been better. Right? But who am I, next to the guy who sells these plants for a living.

[aliceinwl]

The care advice on orchid tags ranges from good to horrible. For the most part it’s designed to let you enjoy a single blooming, not keep a plant alive long term. Profit wise it’s better if you turn around and buy a new plant so take the advice on the tag with a grain of salt.

[dbarron]

Thanks for the background. So I assume when you got back it was swimming in water from the outside pot?
At least the directions weren't 'Place three ice cubes on the pot once a week', though that would have resulted is lesser damage probably.
Yeah, do not take plant care instructions to heart, they're often ludicrous.

[inbetween]

Its feet were in water, for sure.

Now my concern is that the 3 new roots have been the same length for a couple of weeks. All 3 are somewhere between half an inch and an inch. I think I saw growth when the plant was not potted at all and I was spraying with diluted kelp about every other day. Shall I get back to that routine -- and just spray the top of the pot and the 3 roots that are kind of exposed?

I am also dreading causing rot in the middle of the pot where I cannot see. I guess there is something about bamboo sticks somewhere on these forums.

[Dollythehun]

Have you used the maroon search bar? You'll also find a lot of answers in the sticky note " The Phal Abuse Stops Here "

[aliceinwl]

The skewer method doesn’t work for everyone, but I still use it in cases like this. Alternatively, if it’s in a clear pot you can also use the bark color as a gauge. I’ve done a daily misting of exposed air roots/roots above the substrate and then a real watering as indicated by the bark or skewer. Growing at room temperature, I’ve seen a lag before root growth picks back up after a major change. As long as the roots still look healthy I wouldn’t worry about stalled growth.

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[inbetween]

The room this is in is around 70-72 degrees all the time. Would it help if I got a heat mat for this orchid?

[dbarron]

It might help in growing roots in the short term. In the long term, I doubt it'll make much difference. That's just my opinion though.
It *should* make it with lots of TLC.

[inbetween]

I have not yet given up on my struggling orchid or the orchidboard, and I am back --even though dbarron tried to get rid of me

Still no change on the length of the 3 new roots (been a month since last picture). They look like this now (1st 2 pictures before watering, next 2 after).

I soak this (but I realized I am not soaking it all the way to the top for water to reach the new roots) every 3-4 days because that is when everything looks dry to me, and I spray the new roots with water or diluted kelp every day or every other day.

I would love to have a heating pad to help with root growth even if only for the short term, but I cannot risk leaving it on while I am at work, and burning my other happy and blooming orchid. That would mean I killed one orchid with water, and another with fire. Bad. Just in case the more-or-less constant 72 degrees isn't enough for it, I have been placing a hot water bottle underneath it, whose water I refresh whenever I can. I also tent it while leaving gaps for air movement.

Would these roots be happier inside the medium?
And if I have to leave home for 4-5 days, should I put some moss near these roots on top (no way I am putting moss inside the pot, I'm too scared of moss), for it to provide some water, or what?

Any thoughts?
Maybe I am doing too much. This plant just isn't smiling at me.