Saving two Phrags - after some rotting - Orchid Board

Bolero · #1 10-07-2013, 03:58 AM

Hi all, I just wanted to share a couple of experiences with two Phrags I have had. Both plant were rotting and I nearly lost both. They were both mature Phrags and the following is a story about never giving up on these unless absolutely necessary when growing these. I will explain further:

First plant - Phrag Living Fire "Lakeside' 4N AM/AOC

Early last year I moved house but whilst in transit and getting a new orchid house at my new house I let someone look after this one for me. It's the only palnt he killed but it was completed rotted - see photo below. There was no sign of green at all BUT the roots were still perfectly healthy. It was a typical brown rot that rotted away the entire crown as it was in a position that was too wet with no airmovement. As you can imagine this is a pretty good plant that was due to flower soon and a division in high demand. I certainly didn't want to lose it as it would be unlikely I would be able to obrain another one. So here it a photo of the top completely rotted but the roots are unbelievably still healthy under the coconut.

Nearly 18 months later now and I didn't give up. I put the plant in the back corner of my orchid house. I remember the previous owner telling me to never give up on Phrags if the roots are still ok and I didn't. Eventually with regular watering and gentle sunlight........this is what we have today.

Plant number 2. Phrag Bel al '4N'

This plant got the soft rot problem that often phrags and paphs can get. I wish I had a photo of the before as the growth was nearly flowering size and looked beautiful. However when the soft rot started I cut back each leaf below where the rot was forming. It would not go away and continued to spread down into the crown despite any effort to stop it so in the end I cut the entire growth off. The new growth was gone, there was no green except for the old flowered growth you can see. I had a better feeling about this one as it had the old growth for energy. Anyway as you can see there are now two new growths coming and although it might be a few years before it flowers again at least I have saved the plant. Te key for me is patience, I only cut the growth about 4 or 5 months ago so it's making some progress with 2 new growths coming.

Close up to the new growths:

The plants together.......

So the moral of the story is........if you have a plant which has rotted on the crown but the roots are strong and healthy........don't give up! They will eventually come back to you. Just keep them isolated from your other plants until you are sure the coast is clear.

WhiteRabbit · #2 10-07-2013, 09:43 PM

Wooo!!! Great saves!

Bolero · #3 10-08-2013, 02:38 AM

Thanks, I hope other people get something out of this story as well. I suspect people would throw them away but sometimes persistence pays off.

WhiteRabbit · #4 10-08-2013, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolero

Thanks, I hope other people get something out of this story as well. I suspect people would throw them away but sometimes persistence pays off.

Definitely!

naoki · #5 10-08-2013, 03:38 AM

Thanks for posting this. It's good to know. Did you do something different after they rotted out (e.g. reduce fertilizer etc), or did you continue with your normal care? With paphs, it seems to be easier to rescue the ones without roots than ones without leaves.

Bolero · #6 10-09-2013, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naoki

Thanks for posting this. It's good to know. Did you do something different after they rotted out (e.g. reduce fertilizer etc), or did you continue with your normal care? With paphs, it seems to be easier to rescue the ones without roots than ones without leaves.

Pretty much kept it going but just put it in a corner so I didn't think about it to much. When the green started coming I moved them back with the healthy phrags and everything is going well.

geogeo21 · #7 09-24-2014, 03:46 AM

wow you're lucky. my phrags got burnt up and cooked in the hot heat. i went to go watch a darn game and came back and they were a total loss. i thought i had them in shade. but the sun came out on them full blast!

Fairorchids · #8 09-26-2014, 08:34 AM

Some years ago I bought 5 Phrags from Oak Hill, medium sized seedlings. That fall all 5 got bad fungal attack, when leaves fell off/rotted, I put pots under the bench, intending to clean them out later.

I forgot about them. But the next spring I noticed that 4 of the 5 showed some green. I put them back on the bench, and eventually grew them back to blooming size.

So, yes, Phrags are more tenacious than other orchids.

Bolero · #9 09-28-2014, 08:02 AM

Here is an update for you......these are the same plants today.....

What do you think?

ALToronto · #10 09-28-2014, 03:02 PM

It's been just about a year since your original post. The Living Fire hasn't changed much - maybe 2 new leaves? I would check the pH of the medium, or the runoff water, and likely raise it. I suspect it's too acidic, so the plant can't take up nutrients even if you're fertilizing.

Phrag #2 is doing a lot better, but the conditions are still not ideal. If you're using an ammonia source fertilizer and an organic medium, you probably have a very acidic environment.

I had a phrag that was in as bad a shape as your #2, and it grew a new fan to blooming within about 8 months. I had to repot it into LECA with some sphagnum on top, and water it exclusively with RO water and K-lite at 20 ppm N