Dendrobium phalenopsis , shriveled leaves.

[kappa_97]

I received a den phal with mushy roots ,so I trimmed all the dead root and mounted it on cocohusk shell. After a few days it started developing a flower spike . Now the spike has grown but slowing the leaves are starting to look shriveled. I water it everyday, since it hasn't developed roots I make it a point to keep the coco husk moist. What should I do further?

[Shadeflower]

hi kappa,
what you are doing watering wise sounds good but a plant with no roots cannot support flowers even if it wants to.

So you have a very hard decision to make I'm afraid.

Either rescue this den phal and cut off the flower spike or let the flower spike grow and lose the plant.

You might be able to do both but it would be more of a gamble than a way of saving your rootless orchid.

If you want to make sure it can grow new roots then you have to cut off the flower spike and hope it isn't too late yet. The wrinkling leaves are what you are working against.

Once the leaves wrinkle too much the plant won't have enough energy to produce new roots which take roughly 2 months to grow

[kappa_97]

Is there really no way I can let the flower spike be and save it , I am really not able to take the tough decision of cutting the spike , before the recent spike it was developing another spike which accidentally broke , what if , I cut the recent spike and another spike emerges?

[Shadeflower]

I knew that was going to be your reaction since it's one of those what if moments.

You can try leaving it and see what happens but if it doesn't make it you will really kick yourself.

If you can save it which dendrobiums are quite good at then it will eventually make more flowers in future.

It's really hard to judge if a plant is going to be strong enough to manage flowering but if like you say it has lost all the roots then it isn't going to be strong enough but no harm waiting a day longer to see what others think about it.

I know if it was me I would not cut it to prove "me" wrong but it does cost the plant a lot of energy.

There is also no guarantee the plant will produce roots so maybe the best thing is to at least enjoy the flowers...

It's a tough decision, I know

[estación seca]

In the future I suggest you not cut off roots. Most people can't tell living from dead, even if they think they can. Den. phal hybrids tend to make roots only at certain times of the year. If you cut off its roots months before it will make new ones, it might not be able to take up enough water to live that long.

Mounting can be problematic for this type of orchid. They need large amounts of water in active growth. Most of them become large plants.