MY ROOTS ARE ALL DEAD!!!!!!!! - Page 2 - Orchid Board

Ben Belton · #11 09-19-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerman

All my Phals ae mounted on wood.....I NEVER have root rot or troubles like that

Its not practical for those of us who grow inside in our houses to grow mounted.

Ben Belton · #12 09-19-2010, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmigs26

do my root look as if they rotted from too much water or they dried out from not enough? I would like to know how to proceed in the future with it. I am absolutely paranoid that the bark is either too dry or too wet. How do I tell!?!?

Yes, it looks like it stayed too wet. To tell if it needs to be watered, just pick it up. You can tell by the weight if the media has dried out.

Tell your boyfriend next time he wants to buy you an expensive flower that you don't have experience growing, to forget it.

Looks like you are getting plenty of good advice in another thread. I'll stop here.

dounoharm · #13 09-19-2010, 03:59 PM

leave it alone for a few days....sounds like you did good potting it in bark and charcoal....just leave it be and let time heal it....it will throw out new roots shortly....gl

RosieC · #14 09-20-2010, 08:44 AM

I agree with what you've been told above.

Looks like it's rotted from too much water. If roots are firm then leave them, any roots which are soft/hollow remove them.

Let it dry for a couple of days, I would leave it out the pot during that time. If you need to leave it longer (while you buy new mix) then you can wet the remaining roots whenever the green fades (they usually go silvery). If it's not potted then once it's had a few days to dry out you may want to do this every day.

Once you have new medium pot it in the smallest pot you can fit the roots into. I have found that recovering Phals really apreciate that. If you can't find a small enough pot then look for suitable old food containers and make lots of holes in them to make sure the roots can breath.

Potting in a small pot does mean watering more often, but provided it is fully drying between waterings that is actually better for the plant. Some I had recovering were being watered every 3 days in 2" pots, but they just loved it and I really really need to repot again into a bigger pot because they have grown so many roots.

Another note on small pots is that with big leaves they fall over. You want the pot to fit the roots not the leaf size, so I rest the small pot inside a bigger empty one to keep it stable.

Good Luck. It does look like it has some roots that should keep it going while it recovers.

kmigs26 · #15 09-30-2010, 04:29 PM

thanks for the advice! okay so...it is repotted in the same pot...maybe that wasn't a good idea. I think i will go buy a smaller one today. My new problem are:

1. the remaining alive roots seemed to have dried out
2. the bottom of the plant seems to be rotting

the leaves look pretty good. they are a nice color green. i watered once since i replanted it, a few days ago...it has one little root growing still. it looks healthy and silver. i have been misting the new root daily...which i think might have caused the rot. how do i repair the problem? thanks so much!!!