Saving a store bought Phal

[LittleWatty]

I was looking for seaweed fertilizer today and yesterday, but couldn't find any for under $20 online (there's really no greenhouses or similar stores that would sell that kind of thing around here). I ended up getting some Superthrive today for about $8, including shipping, which should get here Monday of next week. I'm hoping that coupled with a diluted fertilizer will help it out enough to get it through.

[Wynn Dee13]

I would just watch it and if it starts to get worse or doesn't get better I would cut the spikes. Then the plant will put all it's energy into root and leaf growth. Blooming requires a lot of energy. It's good that it has active root tips. Good luck!

[silken]

It sounds like you are doing everything you can so I think it will be OK. Good luck!

[LittleWatty]

The edges of this Phal's leaves are starting to yellow. One of the older leaves has been turning yellow from the base to the tip over the past few days, but I attributed that to normal aging. With the rest of the leaves turning yellow at the edges, maybe its not. It hasn't shown any growth since the last few pictures I posted, and the good roots don't have the bright green tips like my other Phal - its more of a dull green-gray, almost the shade of the white-ish film that normally cover the older parts of roots. I'm trying to hold off fertilizing this Phal until my superthrive arrives in a couple days (Monday at the earliest), but I don't know if I should keep waiting. I'm getting really worried about this guy. Its holding onto its last 4 flowers better than I would have expected (they're not even starting to wilt), but the rest of him is starting to look pretty dire.

I've been misting the leaves and the roots lightly every couple days, just to make sure its getting some water while I'm letting the sphag dry out (the bottom is still really moist, but the top is bone dry). I also cut off one of its spikes a few days ago because all the flowers fell off, even though it was looking like it was wanting to bloom again or send out a subspike. I don't have any sort of seedling heating pad to promote root growth, but I've tried putting it on top of my gaming console while I'm playing a graphic-intensive game last night. I don't know if that could be causing some ill effects?

Help?

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[Wynn Dee13]

I would mist the top more so it's moist. The plant looks really dehydrated and the roots look like they could use some water. If the bottom is still wet and the top is dry, mist the top to keep the top moist where the roots are. Also I would fertilize it very lightly with a little superthrive until the plant gets a little healthier. Then you could fertilize it a little more. Good luck!

[silken]

If the top is bone dry, mist it lightly every day. Try not to let the bottom get any wetter tho. Some heat at the bottom shouldn't hurt the plant if it's from an electronic thing like you used. The heat mats give a fair bit of heat. It might help dry the bottom of the pot a bit faster too. I wouldn't fertilize because if the roots are trying to recover, they aren't very capable of taking up nutrients and will just burn. You don't want or need new leaf growth now, just root development. SuperThrive has some nutrients but it is primarily made of hormones that promote root development not fertilizer. Hopefully that will arrive soon. And then use it according to directions-not more. You have live roots there so if you mist them once or twice a day, it will help. Make sure it's not in too much sun right now as well. that will just add to its stress and dehydration.

[LittleWatty]

It gets a couple hours of sun in the morning (from about 6 to 10, roughly) before it goes behind a building and leaves my orchids entirely in the shade, but I also live in a northern climate, so the sun isn't exactly intense during those few hours. Would that still be too much?

[silken]

If it is shining quite brightly on the leaves or they are warm, it may too much while it is trying to hold onto moisture with few roots.

[LittleWatty]

I'll keep an eye out for that in the morning. Thanks a ton

[LittleWatty]

I finally have some good news on this plant! Its roots are starting to regain their green color. For now, its a more vibrant green whenever I mist the roots and then it slowly changes back to a dull gray-green as it dries. The roots didn't change to this color green when I first purchased it, though! Perhaps a sign of good things to come!