Saving a store bought Phal

[LittleWatty]

I purchased a mini Phalaenopsis just the other day from my local Kmart/Big K. It was the only mini there, but it also looked quite sad compared to the healthy looking regular Phals next to it. So, having wanted another orchid for a while, I bought it for about $10 and took it home with hopes of saving this beautiful plant.

I have suspicions that this plant was over watered, just by seeing similar symptoms in other orchids that were over watered. After pulling it out of its pot, ripping apart the rock hard ball of Sphagnum moss, and trimming off all the dead roots (90% of the root mass), this poor thing is in rather bad condition. There are maybe 3 or 4 good healthy roots, but all of them are rather new, and not very long. I'm fairly certain that, even though this orchid is in bloom, its at the very end of its flowering cycle. However... I believe its currently trying to send of subspikes to try and rebloom again before the last few flowers have even fallen.

My questions to all of you are:
How can I best promote root growth on a tight budget?
If fertilizer is my best option, what kind? (brand names?) How often? What strength?

What kind of watering schedule should I put it on until it has recovered? (my current schedule for my other mini Phal is once a week - he gets pretty dry, if not completely, and loves it).

Should I trim the spikes before the blooms fall?
If not, should I let it subspike and bloom again, but trim any spikes that aren't blooming?
Or, should I just trim all the spikes once the flowers fall?

Does anyone have any advice for helping a store bought Phal in poor condition recover and become healthy again?


The first picture is of the entire plant. Stands about 8" tall, from bottom leaf to the top of the highest spike. Second picture is the condition of the leaves. Third is what looks like a subspike (might help in confirming if it is or not). I would post a picture of the roots, but I think I put the plant through enough stress when I repotted it initially. If anyone needs any more information, just ask.

[Bud]

WELCOME AND HELLO !

Just trust your instincts...repotting the plant and removing the moss ball was a beginning...
discover a watering/fertilizer regimen for your plant...it varies according to your grow zone, humidity of the room and temperature. Look at the surface of your media if it is dry then its time to water. A good home fertilizer is used tea bag, tear it open and sprinkle it around the media once a month. You may also want to learn the skewer method in watering...
I see the leaves are wrinkly and dehydrated...the roots were not functioning well.
do not bother with the spike and its blooms they are ok getting nourishment from the leaves...there is a new bud or a keiki on picture #3; its too early to tell...
whatever good roots you have is enough to help the plant survive...
research on Phalaenopsis culture and care and you will be set.

[silken]

If it continues to go downhill I would cut the spikes so it can conserve energy. It sure has a lot! Putting it on a seedling heat mat, or some other warm surface would help stimulate root growth. I wouldn't fertilize very much until it has developed better roots. I like to use SuperThrive or K-L-N to help the roots but if you don't already have these and are on a tight budget, I wouldn't buy them at this point. Don't overwater it and I lightly mist leaves on ailing Phals to keep them moist. But make sure none settles in the crown. It should likely not get too much sun until it grows a few more roots. Good luck with the cute little plant.

[LittleWatty]

Looks like it's either trying to put out more buds or another subspike(s) on another of its already existing spikes. Will get up pictures when I get the chance. Its not on the same spike as the other that's forming. In fact, it looks like something's going on with all three of the spikes.

I've heard that Phal's will put out spikes as a last ditch effort to have offspring if they're headed for their last days, so seeing a sub spike and possibly more blooms makes me a bit nervous. The roots few roots it has left are firm and healthy, but still.

(got the pictures! Each pictures is on a different spike, and also different from the previous picture of a possible subspike.)

[silken]

Hard to say if it is just a vigorous bloomer or what. I think if it was a last ditch effort, it would be less vigorous. How long are the healthy roots?

[LittleWatty]

Maybe an inch or two long. Enough to anchor it in the moss, but hardly anything at all otherwise. A few are probably close to two inches, some only one or shorter. The ends of all but one were green, so it was still trying to grow them when I bought it. Only one looked a bit odd in that it was white, but even my healthy Phal has white roots (not just the white coating, but completely white).

[silken]

I think if you are careful not to over-water it will be fine. You might cut a spike or two so it isn't so busy blooming. I find a kebab skewer placed in the pot and checked is a good way to tell if it is dry enough to water or not.

[LittleWatty]

I'm usually pretty good at watering. Its in a clear plastic pot within the one that you can see in the picture, and the drainage holes on the bottom are large enough to stick my fingers into the moss to see how damp it is. I'm just worried about it drying out, so I've been lightly spritzing it on the surface with a spray bottle. I'm waiting on some superthrive, so... maybe I'll refrain from watering it until then.

One of the spikes actually stopped whatever it was doing. I dunno what happened, but I can't find the oddity that I took a picture of this morning. Might have fallen off. So, I'll probably cut that one off since its last bloom is just about ready to fall

[LittleWatty]

Well, I've officially cut off one of the spikes. Its last bloom fell today, and it had the least change (not to mention I somehow lost the little oddity I found this morning), so I trimmed it low. Is it bad if I feel guilty?

[xFl]

I wouldn't stress, I think you'll do fine I just wanted to say if you want to promote root growth, you could try a seaweed fertilizer, there are some decently priced brands out there within the $10-15 dollar range.