MY NOID purple phalaenopsis recovering successfully!

[NYCorchidman]

This one was given as a birthday gift from my partner's mother in the spring last year. It was stunning when in bloom last summer. (see pics below)

I meant to take it out of the white decorative container which had no drainage holes, but I got lazy and never did, watering only little bit every so often to avoid root rot and drying out.

The plant grew two large leaves after flowers were gone. Strangely though, it did not grow a spike while all my other phals did. I thought about dumping it, large purple phals being so common, I thought I could get it again any time if I wanted.
Well, after visiting many stores, I noticed these large purple phals are not exactly the same in color tone and quality. so I decided to keep the plant.

Just two months ago, I finally repotted it. It was quite tightly packed in sphag, which was just moist enough but most roots were in poor condition. I guess roots didn't get enough air.
Basically all the roots that were buried in the moss were gone and about four or five aerial roots were what it was left with. I rimmed off all the bad looking ones and planted in a new sphagnum moss in clear plastic pot so I can monitor the root development.
I placed it by a very bright window, almost direct sun filtered by sheer curtain for a couple of weeks after repotting (no idea what I was thinking) when the weather was intesely hot.

All the leaves had become very soft and tender. a few bottom leaves yellowed and fell off. too many leaves for little roots and high evaporation rate under hot dry condition lead to this I'm sure!
then I moved the plant to a shade and started to mist every morning and night. and it worked!!!

The bottom two leaves are still limpy and I don't think they will turn firm again, but the rest of the leaves are firm again and it is now growing one new leaf and quite a few new roots. Funny thing is there are new roots growing off last year's roots, looking like small little bumps. I thought it was funny so I'm posting a close up picture of that.

I hope this plant will eventually flower again.

By the way, are large purple phals harder to flower compared to other varieties???

[camille1585]

Nice same it would have been a shame to lose it! The root nubbins on the root are neat. I've seen them before on my Phals but never so many like that.

[NYCorchidman]

I love the color. dark purple with white edge. They look ed amazing!

aren't the nubbins so cute? like little peas sitting on the phal root. haha

They are getting larger and longer day by day, so no more little peas.

You can only see three right next to each other in the picture posted here, but there are total of 7 along that same root. crazy, isn't it?

I think it's trying hard to grow and take in as much water as possible.

[nenella]

Nice! Congratulations on your growing. Looks like you have understood your growing conditions and you are now seeing the reward. Well Done!

[lostonthebeach]

Beautiful plant. Well worth saving. Nice job.

[WhiteRabbit]

Great save! That's a beautiful color

[NYCorchidman]

Thank you, everyone!

I hope to see its spike this coming fall.

[Tim P.]

I always love hearing the rescue stories! Thank you for sharing!

[NYCorchidman]

welcome.
By the way, I noticed that the second new leaf is on the way. The first new leaf for this year is going to be rather small then.
It grew two very large leaves last year.

I will see how large this second one will get.
I'm all about seeing large leaves, it's like a promise of nice flowering the following season.

[camille1585]

Not necessarily, Phals can grow two leaves at a time, and both can be normal size in the end. But I'm speaking about established healthy Phals, not a recovering one.