Is my orchid dead?

[Lilyorchid]

A couple of weeks ago, I repotted my phaleonopsis orchid since it grew a white fungus in the medium. Other than washing the roots, cutting dead ones and planting it in new medium I didn't do anything else. Because of the quarantine I had to go around the backyard and had to make my own medium. I chose pine bark, leaves, and palm tree bark. The palm tree bark quickly began growing fungus. So I replaced the medium with eucalyptus tree bark, which grew a strange black fungus. Now I washed the roots with hydrogen peroxide, and the new medium consisting of pine tree bark, cork, and white stones, and have repotted but I am worried. Is my orchid dead? It lost many roots.

[WaterWitchin]

It originally looked like the third picture, and after repotting looked like the first two pictures? Where did all the nice looking roots go?

[Lilyorchid]

After having to repot twice due to fungus in parts of my medium, many roots died

[DirtyCoconuts]

Hydrogen peroxide will kill roots. I suspect you did that in cleaning it

Do you have any sphagnum?

[SouthPark]

lily --- D.C. mentioned something significant ---- about hydrogen peroxide. It can definitely kill roots. Or can set them back quite a lot.

Also make sure the eucalyptus bark is safe for your orchid. Maybe some eucalyptus bark can be toxic to the roots and plant.

You may really need to help the orchid with the "Sphag-n-Bag" trick.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I have had to use shredded cypress and pine bark chunks before and they both serve a purpose but they are not long term potting solutions.

i have no experience with the eucalyptus and SP may be correct

[aliceinwl]

Eucalyptus is pretty allelopathic: it produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. Once roots get into trouble, hydrogen peroxide treatments seem to kill them completely.

I think your Phal still has a shot. Are petstores still open by you? You may be able to get the fir bark used for reptile bedding or sphagnum moss sold for amphibians to use. If that isn’t an option, look for small grade rocks, preferably with a rough texture, and use those. If you end up using reptile bark or found rocks, rinse them first to remove the fine particles. Good luck!

[Lilyorchid]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Hydrogen peroxide will kill roots. I suspect you did that in cleaning it

Do you have any sphagnum?

So unfortunately I don't have any sphagnum moss but I will try searching for it in the pet store on Friday. I eliminated all the eucalyptus bark and replaced it with my pine bark, white stones and cork. I had seen a tutorial regarding the hydrogen peroxide as a fungicide and I thought this would help protect my roots from possible infection during all the repotting process. Definitely will also be looking for that fir barks. Are found rocks just like gravel? Also thank you all for the speedy response, I am rather concerned about the state of my orchid.

[aliceinwl]

With “found rocks”, I meant small rocks or pebbles that you might come across/find outside. Sometimes rocks such as lava rock are used in landscaping and it may be possible to gather enough to use those as media.

Another item to look for at the pet store would be hydroballs or a similar product. These are pretty much the same clay balls people use for semihydrponic growing but packaged for creating a drainage layer in planted reptile/amphibian tanks.

[Lilyorchid]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

With “found rocks”, I meant small rocks or pebbles that you might come across/find outside. Sometimes rocks such as lava rock are used in landscaping and it may be possible to gather enough to use those as media.

Another item to look for at the pet store would be hydroballs or a similar product. These are pretty much the same clay balls people use for semihydrponic growing but packaged for creating a drainage layer in planted reptile/amphibian tanks.

Great! I have been searching for rocks and can't wait to try it tommorow. Should I boil them or something? Also, in the state my orchid is, how many times should I water it? Thanks so much for these tips! I really want to save it.