Is this root rot or a bacterial infection or bugs or all three?

[SouthPark]

elaerna --- for now, I recommend to skip the sphagnum. You can maybe try or experiment with sphagnum in the future. Just use bark for now. Or, if you do use spaghnum, pack it in regions (if it's easy or possible to do) around the sides of the pot, away from roots.

Houston is definitely humid enough for orchids that's for sure. I know that the buses there during the most humid times of the year gets so much condensation in Houston, that you can't even see out the windows hahahaha.

[Roberta]

Phals love humidity. Think for a moment of what they experience in nature. (OK, these are hybrids, but their ancestors did evolve in nature) They grow in places like the Philippines (near the equator, nearly equal days and nights all year) They grow on the trunks and branches of trees, shading by the forest canopy - with their roots exposed. They get rain nearly every day for awhile, then the sun comes out and they dry out. So... Most of us don't live in the tropics (those that do just put them outside)... For most of us, we try to come as close as we can to what they're looking for... humid air (not soggy wet) around the roots, a chance to dry out somewhat but not bone dry between waterings. Temperatures pretty much what we like - not below about 65 deg F at night (can go a little lower but not much), during the day 75-85 deg F is ideal but can go higher - again, adjust watering to the conditions of the moment. I generally find bark is easier than sphagnum to get the watering right because of all the air space. With a very open medium like that, more frequent watering is likely needed because it will dry out faster.

[DrDawn]

Ah, this is looking good! As others have said, sphagnum amount is a matter of preference. You're in a pretty humid place, and if you tend to water a bit on the frequent side, you can leave it out. Holes in the bottom are ok, a few more would be better. If you want to get really into it, there are pretty pots on Etsy.com and places like that, but I tend to go for functional from a place like Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies. I use these pots, but then put them in a more decorative clay pot for decoration. But this is just a matter of personal preference, use what works for you!

As for lights, you're probably fine! Don't worry about buying any extra lights. As long as the orchid is near the bright window, that's probably enough. (For example, mine are in an East-facing window that gets about 2 hrs of direct sunlight very early in the morning and then just indirect bright light the rest of the day, they rebloom yearly, and I'm much further north than you.)

Glad that you're excited to learn so much! Orchids can be a bit overwhelming at first (and they grow really slowly, so it can be hard to tell when things are working!) but its very rewarding to watch them bloom every year.

[Dollythehun]

You can also try tenting it with a clear produce bag to bring up the humidity. None of my numerous phals goes more than a few days w/o water. I can't even imagine 2-3 weeks.

[elaerna]

Originally Posted by DrDawn

The American Orchid Society has a lot of great resources, including culture sheets for various orchids. As we explained, watering rates can vary but the orchid should be watered only when needed. The AOS notes that watering for Phalaenopsis can be anywhere between every-other-day and once every 10 days, depending on conditions and environment.

What environment are you growing in? That can give us some clues into how quickly it might dry out.

I'm still not quite sure how often I should water it. If it's depending on my media now that I am leaving it in bark, how often should I do this? How do I check if watering is needed?

Can I tell by looking?

---------- Post added at 09:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

You can also try tenting it with a clear produce bag to bring up the humidity. None of my numerous phals goes more than a few days w/o water. I can't even imagine 2-3 weeks.

Do you think that humidity is needed in Houston? I guess we are inside but we're supposed to be a pretty humid city.

How would I know if the humidity is too low?

---------- Post added at 09:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 AM ----------

Originally Posted by DrDawn

Ah, this is looking good! As others have said, sphagnum amount is a matter of preference. You're in a pretty humid place, and if you tend to water a bit on the frequent side, you can leave it out. Holes in the bottom are ok, a few more would be better. If you want to get really into it, there are pretty pots on Etsy.com and places like that, but I tend to go for functional from a place like Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies. I use these pots, but then put them in a more decorative clay pot for decoration. But this is just a matter of personal preference, use what works for you!

What would be watering on the frequent side?

How do I know if the pot I chose is right for the orchid I have? Does it matter how big the pot is in comparison to the orchid roots as long as all the roots fit inside the pot? As in should there be a certain amount of space between the rots and the pot?

[Dollythehun]

Water it thoroughly, pick it up, heft it to see how heavy it is. When it's light water it thoroughly again.

You can buy a thermometer and humidistat combo at Lowe's for $10.00.

Do I remember you have one root left? A 4" pot is probably sufficient. I wouldn't, at this point select clay.

[elaerna]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Water it thoroughly, pick it up, heft it to see how heavy it is. When it's light water it thoroughly again.

You can buy a thermometer and humidistat combo at Lowe's for $10.00.

Do I remember you have one root left? A 4" pot is probably sufficient. I wouldn't, at this point select clay.

Is the humidistat to tell how humid the environment is or to tell how much moisture there is in the medium?

[estación seca]

You're probably overwhelmed with information. I would suggest you would be happier long-term if you throw away that plant, read the first few pages of the following thread, then buy a healthy plant at the market.

Pull the inner pot out of the outer pot and look at the roots. If they are moist, thick and white / green, it's OK. Otherwise don't buy it.

The Phal abuse ends here.

[elaerna]

Originally Posted by estación seca

You're probably overwhelmed with information. I would suggest you would be happier long-term if you throw away that plant, read the first few pages of the following thread, then buy a healthy plant at the market.

Pull the inner pot out of the outer pot and look at the roots. If they are moist, thick and white / green, it's OK. Otherwise don't buy it.

The Phal abuse ends here.

this is from a friend who passed away. I am not throwing it away.

[DrDawn]

Dear Elaerna,

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. I think we can help you rescue this plant, don't worry, we will keep giving you lots of information!

Here's some thoughts about some of your questions above:

When to know about watering: You can tell when the media is dry (stick your finger is, is it damp?). There are other ways to test (some people stick in a bamboo BBQ skewer, others tell by the weight of the pot.) I think if you are new, touching it is a good way to tell.

The thermometer/hygrometer is to tell about your growing conditions in general, not specific to this plant. I own this one but there are plenty of others that do similar things.

If you pot your phal in bark, then probably it will need to be watered somewhere between every 2-4 days (depending on your exact conditions). You can check it every day and see when it feels dry - that's the time to water. Put the water onto the bark around the orchid, not onto the orchid (water in the crown can also lead to rot). Also, you definitely have more that one live root from your picture, so it is recoverable.

A 4-5" pot sounds fine based on the size of your orchid and the pot it was in before. Orchids are actually less picky than some other plants about needing "room to grow", so as long as it fits, that's fine!

Sending support, we will help you get this orchid back to blooming, even if it takes a little while.