Phalaenopsis problems, I needhelp - Orchid Board

lindasbabies · #1 07-15-2020, 04:53 PM

I posted this in the newbie section but guess I should have posted it here. I’m new to orchids and brand new to this forum. I have 2 Phalaenopsis orchids, one a year old and the other I’ve had for a couple months. I just learned that they came in the wrong potting media and that I should repot them. A month ago I potted them in bark and a tiny bit of sphagnum moss from Lowe’s. Then I learned that a different mix was better so I repotted again in this new media that I got from repotme. The phal I’ve had for a year was potted originally in sphagnum moss only and had root rot. The new phal was potted in a dirt like spongy stuff but was healthy. They both now have root rot and have lost most of their roots, their stalks have dark spots on them and the older phal has yellow spots under its leaves and the leaves are somewhat curling and the new phal has tiny black spots under its leaves. The aerial roots on both plants have cracks in them. What am I doing wrong? As far as watering, I only water when the media feels dry. Please help

fishmom · #2 07-15-2020, 06:20 PM

Welcome, lindasbabies. It would help a lot if you could post pictures. It's hard to diagnose a "spot" without seeing it. However, curling leaves may be a sign that the plant is not getting enough water, especially if it has rotted most of it's roots. Do they have a leathery look? That would be typical for dehydrated phals. The repotme mix is fine, but it won't hold much moisture at the beginning, so you will need to keep on top of watering. Put the plant in a warm, low-light spot with as much humidity as you can manage and give it a chance to recover.

lindasbabies · #3 07-15-2020, 06:45 PM

I’m not real good at tech stuff so not sure how to post pics but would love to so you can see my problems. Thank you so much for answering!

---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 PM ----------

I can’t figure out how to share the pictures. If you can help me with that I can show you the pictures I’ve taken

---------- Post added at 05:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:38 PM ----------

Ok, pictures attached!

fishmom · #4 07-15-2020, 08:08 PM

Your pictures are not showing. One way to do it is to make a post, not a "quick Reply" then underneath the posting window click the Manage Attachments button. You will see a window that says "Browse". Navigate to your photos and select one at a time, then click "Upload". This works on a computer, not sure about a phone.

lindasbabies · #5 07-15-2020, 09:04 PM

I did exactly that and I can see them. I’m not sure why they’re not showing up for you. I actually attached them to the original post above.

SouthPark · #6 07-15-2020, 11:37 PM

The media in the image here looks quite ok for the potting.

Just for now, I would just remove all the sphagnum. I know that sphagnum is workable, but I prefer to not have it mixed with bark and leca balls.

And although I've never used leca before, I think I would put some leca in a material bag, and then use a big mallet to bash up the leca a bit - just to break them up - hopefully they don't get sharp edges. Then I'd try the leca 'pieces' as my potting media.

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You could leave the small amount of sphagnum in your mix if you like ----- which might be ok. Put more water toward the sides of the pot.

And try to not have the orchid pot sitting in any drained water.

DrDawn · #7 07-16-2020, 12:03 AM

Ok, I think you're not in such as bad a state as you fear! I see several roots, nice and green. I'm not sure what the first picture of the leaf underside means, but the later one (with the more brownish-reddish spots) looks like several of my plants. Leaf colors can vary quite a lot on different types of phals, and often my plants that bloom quite dark red flowers have these extra dark speckling or pigment, often on the underside of the leaves.

As for the potting media, well, you've changed things up quite a bit! That's a lot of change for these plants, so it will probably take 1-2 months to see any changes, so maybe for now just wait and see if new roots grow into the media? I grow my Phals in either sphagnum moss or small orchiata bark (the smaller ones get the moss so I don't have to water quite as frequently). It is important that they are never standing in water, but that you water as soon as the media dries out. You also want to really douse them with water, flow a lot through the pot, so make sure that you get fresh air down through the roots.

Hope this is helpful! Feel free to keep asking questions!

lindasbabies · #8 07-16-2020, 03:22 AM

Thank you so much Southpark andDr Dawn! You both have been very helpful. So now I will leave them alone except to water them and I will water near the edges of their pots. I hope they get better soon!

estación seca · #9 07-16-2020, 04:06 AM

The spots under the leaf you are holding up might be spider mite damage. Take a tissue and press as you run it along the underside of the leaf from stem to tip. If there are red or brown streaks there are spider mites. If so spray the whole plant, all surfaces, with liquid dish soap 1 teaspoon per quart of water. Repeat every 4-5 days for 3-4 sprayings because the soap doesn't reliably kill the eggs.

Phals can grow in many media. The key is plenty of air at the roots and warm temperatures. The roots can stay moist if they are exposed to air. What are your temperatures where it's growing?

lindasbabies · #10 07-16-2020, 04:47 AM

Temps here are anywhere from 70 F to 85 F and very humid but I have breathing issues so some days I have to use my air conditioner which makes it about 72-75 in here and less humid. My orchids are never close to the air conditioner. Thanks for the advice about checking for spider mites. I will do that.