Possible Stem Rot- Mini Phalaenopsis

[Firebee]

I got this orchid about 2-3 months ago as my first orchid, it's a mini phalaenopsis. It came from Walmart so I repotted it as soon as I could, cut off the rotten roots and potted it in a bigger pot that has drainage and airflow holes, with fir bark chunks and sphagnum moss.

I think I saw some black on the stem when I did this but I can't remember, and don't know what a healthy stem should look like so I assumed the coloration was normal. It was doing pretty good I think, it grew several new roots and the leaves have been firm and healthy looking.

A few days ago though I noticed some black spots on the lower roots I used to determine if it needed water so I pulled the medium back and noticed rotten roots and a ton of black. I pulled it out, washed and sterilized it with peroxide, trimmed the rotten roots again, and applied cinnamon to the worst of the black. I've since washed the cinnamon off, let it dry completely again, and repotted it, trying to keep the stem above the medium but theres not a lot of roots out the bottom so its not very stable and Im unsure of how good of a job I did.

I'm using MissOrchidGirl as my main source of info, but I have no experience so I don't know what the chances of this orchid pulling through are, or even if Im doing things correctly.

[estación seca]

I don't see anything abnormal. I suggest you pot it in something with large air spaces, keep it nice and warm and water when almost dry. Phal. roots exposed to low home relative humidity often look terrible. The roots on your plant deeper in the pot, where humidity is higher, look OK.

There is a good thread here on growing Phals. From the left yellow menu choose Forums then Beginners. Near the top look at the sticky thread The Phal. abuse stops here. Read through until you notice it becoming repetitive.

[Dimples]

Another thing to consider, when you repotted it you said you removed some roots yet gave it a larger pot.

When you’re selecting a pot for your Phal, choose a pot that the roots *almost* don’t fit into. You don’t want to have to really cram the roots into the pot, but a snug fit around the roots is ideal. Over-potting with a moisture retentive medium (that excludes/prevents gas exchange for too long) is an easy way to rot the roots or kill a Phal.

If the pot is so small that the plant tips over, put a rock in the bottom of the pot to add weight.