Phalaenopsis new growth dying

[mseifertmd]

Alright.... I checked the roots and sure enough they are not in great shape. We just started using the Aussie Gold in our last replants. You all have hit it on the nail! I think the medium stayed too wet and not enough air circulation.
I think I can save this beauty but I do not know which medium to purchase. Do you think I need to transplant all of my orchids because presently, they are all in Aussie Gold? Now, the big question, do I replant in LECA, large grade bark or SuperSphag with Perlite? Can you give me the pros and cons? Thanks

[RosieC]

Ok, well I've seen worse roots (and saved the orchid) but they don't look good.

My preference is a mixture of bark, Cocunut Husk Chips (CHC) & Perlite. I vary the bark size depending on the orchid, generally phals get a mixture of both large and small grade (my CHC is medium grade).

But choice of medium is a personal thing. Ray has some good avice about choosing a medium on his website.

Choosing Potting Media

Usually if you are having problems with it being too wet then picking something like bark is better, if you are having problems keeping things wet enough then adding some Sphag can be good (CHC also holds more moisture than bark).

I would probably advise checking the roots of all your orchids which are in Aussie Gold. Some may be more suited to it than others and be doing OK in it. Checking the roots would certainly be the best thing though.

[Ashleigh's Orchids]

Yeh i totally agree with rosie, my personal preference is bark and my orchids are planted in bark, i dont like i idea of moss, it holds too much water.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

1. Yes remove the orchids you have from the Aussie Gold.

2. Sift the Aussie Gold of the coconut coir and save the diatomite for future use. Trust me, somewhere down your orchid journey you'll be tempted by an orchid where the services of the diatomite portion of Aussie Gold will help you out tremendously.

So...

I emphasize, don't throw the Aussie Gold away.

Now for the pros and cons of the different potting media you asked about...

1. SuperSphag and Perlite/Pumice

This mixture retains a lot of moisture and is perfect for plants such as Masdevallias, Pleurothallis and Disas.

It also provides enough air circulation down in the root zone.

One drawback is that the sphagnum moss portion of the mix will go bad and deteriorate over time. Sphagnum moss is slightly acidic as well. But over time, the acidity will increase. This steady increase in acidity can cause root damage if left unchecked. When using this mixture, be aware of how the moss is doing.

You can recycle the perlite or pumice. But don't reuse the sphag.

But, it may stay too wet for Phalaenopsis.

2. LECA

This is used in semi-hydroponics. I highly recommend you look at Ray's website (Ray is a member of the OB and he has his own company selling orchids and orchid supplies). He has an entire detailed article discussing the various semi-hydroponics media available to hobbyists.

The link is: Welcome to First Rays LLC

3. Large Grade Bark

This is the standard potting media for growing Phalaenopsis in pot culture.

It provides enough air circulation to the roots because it doesn't compact and the pieces don't really interlock. This is a more readily available media. Many people here will recommend you get quality bark.

Some barks are composted. I don't think that bark prepared in such a way is good for your plants. Composted bark is already half-way broken down. It defeats the purpose of what you're trying to achieve because Phals like it pretty wet themselves.

Bark is broken down when they appear to be a dark coffee brown color and it'll give just a little under the pressure of your fingers when you smoosh them. Another way to tell is when you water, little particles resembling potting soil debris come draining out of the pot.

Bark is slightly acidic. This should be taken into consideration when the bark starts to deteriorate. If it begins to deteriorate, the acidity of the media can damage the roots if it becomes too acidic over time.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Another recommendation is to look up pictures of Phalaenopsis growing in the wild on Google Images.

There aren't very many, but they're there.

Really pay attention to how they're growing and where they're growing. Pick the pictures apart. If you have any questions please ask.

One website hosted by Michael Lo has multiple pictures of Phals in nature. One in particular is when he explored the swamp forests of Sarawak, Malaysia.

Here's a link to his home page:

HEAVEN ON EARTH-BORNEO

You'll start to see where these orchids grow and what you can do to replicate the key elements of those environments. While you don't need to turn your house into an Asian tropical jungle, it does help to know what a real Asian tropical jungle is like.

[mseifertmd]

Wow, thanks again to all. King, the link you provided is excellent. In all the years we've had orchids, it is only now that I feel like I'm getting educated about them...

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Awww....

Schucks...

Stick around, you'll learn more. Many people here are knowledgeable. They're all willing to help.

[Sandy4453]

My first thought when I saw your photo, was that something was eating your Phal. As soon as I read you were using Aussie Gold, that explained the problems you're experiencing with it's decline. Your Phal was being smothered by all that wetness. Phals love getting wet but equally important, they need ample air circulating around those roots.

Everyone here has pretty much given the same advice I would. I think the safest way to take care of Phals, until you discover what works best for you, a standard bark mix works well. I don't use the bagged stuff from the stores as I found more often than not, bugs in the bags but they can be eradicated by boiling the mix first. In fact, you want to either soak the mix for 24 hours before using or, boil it (which is what I do. Bring mix to a boil, simmer for about 15 minutes, drain and cool for about 1/2 hour before using). The ingredients in most store bought mixes are fir bark, charcoal, sponge rock (aka perlite). I always add and recommend highly, CHC to the mix, it keeps the Phals very happy.

The roots look good and with TLC, it doesn't look too late to save your Phal. Good luck!

[PitcherASAMD]

Originally Posted by Sandy4453

My first thought when I saw your photo, was that something was eating your Phal. As soon as I read you were using Aussie Gold, that explained the problems you're experiencing with it's decline. Your Phal was being smothered by all that wetness. Phals love getting wet but equally important, they need ample air circulating around those roots.

Everyone here has pretty much given the same advice I would. I think the safest way to take care of Phals, until you discover what works best for you, a standard bark mix works well. I don't use the bagged stuff from the stores as I found more often than not, bugs in the bags but they can be eradicated by boiling the mix first. In fact, you want to either soak the mix for 24 hours before using or, boil it (which is what I do. Bring mix to a boil, simmer for about 15 minutes, drain and cool for about 1/2 hour before using). The ingredients in most store bought mixes are fir bark, charcoal, sponge rock (aka perlite). I always add and recommend highly, CHC to the mix, it keeps the Phals very happy.

The roots look good and with TLC, it doesn't look too late to save your Phal. Good luck!

WHat is CHC? Never heard of it?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

CHC = Coconut Husk Chips