please help my sick phalaenopsis orchid

[mforchid]

Hi everyone, hoping for some help!

I got my first orchid for my birthday a few months ago and was doing great, just finished flowering, then my cat knocked it off the table.

Bit of a disaster! Snapped a couple of leaves and bruised several others, do you think I can save it? The leaves now have big white patches on where they got landed on, surrounded by a thin black circle, and are paper thin in the patches - you can see through them!

Also the leaves have gone really floppy, think this is due to the bruising, but it got really shook up. It's planted in bark I think, and a lot fell out. I've tried to put it back in best I can but can it be too loosely packed?

Really appreciate any help!

[Izzie]

Looks like physical damage, where a fungal infection might be trying to set in. See if you can get a hold of a Neem Oil spray, or some Brown Listerine. Spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves every other day or so.


It would be a good idea to unpot it and see how the roots are doing. It's good practice to repot every new orchid as soon as you get it (unless you've gotten it from a very reputable vendor, who has told you that the plant has been recently repotted)

[mforchid]

Hi, thanks for your help! Off to the garden centre then, wish me luck!

[Izzie]

fyi- you can get the brown (original) listerine mouthwash at the grocery store. And if there's a store brand of it, it works exactly the same.

[mforchid]

thanks for this, will get some! One more question though... i've repotted it but all I could get from garden centre was called orchid compost...and it's actually soil. Should I get some bark off the internet and re-pot again?

Thanks!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Potting soil is not the correct potting media for a plant that grows on trees and is not a terrestrial.

Bark is the better choice.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You may do a Google search or a search on Flickr for pictures of Phals growing in the wild.

"Phalaenopsis in-situ" should get you some results on Flickr.

There are also some other orchid forums that have members post pictures of orchids in the wild as well.

[mforchid]

thanks for this, thought that would be the case- shame I didn't notice until I opened the bag! Bit cross with the garden centre, why sell something called orchid compost and no other options if it's no good? Ohwell, leastI'm learning!

Miranda

[Jennyfleur]

Hey Miranda, snce you're in the UK give Burnham Nurseries a go:
Burnham Nurseries - Online Orchid Shop

They're very efficient and friendly and, if you call, you could speak to someone who can advise you on what's best for your Phal x

[mforchid]

ooh thanks always appreciate some good advice!