Phal looks dehydrated, does not thrive

[Paschendale]

This is one of my phals that has failed to thrive ever since I repotted it a few weeks back. I moved it from the pot and moved it to vase culture about a month back and today I put it on a mount, thinking it might need a bit more air. The roots have been meager since I got it...ignore the white speckles on the leaves. I didn't notice those until I took the pic - it was sawdust. The main problem is that the leaves look dehydrated rather than firm and turgid as they should be. It flowered a few months back, in case that matters. Could it just be dormant or is it sickly, and if so, what may be wrong? The base of it does not feel mushy that I can tell. It was in a tiny little pot with moss when it was given to me and I didn't feel that was healthy, hence the repotting. Originally I had moved it to a small basket and potted in orchid bark.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Your Phal has few roots but can make it if you stick to conventional culture methods. Please see AOS Culture Sheets for culture information from American Orchid Society.

It sounds like you have moved the plant from pot to vase culture to a mount in quick succession. The frequent changes are potentially very stressful for a plant.

I will suggest one more move, then care for it, but leave it be, no more moves. Re-pot into a pot with good drainage holes, the smallest pot that will fit the roots. Pot with a bark-based potting medium. Water the medium (bark) only, not the leaves, until water floods through the pot, twice a week and no more (do at the sink; easier to do). Don't bother with fertilizers, supplements, etc. until you start seeing some root an leaf growth. Do this and your plant will recover.

[NYCorchidman]

severely dehydrated.
I would trim off some leaves to balance the water loss. The poor thing has few roots left.

You might want to try the enclosed container method, but it will be a long way to go.

I would start with a new healthy plant unless this plant is highly valuable.

[AnonYMouse]

Stop fiddling with it! You haven't given it a chance to settle into your environment.

[Orchid Whisperer]

NYC, the leaves may be the only water reservoir it has right now. I advise against cutting any of them.

Pot it normally, grow it normally, it will recover.

[james mickelso]

I would agree normally OG but it has had too many moves already. Leave it be. Water the roots daily. Hang it somewhere where the leaves hang down a tad so water won't get into the crown. Water the mount and plant daily. The leaves most likely won't plump back up but I agree they are all this plant has in terms of water storage. Put it somewhere warm and medium light level. let it grow some more roots. The only supplement I would give it is some of Ray's kelp stuff. More roots the better at this point. This plant is far from doomed. It will recover if you let it be.

[NYCorchidman]

While leaves contain water, they also transpire and things will only get worse with little roots to uptake water in. It is out of balance and will only get worse.

[james mickelso]

The leaf closes the stoma when the moisture in the air becomes less than the moisture in the leaf. The plant is designed to keep as much moisture as possible as a hedge against drought conditions.

[NYCorchidman]

Not really. The moisture in the air is always much less than that in the leaf. Plant is about 90 % water.

While some plants do what they can to control water loss, it is only for temporary.

In this case, as clearly seen on wrinkly leaves, the evidence is that the plant is losing water too much and it will continue to do so.

[james mickelso]

But cutting off the little reserve of water it has would make matters worse. The plant will close it's stoma and conserve what water it can short of it's metabolic needs. Yes the leaves will wrinkle but I have kept many rootless orchids alive by misting or spraying the undersides of the leaves until new roots could grow. I feel that leaving it mounted for now, since it has no roots to absorb water, and drenching it mount and all daily will bring this back.

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials