HELP!!!! Phal leaves and spike seem to be filled with water. HELP!!!!

[RandomGemini]

Originally Posted by tarev

Now that makes sense, I think your sphagnum moss is very wet. So your plant is overwatered. Dunking root zone works good if media is bark mix, it drains fast..with sphagnum, it will absorb more, stay wet more, and you said some water also got into the crown..all the more too wet.

You may want to consider changing your media to bark mix. It will also help your plant dry out from being too overwatered.

And run your ceiling fan right after watering, to help with air circulation too.

What it's planted in isn't really relevant to how much water its getting. I've seen people overwater phals in bark too. Bark doesn't help if the plant is being loved to death. It doesn't sound to me like the plant was actively being overwatered here though. I suspect that getting water into the crown and not removing it right away is what caused the issue.

Phals can't tolerate water standing on the surface of their leaves. I think it must break down the leaf tissue quickly because they are very susceptible to erwinia, which this definitely is, and this bacterial disease can kill a plant in two or three days if the infected portions are not removed as soon as they are found.

It's okay to lose one. We all kill orchids. This is how we learn how not to kill them. I think this one is probably a lost cause, so take your girlfriend and why don't each of you pick out a new orchid, one for each of you to care for. I love that you two are sharing a hobby, it's great for relationships and it's great for your plants too.

[Leafmite]

Very sorry to hear about your orchid. I did manage to save a Cattleya orchid with 'brown rot' by cutting off the infected part and then dousing everything but the roots in Isopropyl alcohol twice a day for a few days. However, if this is a phal from a big box store, it might be easiest to just go and find another that looks the same and start over. If you get water on the leaves in the future, either run a fan on the orchid or drip a little isopropyl alcohol into the center to dry up the water.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

...or drip a little isopropyl alcohol into the center to dry up the water.

Thanks for this tip Leafmite. I understand how this would help speed drying but it might also help flush out any varmints that grow into that hard to reach area at the center of the plant between leaf and stem.

[willie_woo]

Thanks for the advice all. There are still 3 healthy looking leaves left. I'm going to try and save it. I will post a pic later today of the plant as it sits.

I'm going to douse it with isopropyl alcohol and repot it in a terra-cotta pot with fresh medium... I will isolate it from the rest of my collection. ..
Again, thank you all for the advice, I will keep you posted on the progress.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[lepetitmartien]

I may add that cinnamon powder other the parts that should dry up will do good (but not on the roots, never).

An alternate treatment would be hydrogen peroxyde 3%, pour in after cleaning the rot, until there's no bubbles, if there's some. What is left is water and a sterilized zone. Now it leaves water which is not necessarily the best thing here, even if it's clean.

[willie_woo]

So here is a picture of the plant as it sits... looks like we are going to lose another leaf... hope I can save whats left...[COLOR="Silver"]

[lepetitmartien]

I think hope now is in a basal keiki. The top is seriously compromised.

Nevermind if it dies on you, it happens, and you'll have learned a few things along the way. (Even experienced grower do kill plants, don't sweat it)

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by willie_woo

So here is a picture of the plant as it sits... looks like we are going to lose another leaf... hope I can save whats left...

The yellowing leaf bases gives me some concern. I hope I am wrong, but this may indicate that bacteria has also moved into the leaves that are yellowing.

Just in case, keep this plant isolated away from all other plants. Keep it very dry for a while (meaning, don't water at all for a couple weeks), see what happens with those yellowing leaves. If the leaves deteriorate and fall off, then discard the plant - bacteria has likely entered any tissue that could possibly generate more growth.

If the leaves hang on, and stay green, water the roots only, maybe every week to two weeks. DO NOT mist or spray the leaves (all of my Phals hate this anyway - they usually respond to having wet leaves by rotting and dying). As Lepetitmartien suggested, the hope is that the plant will sprout from the base (this is called a basal keiki). This could take many months.

I know one grower on another forum that tried to get a crown rotted plant to make a basal keiki for about a year, with no success. She eventually set it to one side so she would not have to look at it every day, neglecting it, to die a quiet death on its own. The leaves withered, but after a month with no water, she checked the plant to see if she should finally throw it out - and it had a basal keiki growing. So, if you are willing, where there is still green, there is still hope.

[lepetitmartien]

The issue is in the crown/collar, so ALL leaves are to die. The only hope is part of the collar survives and a sleeping bud start a basal keiki.

Yellow at the leaf base means the issue is here, not the other way around. And on a phal, it's sad news.

[MattWoelfsen]

Your picture shows an unfortunate demise of your plant. This looks exactly like many of the Phalaenopsis I have killed over the years. Actually it has been a while since I've killed a Phalaenopsis due to crown rot. While lepetitmartien holds out hope that a keiki might be produced by the plant, it would take several seasons before that keiki is large enough to produce blooms. If your plant holds sentimental value, then I would carry on--as suggested by Orchidwhisperer. Or you can find a similar plant. Phalaenopsis are easy to find.

In one of your post you indicated that you soaked your plant for ten minutes and then allowed it to dry for a week or so. That is how i sort of water sphagnum moss planted orchids. I water my plants under the sink in luke warm water. Once the moss is completely saturated, I upturn the entire plant and gently shake off any excess water in the crown. I allow the plant to continue to drain before returning it to its grow space. I have many Phalenopsis--so I run an oscillating fan to help speed dryness. If you have one or two plants, ensure your plants have good circulating fresh air. You want to water early in the day so that come nightfall your plant is moist around the roots but not the plant.