Have I officially put the "fail" in phaeleonopsis?

[TheOkieOrchidNewbie]

I got my first orchid in early March. It was double stemmed but I only had two blooms on each stalk before I experienced bud blast. When the blooms fell off in May, I cut back the stalks and have been dutifully adding one ice cube a week.

Since then, there has been no notable change in the roots and the leaves have remained a healthy color of green.

However, just today, nearly 6 months after cutting back my phaeleonopsis, I notices that the two lowest-level leaves have yellows and softened to the touch. I also notices that I have roots poking through the base of the leaves.

Is it time to admit defeat on this orchid? Or is there yet life to live? Please advise!

[Subrosa]

I've brought Phals back that looked MUCH worse than that, and I'm no expert. Honestly that plant doesn't look that bad at all. Your watering regime makes me cringe, but your light levels seem ok judging by the color of the foliage. I prefer to pot Phals in clear pots, because a good look at the roots is imo the best way to tell if a Phal needs water.

[TheOkieOrchidNewbie]

Dear Subrosa, thanks so much for your response. What would you suggest I alter about my watering?

[Luizacft]

It's their thing to get rid of the oldest leaves to focus on new growing leaves and roots. The plant looks ok for me. I would stop watering with ice as it can damage the roots and as soon as I get roots growing, I'd repot it.

[silken]

Welcome to Orchid Board.

The just add ice is just a gimmick by one company to make it sound effortless to grow a Phal. Some people do OK with this. but if you think about it, Phals are tropical plants that would never ever see snow or hail never mind ice cold water. So using ice, especially if surface roots make contact with it, would shock or kill the roots. There is a thread in the beginner discussions here called "The Phal Abuse Ends Here" that you should browse thru.

Usually using an open but somewhat moisture retentive mix (ex. a mix of medium bark and sphagnum moss) and a pot (I prefer clear) that has good drainage and aeration holes will be a good choice. Everyone has their own methods so their are other medias and pot types to choose from. Let it get almost dry to the bottom and then run tepid water through the pot at a good rate to thoroughly wet and run thru the pot. Then drain well and allow to approach near dry before watering again. Usually once a week or every 10 days depending on your environment. You can add a diluted amount of fertilizer to this water. Ice cubes likely provide no nutrition to speak of.

There are lots of tips and advise on that sticky thread that I mentioned. Many people like the skewer method to tell when to water again. Use a thin bamboo kebab skewer and place it in the pot down near the bottom centre. Leave it there and when you think it is time to water, pull it out and see if it is wet, barely damp or bone dry. Water if barely damp. Also wet roots are green and dry ones are a silvery white.

Good luck, that Phal is far from dead yet.

[Orchid Whisperer]

The ice cube thing is indeed a gimmick.

The orchid is fine, but likely is in desperate need of proper watering.

The white crusty places on the edges of the bark pieces is accumulated salts (from fertilizer, water supply and so forth). I thin this would be a good time to repot into new growing medium. The type of medium you plant in sort of depends on your climate. If you are in an area that is somewhat dry (example, western United States), or live in a building with really dry air in the winter, a mix of sphagnum and bark as Silken suggested would work well. I live in the southeastern US (humid), so I skip the moss and just use bark, or a bark-charcoal mix. Plastic pots are fine, but I personally prefer terracotta pots because they dry out better - it is a personal choice, use what works best for you.

When you repot, get rid of all of the old bark. Check the roots, pull off or cut off the ones that are obviously dead. Clean the old pot, or use a new one that is slightly larger, place the roots in the pot and fill around the roots with new medium. Wait a couple days after repotting before watering (in case you bruise or injure a root, this gives it a little time to heal and not rot).

Watering regime - instead of ice cubes, take the plant to the sink. Run water all through the medium, maybe 15 to 30 seconds, allow it to drain. Don't water again until the potting medium is mostly dry (does not need to be totally dry). For many growers this means that you will water twice a week, but this is not a "rule".

Good luck!

[jason45244]

1. Ice cubes are not a sufficient watering method.
2. You must find out why your buds blasted.
(Light, watering, and temperatures can do that)
3. The bottom leaves will yellow that is perfectly normal.
The good news is that your orchid will bounce back with some TLC. Repot and water accordingly. (Once every 7-10 days or when roots turn a silvery color) I like to soak mine right in the decorative pot. It is hard to under light a phal but it possible make sure it is getting enough.

[Subrosa]

I'm a root watcher. When the roots turn silver, I soak the plant. This turns the roots green. I don't water again until they're silver.

[estación seca]

Water quality matters a lot. If your tap water is full of dissolved salts, don't use it. You can find out your water quality from the water report on your water company's Web site. If it is high in total dissolved solids (TDS) don't use it. If your water leaves spots on glasses or windows when you let it air-dry, it's too salty for most orchids.

And never water any plants with softened water. It is loaded with sodium.

Almost all orchids prefer very pure water. Best is rain water. Some people have very pure tap water and can use that. If you don't have tap water low in dissolved salts, use rain or reverse osmosis water.

[bil]

This thread just reinforces the claim that if you ask 5 orchid keepers, you''l get 7 answers.

I pot my phals in coarse (about 2") bark chunks. I use RO water and a very, very weak fertiliser. (25 ppm when watering more than 3 times a week, and 50ppm if twice.)

The reference to salts crystalising on the medium makes me suspect you are over feeding. I don't like moss for phals AT ALL. The open bark means that the spaces between the bark remain open, so the roots can breathe, which is vital.

I also like a wide, shallow pot, mine for phals are about a foot in diameter, and about 5 inches deep. I don't see any mileage in packing them into tiny pots so their roots become constricted and compacted. (I do grasp that if you are short of space, a 12 " pot is a luxury you can't afford, but if that is your problem, grow minature phals. For their size, they seem to bloom better than the big ones.. Just give them more space than those ridiculous egg cups they come in.

My atttitude in short is, that the closer you can get to giving them the conditions they would have in the wild, the better they will bloom for you.

That's pretty pure water, with a TINY amount of fertiliser, and smaller, more frequent waterings, and plenty of air to the roots at all times.