Suggestions for rescued phal?

[Wolfchan]

Just over ten days ago, I was given two neglected phals to rescue. One of them really had just outgrown its pot and was several years overdue for repotting, and it is doing well.

This one was...disgusting.



That's scale all over the leaves, which I gently cleaned off with damp gauze over the course of a few days, as the leaves were so soft that even rubbing with a Q-tip was tearing them. I wound up removing the largest leaf, as I couldn't get all the scale off and it was tearing and turning to mush.

Then there were the roots...



Ugh. No words needed, really.

Here's what was left after cutting away all that rot...



I didn't have any plastic pots handy, so I sanitized the terra cotta pot that was outside of its cheap-o plastic wrap and repotted it straight in the terra cotta in a mix of bark, charcoal, and perilite.

Here's how it looks today:


The newest leaf and the one just below it are plumping up and becoming rigid again, slowly. The two larger leaves are better than they were, but still quite wrinkled.


These two are on a table well away from the rest of my plants until I'm sure the scale is gone!


My questions are...

Should I remove the larger two leaves so the plant can put is energy into new growth instead of healing them?

It has been about a week since I found any scale on this plant. When is it safe to put it with the rest of my collection?

I've received some plastic pots. Can I repot it again so that I can see the roots and they can get some light, or would that be too stressful?

Is there anything else I can do for it besides wait and see?

[silken]

Looks like you did pretty well with it. To answer your questions:
1. I wouldn't cut the leaf because it is green and photosynthesizing. It looks like there are some decent roots.

2. In my experience, scale, especially a bad case of it can take months to totally eradicate. And I use Malathion or Merit which is a systemic pesticide. Just wiping will control it but not get the ones down in the nooks and crannies etc. It seems to me, scale needs to be treated fairly aggressively.

3. Does the terra cotta pot have drain holes? I prefer plastic pots with multiple holes. I like clear ones. I would consider slipping it into a plastic pot without disturbing it too much. But if the terra cotta one has holes, it may be fine in that one too.

4. You could add some seaweed (kelp) to your water when you water, to help encourage new root growth. You will really need to keep on top of the scale. Newly hatched ones look like white fuzz, usually down on crotches and tight areas. The females are the round ones with the protective covering and lay their eggs under the hard scale shell. I have seen scale pop up again 6 months after I thought it was gone. I hate it. Keep the plant far away from others.

Many of us use kebab skewers inserted in the pot to tell when it is time to water. Just pull it out and if it is just damp, give the plant a good watering and let it get almost dry before watering again.

Good luck with your rescue.

[Wolfchan]

OK, I'll leave the leaves on. They are definitely more leathery and less papery, which seems to be an improvement. The handful of roots that were left were pretty plump and rigid, so I'm optimistic about those.

Ack about the scale....I'll keep at it and get something more aggressive to try and keep them gone. :/ The poor little plant is so sad I'm reluctant to put anything else on it but I do NOT want those bugs on the rest of my plants.

The terra cotta pot does drain well, I'm just not crazy about not being able to see the roots or let them photosynthesize. I prefer clear plastic with slots, and once I'd received these plants I ordered an assortment from repotme so I'll have some for any more unexpected "presents" that show up. I think I'll leave this one alone for now.

Thank you for the suggestion about the kelp, can you suggest where I can order some? Is the organic seaweed supplement from repotme a good option?

[silken]

Sometimes a dehydrated leaf or pseudobulb on other types of orchids does not recover to the original plump way it used to be. It may never be back to perfect. That's OK, just let it support new ones growing out.

It seems most hydroponics stores have seaweed and I have used a few different brands and found they all seem to work. I am sure Repotme's is good but maybe you can find something local without having to order.

[gngrhill]

I think you have done a great job. I agree with you the remaining roots look very good, and there are enough there to support the plant. I would leave it potted as it is, as it looks great. You can always pot it into a clear plastic next year after it has had time to recover. First Rays also sells kelp max

[Orchid Whisperer]

Re: the type of pot: I grow nearly all my Phalaenopsis in terracotta. Some growers like plastic pots & to be able to see the roots, but this is not necessary as far as the plant is concerned. Since it is already in a terracotta pot with good drainage, why stress the roots by redpotting again?