Is this Rotting?

[Marie78]

I recently bought this mini-phalanopsis orhcid at a grocery store. It came in sphagnum moss which I repotted into bark. As I was repotting I saw this back area near the roots. I thought i could be possible rotting so I sprayed it with hydrogen peroxide and then put cinnamon on it. Is this rotting?

http://i.imgur.com/DhFYMRJ.jpg

[estación seca]

It looks normal. Some people grow Phalaenopsis well in moss but others don't like it, preferring bark, LECA (clay balls), lava cinders or mounted on a branch.

In the future don't use hydrogen peroxide on the roots, and don't use cinnamon on the roots. Both can damage roots. If there is rot, just cut it off with a sanitized blade. You will need to cut into good tissue, and sanitize the blade between cuts. You can put powdered cinnamon on a cut green surface of a plant but try to keep it off healthy roots.

[JasmineWebber]

Please no cinnamon on the roots. The key with using sphagnum moss is not to over water, dry it out nearly completely before re-watering and to make absolutely sure that the moss is not to compactly tight on and around the roots. Phals like good air flow around the roots. Moss that is too tightly packed and over watered, can cause root rot. The industry loves packing those babies in sphagnum moss and they do it very tightly. Some people like to wait until the blooms have faded to repot because of bud blasting and blooms fading faster. Personally I like to remove all of that moss and repot as soon as possible. Checking for pest, disease and root rot because I know that I am in it for the long haul. I will risk the blooms for good roots any day.

[Dollythehun]

Some people like to wait until the blooms have faded to repot because of bud blasting and blooms fading faster. Personally I like to remove all of that moss and repot as soon as possible. Checking for pest, disease and root rot because I know that I am in it for the long haul. I will risk the blooms for good roots any day.[/QUOTE]


I agree with all and especially Jasmine. I just purchased a little Den Phal at a show. The vendor told me not to repot it until it was done blooming but, it had obviously just been stuffed into a pot for the show with bark falling out all over. So, for the long haul, I re potted it right away. I may loose a few leaves but, won't panic.

Also, either stick a skewer into the potting medium or learn by the weight (heft) of the pot when it needs watering. You would soak it thoroughly and then lift it for weight. Lift it every day until it is very light and then water thoroughly again. Or, water when the pulled out skewer is dry.

As you grow them, you will learn their quirks and get less panicked. Plus, everyone here is just great with sympathy and good advice.

[Sofija]

I have a similar problem to you... I've had my orchid for a month or so and the roots outside of the bark and pot are dry and soft a little... But the roots inside the pot are green and ok...
Can anyone help me?

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by Sofija

I have a similar problem to you... I've had my orchid for a month or so and the roots outside of the bark and pot are dry and soft a little... But the roots inside the pot are green and ok...
Can anyone help me?

Your plant looks exactly as I keep mine, keep it that way and then follow estación seca's advice.

[Sofija]

Thank you everyone... I was a little scared because the roots are a little bit yellowish and dry but I guess there's nothing to worry about
Again thank you

[Deena]

Originally Posted by Sofija

I have a similar problem to you... I've had my orchid for a month or so and the roots outside of the bark and pot are dry and soft a little... But the roots inside the pot are green and ok...
Can anyone help me?

It's pretty common for orchids to have this, especially if the local humidity is low. I keep a spray bottle with diluted solution of orchid fertilizer and spray the aerial roots several time a week, especially in mornings and afternoons when the photosynthesis rate is high. This helps keep the air roots alive, not dried out, and even visibly branching out and growing new roots. It's a bit of extra work though.

Normally the orchid would be watered by rain if it was growing outside like they do in the wild, and all of its roots would get some waer, but when we grow orchids in pots only the roots in the pot end up getting watered and the roots sticking outside get no water and start to slowly dry and shrivel away. Periodically spraying them from a spray bottle helps with this issue.

[Tindomul]

Yea, this looks normal to me.

[estación seca]

Sofija, the roots on top of the bark are normal dry roots. All the roots in the pot should look like this before you water again. Roots turn green when you water. Then do not water again until all the roots are white like this.