NEED AN EXPERT!!!

[xxkarliexx]

i have a phal, and when i repotted it it was two plants? so i put each in there own new pot. i cut off the black roots but all that was left was like nubs for roots...they look healthy but they're just nubs..anyways, i repotted them in a charcoal, chunky bark medium. i've been watering about once a week but the leaves are real droopy and a little brown spot, one leaf turned yellow and came off. what does this mean? THANKS! =) also i live in florida, if that makes a difference

[Wynn Dee13]

Did you soak the meadium before repotting? New bark dries out faster and doesn't hold as much water. So you have to water more than with older bark. The leaves are droopy because it is dehydrated. If it doesn't have very many roots and/or you are not watering enough it isn't getting enough water. I would put it in a humid area which you should be able to do living in Florida and not give it as much light until it grows more roots and isn't so dehydrated. Phals do shed their bottom leaves every once in a while. But it also could be from being dehydrated. Many people put a wooden kabob skewer in the middle of the pot to help them know when to water. Keep the skewer in the pot and pull it out to check when to water. You want to put it in the middle of the pot because that is where it dries out last. If the skewer is wet, don't water. If it is dry you need to water. I'm sure it is quite hot in Florida right now so you might need to water more. The skewer will help you with that. Can you show me a picture of the brown spot you are talking about? Or was that on the leaf that fell off? If it was on the leaf that fell off I wouldn't worry about it. Was it the bottom leaf that fell off? If the brown spot spreads to other areas of the plant then that would be a problem. Make sure you don't let water sit in the crown or the leaf axils of the plant. That can cause rot. Have you read the Phal Abuse Ends Here thread? If you haven't I recommend it. It is long but it has a lot of great information. Here is the link. http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

[lepetitmartien]

I'd move them to a bed of just wet sphagnum, to get them more wetness with maybe a plastic bag other them (make small holes on top for air, and remove it once a day). The phals won't suffer much more from the dry air and the bits of roots will grow so less stress for the plants. Doing so you can keep both together, phals like company. once the roots are a few centimeters long, pot them with bits of sphagnum in the bark, it'll retain more water and finish the job.

[xxkarliexx]

so repotting them again doesnt stress them?

[Ray]

Karlie - when you repot a plant, it needs to grow new roots that are optimized ("tailored to") for the new environment. If the old medium rotted some of the roots, obviously moving to fresh medium is a big change. The fact that you cut off a lot of what was there means that the plant really doesn't have a good way to take up moisture.

The primary threat to the plant when repotting is desiccation while it grows new roots and can take up water efficiently again, so you have to do everything you can to slow that water loss while it does. What you're seeing are the symptoms of that desiccation.

Keeping it warm, shady, and very humid is the key. Your choice of potting medium really isn't as important in that process as the environment around the plant is. The roots that grow will be tailored to whatever you put it in. (It certainly will affect your normal, post-recovery culture, so you should decide if it's right for your watering habits and growing conditions before they grow. I would think that unless you intend to water daily, I'd add some sphagnum to your current mix - 25% maybe?)

[xxkarliexx]

sounds like a good idea, THANKS! =)

[Ray]

Let me also add that, to become an "orchid expert", one must kill his/her weight in orchids.

I have noticed, as I age, that I seem to have room for more "expertise" every year!