so many questions!!!
 

ok my mom moved this following plant from one part of my living room to another. to my regret and all the blooms shriveled and fell off. so i unpotted my phal baldans kaleidoscope 'golden treasure' from spagh and it had a mass of rotting roots. i cut all of them off and was left with a few dying looking things. i dont have any fresh spagh or a pot so im putting it in a vase. the leaves feel a little limp but the whole plant looks healthy still. its plump and i see the beginnings of a new leaf in the center. its been in the vase for like 5 days now and idk of itl do good and i dont want to lose it. the roots are broken in several plaves where theres black mush but smaller segments of helthy root attached together by the center filament. are they still helping the plant even though they aren't attached to the plant with root just that cord thing in the center? the leaves have some small blister looking things. whats the cause? im afraid that the vase is getting too cold and might hurt the plant. when i touch the leaves theyre super cold. plus its alone in the living room without humidity or heat. is that bad? how do i cure the roots and get rid of the rotten sections so that i can maybe repot it(hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mouthwash?) its wierd how the moss in the center of the root mass(i found like 5 layers of different mosses still condensed in the shape of the previous pots where im assuming the grower dropped on the plant)was fresher than the outside moss. oh yeah, i left the spikes on it beacause one of the nodes seemed promising but seeing as how its being stressed out right now, should i cut them off so the plant concentrates on growing? my three phals including the one above havent grown ANY new roots. they just have the same ones they came with. why is this? the other two(dtps. i-hsin sun beauty and dtps. shih hua gold) are in bark. the third (baldan)is the one i wrote about above.

Please organize and abbreviate your questions so that people want to read them.

Writing one big paragraph has a tendency to put people off from even wanting to read it to begin with.

It also makes it difficult to find questions and answer them.

It would be cool if you could break the large paragraph up into smaller paragraphs.

Thank you.

I think Wrebb was on a roll when writing this .. but I agree with King that it's difficult to read .. you can edit and change it if you wish to ... it would make it more desirable to read ..
:)

Could you post a picture of your Phal. Kaliedascope? I'd like to help and a picture would really make it easier.

Re your watering of the phal. If it was in moss (I think I got this from your post) watering it twice a week was the reason for root rot. You might be able to save it but I really need a picture of the area (roots) and where they join the plant.

I can't help you with your Dens. You might want to post your question(s) in the Den. forum.

AL

I agree that your post is a little overwhelming.

Here are a couple quick answers. Humidity trays are good, or useful, especially if you are only counting on misting for humidity. In order to grow properly, orchids need the correct balance of light, temp, water, humidity and food. Some orchids may need little extras for blooming such as a resting period or a temp change from day to night.

Overwatering is probably the killer of the most orchids. Your Phal. in moss mixed with the lower temps is a recipe for rot.

Some Dendrobiums will produce keikis instead of flowers when overwatered.

A final suggestion. If you have gained any info that you wanted from these posts, do a follow-up post in this thread, restating the questions you still have.
Take heart, everyone wants to help.

im sorry. i tried to fix it then something happened and it didnt save my edits so all my work is lost. i'l retry later. anyways sorry for the confusion. i meant that the baldan phal got watered every other week not twice a week. il fix it later

Wrebbitrocks, When editing it is best to first type it up in a document file then copy the text over. The site has timed my session out so many times that I have learned to do this.

You don't really expect people to read this do you?

no. i dont. i see that its too big a document and thanks for the tip. i will do that next time

No worries! Lots of thoughts and questions - and you are looking for help.
I haven't had a lot of success with phals *sigh* I did mount a couple a few months ago - and both started growing new roots quite quickly - so that may be an option to consider.
I am sure some more successful growers will chime in.
good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Why not, I did. If you aren't going to help, don't post, no need for the flaming mate.

I believe that they do still work "as roots", as the outer velamen is the part that has died, the central "filament" is the part of the root that transports water and nutrient, though I could be mistaken.

You aren't going to have much luck healing the dead sections if that's what you mean, best to lop them off beyond the rotten parts, dab them with a bit of your chosen antiseptic (mouthwash etc, I use cinnamon powder) and let it dry for like, an hour or so. Assuming there isn't any rot in the stem below the leaves or anything, you should be pretty safe from the rot. Pot it up, or mount it, I've mounted my two half dead phals and they're doing well. Give it a systemic fungicide, a bit of seaweed solution and some food (if it's growing season over where you are) and you should be in business.

When I mounted mine I didn't use moss, just a small amount of coconut coir fibre and I water it daily, but the coir dries out daily so just check how often you need to do it. We've got quite high humidity, and I grow all my 'chids outside, so a humidity tray or humidifier might be a good idea for you, all depends.

Bear in mind that I live in tropical Australia, so what worked for me might not be the best for you, but it'll give you an idea where to start. :biggrin: Hope I've helped!!

thanks guys. um. i'l try to post pics of the phal but im not that good at it. i think its near gone now. what a shame. so are my other plants. i really feel like giving up but my hopes that theyll make it past winter are high so i'll keep trying. i lopped off all the dendrobium keikis though and theyre starting to shrivel up because i dont have any means to pot them. they arent looking so good

Welcome!

Try this - get some sphagnum moss (Chilean or New Zealand), wet it, wring it out well. Now find a small clay pot and lightly tuck the fluffed-up moss around what's left of the roots. Put the pot and plant into a sealed plastic bag and place in bright light. Wait for roots to form, and then gradually open the bag to acclimate the plant. Put in a brighter, semi-sunny (East or Southeast) window. Water and fertilize as the plant begins to dry. Repot every 6 months, as moss tends to break down quickly, rotting the roots.

Good growing!

I opened your thread because of the title "So Many Questions." I remember how I felt when I started with orchids many years ago - I repotted my first plant in potting soil. Hope you weren't put off by the people who had trouble sorting out your post, you'll find the OB helpful - it's just that your post was bit confusing.
So:
(1) the flowers fell off the plant because it was moved - especially in the house, flowering plants do not like to be moved while in flower.
(2) The roots that are still plumb should be left on the plant even if cracked, at least I leave them on and only cut off the dead parts. Those that are dead should be cut off (a hollow shell around a center string). You probably should put something on the blisters (they sound like rot or fungus). Perhaps you can check some of the threads on this site to find out more about what they are and what to put on them. Water on the leaves in a cold environment is death to Phalaenopsis.
(3) It probably won't hurt to leave the spikes on, but get that old moss out of there - it holds moisture in the center of the plant and cause the roots to rot. Whoever potted the plant like that was irresponsible.
If you have other questions you can ask again, but that's the best I could do without pictures.

here are some pictures or at least i hope they're there. theyre not the best of quality but thats the best i could do since i lost my digital camera and only have my phone

It looks like you have plenty of good roots left to me. I'm going to offer a couple of suggestions.

1) repot ASAP. Since you haven't had much luck with moss and I'm assuming you live in a colder climate I'd suggest trying fir bark or coconut husk chunks (CHC) mixed with perlite, and charcoal. I've also mixed in some LECA (light expanded clay aggregate) pellets which can be purchased at any store that sells hydroponics.

2) choose your pots wisely. I like clear plastic pots that have an inverted cone in the bottom. The cone has slits all around and allows air to get up into the middle of the pot. This helps things dry more evenly. Clear pots also allow you to see how your roots are doing without taking the plant out of the pot.

3) cut the spikes off now. They are draining the energy from a plant already struggling to survive. With proper care it will rebloom for years. As already stated cut off any roots that are black and mushy. I don't treat the ends with anything. Cinnamon on roots is not a great idea IMO. It's pretty caustic stuff and can do more harm than good.

Here are some links to online potting supply sources. I have used them all and feel comfortable recommending them.

Orchid supplies, orchid growing, spaghnum moss, neem oil, humidity trays and more

Slot Pots

https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/c...uct=Containers

Good luck W'rocks -- it looks like you have many healthy and hopeful roots.

Ron, reading -- "I repotted my first plant in potting soil" -- was very comforting for me because I did the exact same thing. :)

thanks. actually. those pics are a couple weeks old. the roots left after half of them died roughly represent the first picture. sorry i didnt clarify. i do have a bag of potting medium somewhere but everytime i potted orchids in it, mold grew in it and killed like 4 of my plants, or at least thats what i say to comfort me, so i got discouraged from using it. i could go look for it and use it. is there anyway of sterilizing bark media? i.e. boiling in water? i stuck it in the microwave once thinking it would kill bacteria and almost set my house on fire!!!

\:rofl:I know that at the time it wasn't funny but now it is.:biggrin:

I boil bark medium in the microwave......never had any problem. When you first use bark it is very saturated so you need to be careful about watering for awhile. A gentle air flow will help to eliminate many mold issues.
Hope this helps some.
AL

lol, indeed it is. i was supposed to stick water in it?!?! obviously maybe thats why the whole pot burst into flames in there. my kitchen smelt like burrnt for a week. anyways, how long do you boil it in the water? should i buy that physan20 stuff or watever?

I cover the bark with water and boil for 10 minutes.
Take it to the sink, put in a colander and run cold water through to cool it down.
Continue rinsing until the water runs clear. Wait until it is throughly cool before using. Remember, the media is going to be very wet so watch the watering.........


It's always a good idea to have Physan20 on hand. It does work...

Oh, this is just the way I do it. It may be wrong, I don't know, it works for me.

...and now you really having me laughing! How did you explain the "burnt bark" smell?
Al

thanks. i think im going to try this method. im off to find my media. and yeah, it smelled like a forest fire up on mt.lemmon. throw a spruce log into a fire then put water on the ashes... i think thats the best it can be described as. yuck haha

ok. so after relooking at my phal, apparently all the roots are dead. only 3 are left about an inch long and the whole plant is wrinkled and wilting . i think its a gonner. theres knobs on the bottom leaf tho. are these new roots? i think theyre visible in the pic. its from a couple weeks ago but those dark spots/bumps have been there and are still there.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.
I think you should buy a couple of new orchids to honor its memory and to get through the grieving ;)

thx. i was planning on trying to the very end but i will but a couple more. i havent found any in my local stores yet tho. i think theyre out of season at the big box stores right now

Wrebbitrocks--don't give up yet! i lost almost all roots on my phals but tried mounting them upside down on pieces of wood with moss and plastic coated wire. i keep them misted daily unless i forget....:(

it's taken a little time and consistent attention, but it's working well so far. even though the foliage on one or two were looking a little withered at first, i now have buds appearing --don't give up!!!

organize your basic supplies (include a good reference book on orchids) as you can and have them ready for you. don't give up!!

Mary

what a surprise. instead my dendrobium phalaenopsis noid white just died. wth

Oh W'rocks, thats such a shame. How's the Phal. doing??? Is it gone too?
I'm in the process of trying to save my Baldan's Kaleidoscope in a plastic bag potted in S/H. It had no roots also. I don't know if it'll work but I figured I had nothing to lose. LOL

Were you able to find any other orchids for sale anywhere. I just bought some on Ebay from incredibleorchids. They were packaged very well and not expensive even with shipping. Maybe this is the thing to try.

Keep trying and don't give up.

Karen

yeah it is a shame. looks like my paph is going down the drain too. but i have high hopes for the phal. it has a little green thing at the bottom which im hoping is a root trying to poke its way out. i have high hopes!!!

redundancy ftw!

yes! the phal is finally repotted. i boiled the bark mix to sterilize it and put the plant in a clear pot. it has only 3 roots about an inch long and a few things i suspect are where new roots are gonna come in. i set it away from light and under a piece of plastic wrap. anything else i need to do? plus the spike i cut off have a ton of nodes. i cut them into sections of a node each. if i shove the ends in moist spaghnum moss up to the node, will they make new plants?

Probably not, as there is usually not enough nutrition and water in a single section to keep the cells alive while it tries.

thats what i thought too then i read this article and got curious. Lotte & Thomas Orchids has anyone tried this method?

Wrebbitrocks -

Sorry to hear about your loss! I'm new to orchids myself - been at it about 4 months now - and I know the feeling of "floundering" through this process. I would sugggest that you get a few books on the basics of orchids and read, read, read. Take a few weeks and track the high and low temps in your growing room, as well as the high and low humidity levels. Once you get a feel for your growing environment, find a few orchids that fit your environment and see how it goes. This might be tedious at first, but it might be a way to set yourself up for success. Once you get a feel for your 'chids and your environment, then you can branch out and try new things.

Also, please don't hesitate to ask any questions, in any format, on this board. The "Beginner" forum tagline specifically encourages users to "feel free to ask if you don't know and don't be embarrassed. We are all learning here!" I think a few of the people who initially replied to your post may have forgotten that. Please know that there are people on OB who are eager to help you out, even if it means sifting through a lengthy post.

We've all been where you are, and hopefully those who were "newbies" a long time ago will stop and think for minute to remember that feeling before making comments that indicate they won't read a post if it's longer than a certain number of lines or not laid out in a perfectly outlined summary.

Good luck growing and don't give up!

This won't help you now if you've cut the spike but, I have used "keiki grow" (available online) on phal flower spikes that have finished blooming. You put it in the nodes to stimulate Keikis.

I got a couple off each spike. Don't know if it works on other species.

Maureen

thank you everyone for your help. i like he idea of keiki paste

thank you. i wont give up. theyre too hard to break the addiction to. im hoping i'l get a plant or two for xmas to brighten my roof and lift my spirits. thanks

Improper method. Won't work.

Read the article again...

This time read it more carefully...

They're using a different method than what you are attempting.

What the Lotte & Thomas site is demonstrating is an in-vitro (within a bottle) method of cloning, using a specific media formula for cloning (the media I'm talking about is that translucent white Jell-O looking gel the piece of flower spike is stuck in). If you look closely at the pics, the gel and the piece of orchid flower spike is inside a bottle. The media formula they're using is Sigma-Aldrich Lab's P6793 formula (Phytotech Lab's equivalent media formula is P793). This media contains specific phytohormones (a couple families of phytohormones present in these formulae are cytokinins and auxins) to induce growth of the "eyes" on the nodes. Phytohormones are also known as plant hormones. In-vitro cloning must be done under sterile conditions to prevent bacterial and/or fungal contamination of the culture (in this case, the word "culture" is referring to the orchid you're trying to clone that's contained in the bottle).

Sigma-Aldrich doesn't sell to hobbyists. Phytotech Lab does.

The problem with the Lotte & Thomas website in this case is that it's way too over simplified.

This method may be way over your head right now.

ok first off, def. use bark as your potting medium. then water only when the bark is dry. dig your finger in there about an inch to make sure.

get humidity trays. esp. in Arizona! better yet, get a humidifier.

the nodes at the base will probably grow into roots if it lives long enough. unfortunately the roots probably will not be the kind that go in the dirt. Phals have 2 types of roots. the kind that go in the dirt and the kind that grow into the air. the ones that grow into the air absorb humidity and help to attach the plant to trees or whatnot.

the "blisters" form when water is allowed to sit on the leaves. don't let this happen. towel them off after you water.

when you get a flower spike and buds, don't move the Phal until at least 2 buds are open or it will bud blast like you saw. ( i made this mistake when i first started too)

Phals are temperature sensitive. they are comfortable if you are comfortable. if you are cold they are cold.
but make sure they are not in an area where they get hot or cold drafts. (i.e. heat registers, next to the door)

did I miss anything?

sorry for the confusion. the page i wanted to post didnt show up on the link. it must've just redirected. i know that in vitro is waaay over my head. it was another method it showed. i'l try to repost it