Orchid help! Root rot? Crown rot?
 

Hello! I am an orchid care newbie and received a beautiful orchid for a very special occasion a few months ago. About four weeks ago I noticed some root molding so did some research, repotted in orchid mix, changed watering and removed bad roots. Today I was so disheartened to see what (from my research) may be crown rot? Is there anything O can do to revive this plant? It’s very special to me and I am willing to put in the resources and effort!

Hi there. So, is the 'rot' part wet and mushy? Some orchids will have black spots, but if it is hard and does not give way, it might not be a problem. One thing you can do, if you think it is rot, is cut away the rot and then pack cinnamon into the wound. This dries out the area, making it difficult for the bacteria or fungi to survive, and cinnamon does have antibacterial and fungicidal properties. Personally, it has saved me many orchids.

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You can also cut away the rot area and use a lighter to cauterize and disinfect the wound. Then pack it with cinnamon again. This might not work, depending on how you do it, but it has always worked for me on brassias, phals, and other orchids.

Also, it does not look like crown rot, but if rot, stem rot, given that it is on the outside of the stem.

Crown rot causes loss of leaves from the center. This isn't crown rot.

Go to the Web page of the St Augustine Orchid Society and look at the Diseases section. Your plant may have collar rot. Arguing against that is the fact collar rot is usually a disease of high temperatures and humidity.

I suggest you have a look at a thread here covering how to grow Phals. From the left yellow menu choose Forums then Beginners. Near the top is a sticky thread, The Phal. abuse stops here. Read through a few pages.