Flowers dropping, roots rotting
 

Help!
I've had my phal from the supermarket since late November. It was doing really well, has two stems, tons of potential blooms. But blooms have been falling off slowly one by one - I expected them to last longer. Just a couple of weeks ago five or six fell off at the same time, yikes! So I am only left with one bloom at the end of 3 branches. I am hoping that these will last, and that new blooms will keep forming.

It is planted in a plastic pot inside a larger ceramic pot, and they fit so closely together that I was not aware that when I was watering, the water was not evaporating but collecting underneath. So I now have many rotted roots, and others that are green but don't look very good. Only yesterday was I able to find watering instructions that said that I should water the plant over the sink and let it drain, not directly into the pot.

So, I am hoping it is not too late to save this orchid. Should I let it dry out completely? Can I leave the roots the way they are or should I repot? I am afraid to repot in case it causes too much stress, and in case the damage is worse than I thought. So far the last blooms are still doing well.

Thanks ahead!
Grace

Hi Grace and welcome to Orchid Board :welcome:

If you have rotting roots then you need to repot. Remove all the medium and wash it off the roots, then remove all rotten roots (they are rotten/dead if they are squishy, gently try squeezing them, if they are firm they are still alive).

If you have lots left then you need to pot back up in fresh medium. Now medium can be difficult, a lot of the stuff sold in shops is not the best quality.

I think the best thing to do is to try and get a picture of what is left of the roots and post it here. We will then be able to advise what to do next.:)

You may find you loose the flowers trying to save the orchid, if keeping the plant alive is important to you then that may just have to be one of those things.

I also reccommend that you send in a picture. as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. you will get way better feedback from experienced orchid growers. but it does sound like the roots were staying way to wet

Support a professional orchid grower by buying quality phals from them instead of the grocerystore.

I would re pot it just because I find the potting material to be inferior and because i don`t know exactly whats been going on as far as watering and other outside conditions like pests and disease. It gives you a good chance to really inspect your new plant and see what condition it is in which gives you a better chance of also knowing what is wrong with it in the future because you control all the variables now. In any case whatever you decide to do I would at the very least take it out of the ceramic pot if the plastic one can stay upright on its own and make sure it gets to drain well and gets very close to dry before watering again and that way it might get better air circulation too. If you choose not to repot it.

I forgot to add that if you are repotting it to make sure you cut off any rotting roots.

AMEN TO THAT!!