Strange Phal root die off
 

I have 2 miniature Phals, Sogo Gotris 'Flora Ark' and Flora Gigi. Both were bought from local Home Depots (2 different ones.) Both sit in the same west window, both are watered with 20-14-13 fertilizer weakly, and both were potted in 2.25" pots with fine fir bark and ~20% total of perlite and charcoal. Humidity is generally 40-50% this time of year. A few days ago Flora Gigi dropped a couple leaves suddenly. I checked the roots and most were dead, just an empty layer of velamin. When I checked Sogo Gotris the roots were like they were when I got it. I had checked the roots when I brought them home and repotted them from the sphag they were in into bark. Literally everything as far as culture is concerned is the same between the two plants. Any ideas as to what might have happened. Flora Gigi still has about 4" of roots left and the remaining 3 leaves look good. I think I will cut the spike shown in the picture so that it puts energy into growing again. Has anyone had something like this happen? Is it some sort of disease?

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/m...rchidroots.jpg
Sogo Gotris left, Flora Gigi right. Potting mix in center.

Mark

Just an idea: Might be your one size fits all watering that's the problem. If the original rootmass of the sick one was smaller than that of the healthy phal, then the medium would not dry out as fast. So while one might have been getting watered when it was dry, the other might have been getting water when it was still wet, suffocating the roots.

I've been using bamboo skewers to check how moist they are, watering only when they are very nearly dry. The original rootmass was very nearly the same between the two plants. I'm really stumped on this one. I've checked a couple books and can't find anything like it.

Maybe it already had some sort of infection when you got it? I'm stumped on this one, if it was really only culture based issues you'd have rot on the other one too. How long have you had them?

I purchased them in late November. Had them just over 2 months now.

Some plants, like some people, just aren't as healthy and resistant as others.

If everything else was equal, and both were repotted in the same medium at the same time when they were healthy, I'd say the one plant just isn't as resilient or needs slightly different conditions.

If they were not equal when you purchased them, it could be the original media was aged or deteriorated. They both might have been newly replanted when you got them, and one may have been damaged.

You can either try to find what makes the weaker one happy, or concentrate on orchids that respond well to what you're doing. The middle ground is fraught with difficulty (I've been there).

I think you're right. I can't think of what else it would be. There hasn't been any sign of disease. No strange spotting, no fungus, no pests. I just don't think it likes it where it is. I have another place I can put it. I think I'll see if it likes that. If it doesn't like it there, oh well.

Maybe moving from wet sphagnum to bark was more of a shock to the one than the other. I think some orchids don't like an extreme change in potting media.