Mold on the roots.
 

Ugh! There is mold on the roots of one of my Phals. It is unmistakeable. It's the fuzzy white stuff, like you get on strawberries.

I just can't do right by this guy. :( I thought if anything I was under-watering it, and I've packed him so loosely in the moss that I have trouble keeping the spike up.

I'm going to cut off the spike, take him out, cut off the moldy root(s), and douse in... what? Rubbing alcohol? Hydrogen Peroxide?

Tragically, I don't have any clean moss and it might be a few days before I can get my hands on some. Would it be better to go bare root, or put it back in the contaminated medium?

This poor guy.

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------

Based on one of the other threads, it sounds like maybe 3% hydrogen peroxide?

---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:56 PM ----------

Options also seem to include listerine. I have all three (peroxide, alcohol, and listerine), but no Physan or traditional fungicide.

---------- Post added at 06:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 PM ----------

This is the sphag I was using. I also used it to repot another Phal. Am I in for trouble? Did it come from the sphag?

https://www.orchidweb.com/products/a...-moss~362.html

Probably hydrogen peroxide would be your best bet. That sphagnum is pretty much the best you can buy and I use the same brand for lots of different orchids. However, I don't use it straight for Phals. There's nothing wrong with using just that but it is easy to over water. I like to mix half medium bark chunks with the moss.
Another thing could be the type of pot you are using. Does it have good aeration and drainage holes? I would go with a clear pot with lots of holes. Phal's roots photosynthesize in nature and I think it helps them to grow if they get sunlight. I also like clear pots so you can see the condition of the roots and how wet the pot is. Green roots indicate still wet, silver color means they are dry. I also like to put a bamboo kebab skewer into the pot near the center and down quite deep. when you pull this out you can see if it is wet or dry and determine when it's time to water -dry or very close. Hope this helps.

It's a clear orchid pot with a standard amount of holes in the bottom. It has several, but no side slits or anything.

I'm glad it's a clear pot, too, because that's how I spotted the mold.

I watered it on Friday and it was pretty dry, and the roots were silver, and there was no obvious mold. It was probably there but I didn't see it. I think most of it has grown in the last two days.

Two specific questions:
(1) Is it better to cut off the moldy roots, or just clean them really well?

(2) I don't have clean sphag. It'll take a few days for me to be able to get more. Should I put it back in the old sphag (which probably has more mold spores in it), or leave it bare root for a few days? I could try to suspend it over some water in a vase.

I think ive sen it posted several times that some people just leave phals bare roots for a few days ( or might be fine longer? ) and just mist the roots everyday.

I can definitely do that.

I just got done dealing with the mold. It was extensive, and a lot of roots that were firm a month ago were mushy. I did a lot of cutting... possibly too much, but I'm new at this.

There's a LOT of black on the base of the [strike]crown[/strike] stem. What do I do about that?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8...68481471aa.jpg

If the root that had mold seems alive and healthy, I would leave it on. Hydrogen peroxide should kill the mold hopefully. I would not re-use the old moss since it must have had mold spores. I never have a problem with mold in mine so I don't know why yours would. Does your orchid get some good air movement? You could cut or burn a few side holes into the pot or use another pot. I like side holes since when the pot is sitting on a surface, the bottom holes aren't all that effective except for draining water. They don't let much air in. It should be fine to be bare root for a few days. You could mist the roots a bit.

If you can cut the dead black stuff on the crown, then do so. Otherwise try and treat it with peroxide and applying some cinnamon on the crown after may help keep it dry and from getting worse.

I used hydrogen peroxide, let it dry off a bit, and then sprayed with brown Listerine, and now it's drying off again.

By the way, I didn't mean crown. I said crown in error. I meant the base of the stem where the roots come out. The crown is looking fine, thank goodness.

---------- Post added at 10:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 PM ----------

To answer your question about the air circulation, I have a little desk fan pointed at my plants, but that's it.

Hopefully this will help. I could see by your pics what you meant. Good luck with it!

Thank you! And thank you for giving quick replies last night when I was trying to figure out what to do. :)