Saving phal with no roots.
 

Hello everyone

Names Rafal first time writer.

Orchids started fascinating in the last month or so. Mostly because my mom has about 10 phals with most of them in good health. I have started to take care of one phal previous to this one with some root rot and it hasn't bloomed in years. Reported and is currently growing a health leaf.
So not very much experience but lots of reading.
My mom brought home 3 phals from a customers garbage pile in the front yard with the life sucked out of them. First I convinced my mom to repot them right away, two were ok with a few roots left but the third one after surgery had no roots left and I also cut part of the stem off because of the rot. It has been some time now since repotting and I am seeing progress. We have one small leaf and what looks like another one just starting to poke his head out of the centre.
I have read about water culture and was thing of trying it but since I have been seeing growth I don't want to move the plant while it's making progress.
As you will see in the pictures 2 bigger leaves are completely withered with a small one withered about half way. That was from the previous owner.
I'm not too sure what to do with the withered leaves let them be for now?
I have been trying to keep the sphagnum moss as damp as it could be without overwatering.
Will it eventually sprout roots or is there a way to help it out? Am I doing enough?
Anyway I would like to say long story short but it has been going on for a bit now so any advice is welcome.
Ohhh one last thing since I would think humidity is key what I have been doing once in a while is putting the plastic pot in the sunlight for a few minutes and you start to see the pot condensate on the inside then I take it out of the sun do you think that helps or should I stop.
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Hi Rafal,

Most Orchids in general like to be dry in between watering. Overwatering and under watering have the same symptoms wrinkle leaves. Phal like shade, or morning sun, no direct sun. Phal will naturally loose there lower leaves over time. Place a saucer with pebbles covering the bottom fill water just to cover pebbles place Phal pot on pebbles and this can create humidty. When fertilizing water the day before so any roots do not burn from fertilizer. I would wait for any fertilizing so the orchid can rest, use tepid water for now and water in the morning so plant can dry out before night. Make sure you don't get water in the crown ( where leaves come out) this will cause rot. Clean the leaves off with paper towel and lemon juice. No standing water on leaves, could cause rot.
Donna

and here we go showing that if you ask 3 orchid keepers, you will get 5 different answers.

I put phals always into coarse bark and nothing else. If it is very hot and dry, I put a SMALL ball of sphagnum moss under the roots.
It is better to water with a very low fertiliser dose every time than to give a heavy dose every week or month. The idea of watering before fertilising is silly, as the plant will absorb the water without fertiliser and then not absorb the water WITH fertiliser.

Wetting the crown.. Every day when I water the phals, I wash the leaves with the spray of fertiliser and I fill the crown out of spite.
I have so far not lost a phhal to cown rot that I have watered like that.
Chilling or overheating the orchid WILL cause crown rot.

Think for a moment. In the wild, the crowns will be regularly wetted everytime there is so much as a mist.

I don't believe it's overwatering when repotting this orchid was in a brick of decomposed bark I think it was under watering. The leaves don't regenerate from what I have read so it's just signs of not being treated properly by previous owner

At the top of this Beginner Forum there is a sticky called 'The Phal Abuse Stops Here". There is much good information there that may help you solve your problems.

You wrote this plant has no roots. The new leaves look promising. The trick will be to get it to live long enough to produce new roots.

I don't like to put things in the sun. If I forget for just a few minutes they are cooked vegetables.

You are doing a good job so far!! The sunlight does not seem to have hurt it. The leaves may get purple areas with more light. I would not remove any leaves that are still green no matter how wrinkly. Cut off any signs of rot quickly though. Nursing an ailing plant may require more patience, but you can do it.

Yeah. That's my usual trick. I don't EVER put them in the direct sun, but what usually happens is that I put them somewhere where it is safe, only to forget that the sun will get round there later.