Phal. bellina with moldy roots exploding liquid - Terrifying
 

Hello. Long time listener, first time caller.

A little bit of background -

• Ordered a Phal. bellina online (var violacea x var violacea) (edit: it's actually violacea var. borneo x violacea var. borneo)
• Plant arrived looking a little odd: latest leaves smaller than older leaves; a little wobbly in the pot; but in spike
• After a week of arguing with myself, I followed my spidey-sense and unpotted the plant to find root system almost non-existent
• 7-8 stubby roots, about 1-3 inches in length, all of them dark and woody, but mostly hard to the touch
• Cutting off squishy bits did reveal green centers on most remaining roots

I repotted this ailing lovely in a mixture of spaghnum and fir bark with a layer of spaghnum at the top to try and promote root growth. About two weeks in, the leaves were floppy and wrinkly and the roots that I could see at the top of the medium were withered to the point of looking like dried twigs.

I looked myself straight in the eyes in the mirror, took a deep breath and unpotted this poor plant AGAIN, to find that white mold had developed on some of the roots. Pressing on those moldy pieces caused the root to explode with liquid, almost like an orchid version of mucus pooling in an infection.

I treated all my tools with physan 20, pulled my latex gloves up to my elbows, soaked the roots in physan dilution, snipped the infected parts off, soaked again and then repotted in (new) full spaghnum.

I have two questions:

• Has anyone else encountered exploding liquid roots and if so, is there anything else I should be doing at this point?
• Hate to think this way: but does anyone have a good online source for a replacement? I'm sorry to say I got this orchid from Hausermann and I won't be buying another plant from them again so looking for another vendor. (edit: I'm now in contact with Hausermann and we are working to resolve this issue.) (eta2: I'd like to report that I contacted Hausermann yesterday and they responded right away. After reviewing the photos that I sent them, they are sending me a replacement (my preference over refund) as soon as possible, on Monday.) I like the "ponkan" variety as well. I am in the U.S.

Thanks very much in advance.

No, I can't say that I have. But first I think you should contact Hausermann's. They are a reputable company and I think they will make things right by you. I have ordered from them before and I still have all my orchids and they were all in good shape. Give them a chance before you rate them. Sometimes things happen and I don't think they had any idea the plant was in bad shape.

I absolutely should.

I purchased the plant on 8/11/17 so it's been almost a month, and the longer I keep from contacting them, the worse I feel about doing it at this point. I was so confused and disappointed when I unpotted the plant the first time that it took me a while to get my brain going again and think about things like contacting the vendor.

Thanks for reminding me that's the right thing to do. I'll send them an email and give them an opportunity to respond.

Yes, at least give them a chance. I would explain exactly what happened. I am going to assume that you are at least a sort of newbie, so you might want to tell them you didn't realize that you should have let them now right away that you felt like the plant was not as it should have been when you received it. I think it is possible they will still make it right by you.

And welcome to the board and we're glad you are finally calling. Good luck. And do let us know how it went. Knowing this I would still order from them because I know too many people that have had good results from them. As did I.

Thanks again, Shannon. Hausermann and I are in contact now and discussing the issue.

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

It does sound like the plant wasn't healthy on arrival. Many people here unpot all orchids on arrival, and repot into new medium. This helps identify problems immediately, when it is easier to address them. Others here immediately unpot any plant looking a little off, to look at the roots.

But, this isn't the easiest Phal to grow year-round. It requires warmer temperatures in winter than many people can provide without special efforts. You don't say where you live, nor what kinds of growing conditions you have. I might suggest you read more about what different kinds of orchids need and select some that do well in your conditions. Then, when you have an idea of how they grow, branch out. Hausermann's sells many hybrid Phals that are easier to grow than Phal. violacea.

Here is a good thread on growing Phalaenopsis:
The Phal abuse ends here.

Thanks for your response. I chose the Phal. bellina specifically because it's a warm grower! I live in high alpine desert, so my only concern is with humidity.

I have ceiling to floor windows with southern and eastern exposure in my living room, which is where I keep all of my orchids and my space is large enough to give them bright but not direct sunlight all day long.

I was actually thinking about getting a seedling heat pad for the winter, though. Sometimes the temperatures will dip to 55-60 degrees overnight.

In my experience, Hausermann's makes things right, which they usually are anyway. Never be afraid to contact the vendor. A polite, respectful, customer usually gets satisfaction. BTW, if you aren't writing as a career, you should consider it (that was a compliment).

That Phal might die quickly if it goes down to 55-60 degrees F more than a few times.

Wow, thank you for the compliment! That truly made me smile.

You and No-Pro-mwa are right on. I should have contacted Hausermann immediately and I'll try to remember to do that with any vendor in the future instead of sinking into an oblivion of despair and heartbreak. [/drama]

---------- Post added at 01:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:41 PM ----------

Right???

Okay, I'll re-invigorate my research into options in preparation for the winter.