Zygo. Advance Australia root rot--Help please!!

[Reeses]

A few weeks ago a got a lovely Zygo. Advance Australia from The Orchid Gallery. It was in great shape, and had a lot of roots. It was potted solely in sphag, and it was still pretty damp, so I thought it would be okay to go ahead and put it in S/H, since I'd read Zygos do well in s/h and that the transition from sphag is usually uneventful.

I started noticing the pbs were shriveling, which I attributed to the fact that I didn't soak all the LECA at first (the stuff on the bottom had been soaked over night, it was just the top part that I rinsed but didn't soak) and so I thought it just wasn't wicking well. I've been misting it almost every day, and it has been on a heat mat.

Today, I just had a feeling that something was wrong, so I carefully unpotted it, and almost all the roots were grey and squishy! I trimmed the rotten onees back and it's now soaking in a K-L-N solution.

Was there something I could have/should have done differently? What can I do for it now? I've only had it for a few weeks but I'm really attached to this plant. It even has a new little growth started!

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[Leafmite]

I have a little Zygo mackayi seedling potted in expanded clay pellets in a net pot. It is doing very nicely. I don't keep water in the saucer but let it dry out between watering (but not for long). The net pot helps provide air to the roots (to prevent rot) and maintains even drying.
I had some other Zygos but recently gave them away as I just do not have the space for them all and really want the mackayi. I had them growing in net pots as well but with lava rock on the bottom and moss on top. I think I like the results with the clay pellets better.
I do think that you can save yours since it is putting out a new growth. Advance Australia is a really nice one. Good luck!

[Reeses]

Thanks, Leafmite, I may have to try that if it doesn't bounce back. I hate to think I would damage this orchid! I fell in love with Zygos when I first saw a picture (well, maybe not right away...my first thought was that it was the strangest flower I had ever seen ).

BTW, what part of Ohio do you live in, if you don't mind my asking?

[Leafmite]

I live on the other side of Ohio. The nearest Orchid Society is Greater Akron Orchid Society.
My current only Zygo was a tiny one growth seedling so, I think, with your back bulbs to support the new growth, yours has a very good chance.

[mtorchid]

Sounds like you suspected the roots were drying out (since you didn't soak the LECA first) and applied more moisture. Hindsight, you were adding to the problem, it seems.

Pbs shrivel because they aren't getting the moisture they need from the roots, whether the roots are drying out or rotting from excess moisture, the result is the same, the plant isn't getting what it needs from the roots.

Be happy with the new growth, as you know that's a good sign. With drowned orchids I've inherited, after trimming and soaking in KLN as you did, I put the plants in LECA in a net basket and that net basket in a plastic pot but keep the net pot away from touching the water reservoir of the plastic pot, then mist twice daily. That way there is plenty of humidity around the net pot, the roots are getting moisture but not sitting in it. I find that forces new root growth. If you want to continue with SH when your zygo recovers, I'd suggest keeping it in LECA during the recovery period, less of a shock when you go to repot it. My zygo noid likes SH, in general zygos like to be continually moist so I think it's a good match, I just don't let the water reservoir dry completely before re-watering. Good luck!

[Reeses]

Originally Posted by mtorchid

Be happy with the new growth, as you know that's a good sign. With drowned orchids I've inherited, after trimming and soaking in KLN as you did, I put the plants in LECA in a net basket and that net basket in a plastic pot but keep the net pot away from touching the water reservoir of the plastic pot, then mist twice daily. That way there is plenty of humidity around the net pot, the roots are getting moisture but not sitting in it. I find that forces new root growth. If you want to continue with SH when your zygo recovers, I'd suggest keeping it in LECA during the recovery period, less of a shock when you go to repot it. My zygo noid likes SH, in general zygos like to be continually moist so I think it's a good match, I just don't let the water reservoir dry completely before re-watering. Good luck!

Thanks, mtorchid, that's reassuring! I think what I'm going to do is keep it in the s/h pot so I don't have to disturb it by repotting it again, but for the next few weeks I'll drain the water out of the resevoir so it's not sitting in water, and the roots will have to go in search of it

[mtorchid]

Sounds like a good plan Reeses, you will need to mist the top LECA occasionally, some KLN misting would help too. Without the reservoir, the roots will need moisture to "search for" from some source

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