Issue with a new phal

[jrodpad]

I fully agree with TheBlazingAugust - certain phals will grow these little furry bits on their roots. I always assumed that they helped anchor the roots (kind of like the little pastic hooks on velcro / hook-and-loop fasteners) to trees. Some phals have them, some don't. I've noticed them on some of my other orchids too - so it's probably not something that is limited just to phals.

Hard to say for sure, but in that second photo there appears to be some color break on the dorsal sepal. I'm not all that familiar with snail damage, but I'd be surprised if snails could cause color break (as opposed to the other pics which show clear mechanical damage, which smaks of snails). If it is, in fact, color break and it's not caused by snails, then there could be something wrong with the phal in addition to the snail problem. I defer to the phal experts here for their thoughts on the matter.

Hope this helps!

- J

[Bud]

I agree with Silken to repot the plant in cleaner media...I am just a scaredy cat when it comes to damaging the roots...but if you do it carefully there wont be any damage...
as for the dorsal sepal; its not a color break its a reflection of the camera I think...its more of a streak than a break in color

[MtnDweller]

Originally Posted by jrodpad

I fully agree with TheBlazingAugust - certain phals will grow these little furry bits on their roots. I always assumed that they helped anchor the roots (kind of like the little pastic hooks on velcro / hook-and-loop fasteners) to trees. Some phals have them, some don't. I've noticed them on some of my other orchids too - so it's probably not something that is limited just to phals.

Now that you put it that way....it makes sense. I was just concerned because my other two don't have those.

Originally Posted by jrodpad

Hard to say for sure, but in that second photo there appears to be some color break on the dorsal sepal. I'm not all that familiar with snail damage, but I'd be surprised if snails could cause color break (as opposed to the other pics which show clear mechanical damage, which smaks of snails). If it is, in fact, color break and it's not caused by snails, then there could be something wrong with the phal in addition to the snail problem. I defer to the phal experts here for their thoughts on the matter.

Hope this helps!

- J

Can you explain what a color break is?

---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:42 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Bud

I agree with Silken to repot the plant in cleaner media...I am just a scaredy cat when it comes to damaging the roots...but if you do it carefully there wont be any damage...
as for the dorsal sepal; its not a color break its a reflection of the camera I think...its more of a streak than a break in color

Trying this again. The post keeps editing the one above this one and adding all the quoted text and my reply. Weird.

Ok...do you think it'll be ok till I can have some potting medium shipped in? Where I live there's only one place that sells orchid supplies and they were closed when I tried to call to see if they have something other than orchid potting mix.

I just went and peeked at the bloom in question, it looks as if a layer of color was scrapped off the top of it revealing the yellow underneath. Hope that makes sense.

[Bud]

the repotting can wait, til you get fresh ones...meanwhile do the home remedy mix...it will kill those buggers...
whew...its good... its a mechanical scraping thing not an inert nature to the bloom...
color break in flowers means the plant has a virus...thats why "-J" was concerned...

[MtnDweller]

Thanks!

Yuck, I don't like that "virus" word.

[quiltergal]

One easy way of getting rid of snails is to lay a piece of tender lettuce on top of the media at night. When you get up in the morning check the underside of the lettuce. If there are any hitch hikers you can just toss them and the piece of lettuce out. For some reason they just can't resist lettuce. They are nocturnal so you most likely won't see them during the day. They'll be hiding down inside the pot.

[MtnDweller]

Thanks for the tip.

[MtnDweller]

Okie dokie, I put eggshells on it earlier today. Didn't find cinnamon extract last night, but went out to another store this evening and found some. I'll do the soap, cinnamon extract and water tomorrow.

I'll have to order some potting medium as the local store that carries orchid supplies only carries the potting mix (read soil) and a mix they make that contains soil and bark.