Phal. Violacea--advice needed

[bethmarie]

This Phal. violacea came to me with live roots, but dryish and not very happy ones that looked like they'd all been cut previously--just blunt healed ends, no growing tips. The roots were staying dry and not responding in bark, so I took her in for a consult at an orchid greenhouse, and they repotted in sphagnum. After a week, I started getting nervous about the sphag...it looked like it was staying way too wet. Hemmed and hawed a couple extra days which turned out to be long enough to lose a couple of roots to rot. I took off the ones that were goners, and let the plant dry for a day and a half. Including a few pics here for your feedback. That one large root in the last two pics...would you leave it alone and pot as is? I hate to cut off anymore roots, but don't want to pot one that is trouble waiting to happen either.

[tucker85]

Species, like your violacea, usually grow more slowly than the hybrids and they're more sensitive to their environment. They do well mounted but you need to mist them every day on a mount. If you're going to pot it, use the smallest pot you can get the roots into. Either bark or sphagnum is fine and a 50/50 might even be better. Just control your watering so it gets almost completely dry between waterings. Good luck.

[Call_Me_Bob]

i second what tucker said. those roots actually look pretty good, just a little dehydrated. you could pot it in sphag but not as tightly as it was before, and just be patient and dont water it until it actually needs watered. or you can do fine bark and just have to water it more often. but definitely put it in the smallest pot you can.