Root Rot and Droopy Leaves Can I save this Phal?

[KendraRF]

Ok so I bought a Phalaenopsis a wile ago and it looked great. Then the flowers strated dying, its winter thought it was normal, then the leaves started to turn yellow and fall off I lost 3 leaves so far. I repotted it and almost of of the roots were dead and dying. Looked online and followed the instructions for dealing with that and repotting it. BUT now the leaves are droopy have no life and the roots are still rotting. There are 4 leaves left. I followed the instructions I got with the plant and it seems like I am totally killing this poor plant. This is my first orchid and I would like to save it if possible. Please help me!!! Any and all information is welcome.

---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------

Ok update just checked roots and they were all dead. I'm going to try youtube and see what happens...

[bethmarie]

Hi Kendra--sounds like this one may be too far gone for help. If you make a few more posts, you can attach pictures, and that would be useful.

Good luck with this one, but don't lose heart if you can't save it. Phals are pretty easy to grow and bloom once you get the basics down.

[Jade]

bethmarie is right, we all lose an orchid sooner or later, but this means nothing, because we can learn from our mistakes.
for this reason I think that it's very important to understand what went wrong with your phal.
probably the yellow leaves are a consequence of the dead roots. Why dead roots? Only you can answer. Too water? Not enought water? what about the light? Let us know.



Jade

[WhiteRabbit]

You may want to read the first few-several pages of this thread http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ad.php?t=44792.

[KendraRF]

Hi, update!!! So I wrapped the orchids little rootless stump in toilet tissue( I have no moss or any way to get any). No roots have sprouted But the leaves are starting to come back a little the smallest leave that I thought I would loose is coming back I am hopeful that this little one will come back!! But it is way too soon to tell . If my Phal makes a come back I will mount it to avoid this sadness again.
PS ~Sonya~ I have read many pages of that thread it helped a lot thank you!

---------- Post added at 11:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 PM ----------

Pps. As soon as I get it figured out I will post a pic or two of the Phal.

[vlhart]

I'm in the same boat with a Phal that I rescued a month ago. It was living in the back room of an underground florist shop in the NYC subway. The florist just gave it to me. Looked dry and dark-leaved but otherwise ok. It was in old rotting sphagnum. When I went to repot the roots were all dead except for three. I followed instructions for cutting off the dead roots with sterilized scissors and repotted in loose bark. I watered it once and then was gone for two weeks for xmas and when I returned the leaves were yellowing. Lost two and the inside of the pot smelled rotten. The remaining roots are all rotten now as is the base of the plant.

I'm hoping it's not too late for mine either! There was another thread here that recommended suspending rootless phals from a stake in a large-mouthed vase with wet sphagnum on the bottom (but not touching the plant) and keeping it as humid as possible. I tried that set up yesterday and this morning another of the leaves is quickly deteriorating. It seems to be both too dry and rotting at the same time. Maybe it's too far gone...

Best of luck with yours! Hoping others chime in with more expert advice.

[KendraRF]

I am hoping so too! And mine was still drying out when I sespened it so I wrapped it as a last resort kinda thing and it seems to be working. I also mist the top and underside of the leaves but I keep the crown dry.

[vlhart]

Yeah. I can't figure out if I should let mine dry out even more or go the other way and keep it wet. I also don't know if I should keep it in a dark place or in full sun (or as full sun as I can get in a NY winter). I've read conflicting things...

[KendraRF]

I read a lot of conflicting things too. I'm just trying everything till I find something that works. YouTube isn't much help at all and every website says something different. From what I gather its trial and error and a bit of personal preference.

[vlhart]

Yeah. Time to experiment...


Update: Mine was dead when I got home. But I realized the problem: crown rot. I guess this explains why the plant was rotting despite not being watered for two weeks. I must've gotten water in the crown before I left for the holidays.

And it's funny--I've spent hours poking around the internet and reading books looking at pictures of potential orchid pests and diseases and mistakes and I always overlooked crown rot because I thought "Well, obviously I won't make that mistake. Just don't get water in the crown. Simple." Then five minutes after I've thrown out the plant I come across a picture of crown rot and recognize it immediately.

Lesson learned.