Rescue Experiment: Root Rot

[bil]

Originally Posted by jh0330u

Does this mean that I could get some live kelp next time I am by the beach? (I live a few blocks from a beach)



Hi Bil. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

I completely understand that keeping a good environment for the phals from the first place is very important. I agree. However, For example, last time I visited my parents, I had noticed one of my father's indoor orchids were dead/dying due to overwatering. My mother said the house maid probably overwatered it while they were overseas.
I could see something like this happen to me if I had to leave my plant for my friend to water.

Watering every two three days with coarse bark medium sounds like a lot! That must mean some of the roots deep in the pot are always wet?

Interesting to hear that you water/fertilize less frequently.

That is too bad about the orchids all synchronizing!

Thanks for the pictures! I love pictures!
That is a very cool setup for your phals!
Wow. This is the first time I've heard of "mini" phals.
That small white one is amazing! Does that mini phal have three blooming spikes at the same time?! Bloom almost all year round?! How long is the dormancy period afterwards?

re the kelp.I think you will be putting too much effort into this. Seaweed from the beach is great of the compost heap. I do grasp you want to do stuff yourself, and I commend you for this. However, I think that the 'pain:gain' ratio is too far towards the pain threshold. I can see that you could end up with an inferior product, after a lot of work.
If your father's orchid had been in bark and not allowed to sit in water, It wouldn't have mattered HOW many times it was watered.
I use a plant saucer that is plenty big enough for the orchid pot, but I then stand a slightly smaller saucer upside down in that, and sit the orchid on top of that.

From what I hear, it doesn't matter if the roots are wet all the time. After all in SH, they never get the chance to dry out. You can argue that the medium doesn't need to dry out, because what counts is, CAN THE ROOTS BREATHE? If they are able to then nothing else matters.

Of course, medium that is wet all the time breaks down faster and has to be replaced sooner.

The setup for the big phals came about so that the flower spikes could grow naturally and hang down. It hangs from the roof, and doest touch the plants so that the snails don't bother them.
Some mini phals bloom for longer than others. One of the spikes on that one lasted for more than 6 months before the last flower fell. Then two more spikes took over.
"Watering every two three days with coarse bark medium sounds like a lot!"
Weeelll, yes, but then it makes you check the plant more often, and that's a good thing. Orchids need a bit more attention, IMO and that's a good way to give it.

What is always nice is spotting new roots and shoots, and in some ways I get more excited by that than the flowers in some ways, especially if it is a new plant, because it means you have probably succeeded and it will then grow nicely for you.

Oh yes. If you are too sparse with the watering, the leaves can go into shock, and go all soft and leathery. If that happens, I just ignore it. I just make sure to water more thoroughly. Using a spray, I usually get thru about 10 litres on the 22 Phals on that frame. A good bit is wasted by the spray slipping, or run thru ending up on the floor, but when I water like that, I don't get any leathery leaves.
One useful trick is to water lightly then go back a second time. The idea is that a dry medium lets water run off while it stays dry. Hitting it with a spray wets medium better, and then the medium absorbs that and becomes damp. A damp medium will then take up water very well.