Phalaenopsis root rot Crisis

[Shardless1337]

Sorry for posting a story but the events may help understand the situation.
A few months ago a neighbor of mine, while moving out of his apartment, decided to give me his Plalaenopsis. The day that he was bringing the plant to me he dropped it shattering the Pot and severely damaging the plant itself. I rushed to the nearest Home and Garden shop and purchased a Terracotta Orchid Pot, Orchid food and the same Orchid potting Mix as used before (a charcoal and bark mix). After a month or two of TLC the Orchid seemed to perk up and start to put out new leaves. Three days ago I started to notice that the leaves were becoming limp and leathery, and read that root rot could be causing this so I repotted the orchid. Removing the dead roots meant taking the roots down to very little good roots and a few what looks like incoming roots. I am concerned for the plant and would appreciate any advice. This is what I believe to be a large Orchid and many seasons old. I live in a very dry part of the South so I have a humidifier in the room (around 30-40% humidity) and the Pot sitting top of pebbles in a tray of water. I use distilled water with orchid food.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

This plant is fine!

There's no root rot going on that I can see. Root rot turns the roots into mush.

The thing's got so many aerial roots it looks like an octopus.

It's probably old leaves dying off.

The plant's got tons of keikis, you might want to consider seeing if you can remove them carefully.

[Shardless1337]

The roots under the potting medium were mush. Those are what had to be cut off considerably, it looked like a tumor in the bottom of the pot. The plant has tons of aerial roots and the leaves are in fairly good condition. These pictures were taken about a month ago, havent had the chance to get new pictures with the damage.

[johnblagg]

Those areial roots will help a lot as you can repot it in new medium and with them in the air still mist them with fertilizer solution to keep it fed and watered as if it was growing on a tree and it will grow out new roots that will reach for the medium.

I myself would clean it up and repot it with some of them in the new medium and some still out to be misted.

This plant is a survivor and you will save it!!!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

This plant is very savable.

How often do you water?

[Shardless1337]

Due to Dry conditions and a very bitter winter I have problems determining when to water. I do a full watering around once a week, and mist 2-3 times a week. The Humidifier is running around the clock.
Is the plant capable of recovering from nearly No Roots?

Since these pictures the bottom tray has been cleaned and new pebbles were added, and according to the story it has had a tumorous mass of dead roots, and then repotted in new medium soaked in Orchid Food

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Shardless1337

Is the plant capable of recovering from nearly No Roots?

Yes, but your plant has roots. So this is not a problem for you.

The emphasis is to get the correct watering regimen for you.

Originally Posted by Shardless1337

Due to Dry conditions and a very bitter winter I have problems determining when to water. I do a full watering around once a week, and mist 2-3 times a week. The Humidifier is running around the clock.

Okay...

If you're misting, it should be on the exposed aerial roots not the leaves. The humidity from the humidifier is taking care of the leaves.

I recommend a clear plastic container.

1. You can see what's happening to the roots.

2. The roots are able to photosynthesize. Yes, you read correctly, they can photosynthesize, that's why they're green.

Allow the roots to dry out a little before watering again.

It's hard to time, because each growing area has different conditions.

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[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I also recommend that Phalaenopsis not be grown upright anymore.

Here's why...

Pictures of them in the wild:

phalaenopsis in situ - Flickr: Search

I highly recommend looking at the pictures.

Here's a statement as to why:

Phals grow on trees horizontally so that when it rains, the water dribbles away from the crown so that water doesn't get trapped inside. It prevents crown rot.

When you grow them upright, water gets trapped in the crown and you get a prevalent case of crown rot.

Crown rot is 100% preventable and avoidable. Just orient the Phals the way they would in the wild.

Plus...

Over time, the plant's going to lean over to how it would grow naturally anyways. Why bother trying to stake the plant upright when it just doesn't want to?

The crown should be facing the light source (your window).

[Shardless1337]

Thank you so much for the advice, I have already put out calls to the local Garden Centers for Clear Orchid Pots and will pick one up once I get off work.

Just to clairify, the aerial roots are as capable of sustaining the plant as the sub-medium roots?
Srry about all the questions as you have read this was sprung on me very recently, and I have never had a plant of this complexity.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Shardless1337

Thank you so much for the advice, I have already put out calls to the local Garden Centers for Clear Orchid Pots and will pick one up once I get off work.

Just to clairify, the aerial roots are as capable of sustaining the plant as the sub-medium roots?
Srry about all the questions as you have read this was sprung on me very recently, and I have never had a plant of this complexity.

Understandable.

Yes, the roots above the medium are just as capable of functioning the same way as the ones inside the pot.

The ones in the air are just adjusted to a dryer environment than the ones in the pot.

When you stick the roots that have been exposed to the air into the pot, you must be careful to not over water them.