NEED EXPERT EYES
 

so i repotted these a couple months back, they only have a couple little nubs for roots, i was told wrinkly leaves usually means dehydration, so i moved them to the bathroom cause its SUPER humid, and i keep trying to make sure the little "root nubs" are getting water...about how long does it take for the roots to grow more? and what do these discoloured spots mean? and one has a bit missing off the edge of one of its leaves...could something have eaten on it? anywho, they dont seemed to have declined more since i moved them and have been concentrating on keeping what they do have for roots moist, but how do i know they're improving? sorry for so many questions, but here are some pix, they are worth a thousand words. THANKS! Attachment 69510

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First off...

The advice you got about the plants suffering from dehydration is only part of the story! It's actually a bit more complicated than just "it's dehydrated".

The part(s) that got neglected is "Why is the plant dehydrated?", or "What is causing the dehydration to occur?"

The quick and easy answer of "the plant is dehydrated" assumes a lot of things! One of the simplest misunderstandings is that the answer is to simply water more, which may not actually solve the problem, but make it worse!!!

So to answer the question of why the plant is dehydrated, we have to look at the possibilities.

And they are:

1. It just plain needs more water. Simple. Done.

or...

2. The roots got severely damaged to the point where the water uptake of the few roots that are still alive and healthy is very limited.

or, worse yet...

3. The plant has no living roots on it whatsoever! Without roots, the plant has severely limited means of obtaining the proper amount of moisture to keep its cells turgid.

When diagnosing problems with orchids, I encourage people to look at all the possibilities and exploring whether those possibilities are what really is going on. It is not always easy and clear cut. Do not be deceived by the "obvious". Solutions to problems will not always be "obvious".

Secondly, I think that pot is just way too big for the plant, unless the plant really does have a root system that large.


Another thing...

The pictures are too small. Pertinent details that need to be focused on in the photos cannot be seen. Is it possible to take more photos that make the issues you are talking about clear to the viewers, please?. :)

I agree with what has been said this far. Are you using your smart phone to upload pictures? They are usually small as compared to uploading from a computer.

If you haven't taken them completely out of the pots to see if there are healthy roots, and repotted in fresh mix, that is your first assignment. And yes, these pots are too big unless they actually have huge root systems.

If they don't have enough roots to hold them firmly in place then they need to be immobilized somehow - a couple stakes on each side or whatever. New roots just don't have a chance to grow if the plant is flopping around.

The leaf looks like it had some kind of mechanical damage from bumping against something rather than someone taking a bite out of it.

I agree with the above posts but she already stated that she repotted already and the plants only had nubs for roots. So yes these plants are in way too big of pots.

You want to choose a pot that is well draining and fits the size of the root ball snugly. You don't want to match the pot to the top growth. Since these guys don't have many roots they need to be in smaller pots. Over potting leads to root rot because there is too much meadium in the big pots and it will take too long to dry out. Take them out of the pots and take pictures of the roots of each plant and show us. You need to get them in smaller pots anyway. We need to see what condition the roots are in. Also please make sure there is as much detail as possible. We need to be able to see everything clearly. Thanks!

Could you be uploading pics from your phone? They make pics smaller generally.

dangit, i got a new phone and on my old one when id post pix and you clicked on them they were pretty big, didnt realize these were so small...sorry :(

That's okay!:)

heres 1 Attachment 69534 Attachment 69535

and 2 Attachment 69536 Attachment 69537

does anyone know what to do about these???:(

It doesn't look good. Is the root on the first one squishy and or hollow? If so then that plant doesn't have any roots. The second plant has two tiny roots but they don't have active root tips so they aren't growing. They would need to grow new roots to survive. I would say as a last resort to save them I would spag and bag them. But there is a good chance they won't survive. Sorry.

exactly what is spag and bag?

It refers to the practice of putting a plant in a plastic bag with some moist sphagnum moss in the hopes that the little greenhouse environment will help prevent the plant from dessicating and to encourage new root growth.

In my opinion, it's just a faster way to kill a sick plant as it also encourages mold and fungus growth. You're better off using the sphagnum moss in a pot (as small a pot as possible filled with 1/2 moss and 1/2 drainage material like styrofoam, charcoal, rocks, etc.) and keeping the plant in a shady humid spot to recover.

know anywhere good to get small enough pots? and should i maybe sphag and bag until i get a pot?

Actually I have had great success with the sphag and bag method. I cut holes in the bag though for air flow. If you do it right it does work. I have two thriving orchids to prove it. Here is a link to a thread where I helped another member with the sphag and bag method. I took pics and showed her how I prepare the bag. Feel free to read through it and try it if you want. http://www.orchidboard.com/community...king-good.html I also have put a ziplock bag over the plant when it is potted to keep humidity high around the plant. I talk about that in this thread too.

There's no need to go out of your way - the bottom section of a soda bottle works exceptionally well so long as you cut drainage holes in the bottom. You can also use plastic cups, yogurt containers, whatever. With good luck, they'll only be in them for a short time until you move them back into a larger pot; with bad luck, they're already in disposable containers ;)

I have used both the Sphag/Paper towel method and the small pot Sphagnum moss method.

Since Sphagnum moss isn’t always available, I substitute it with paper towels for the bag method. Here is how it is done:
1 – Wet paper towels, a couple of sheets, roll them into balls and squeeze out extra water. Don’t squeeze too hard, the object is to moisten the paper towels but not dripping wet.

2 – Put the root section of the plant in a small zip block bag and dump the paper towels into the bag. The leaves should be out side of the bag. Zip the bag up. Since the leaves are in the way, the bag won’t be completely zipped, leaving some space for airflow, which is exactly what we want.

3 – Place the plant in a shady and humid place. May be your bathroom is a good place. The plant would need some light so not in complete darkness. You may opt to mist spray in the morning to keep the leaves from too much dehydration.

4 – Change the paper towels every week or so just so that mold would not accumulate.

I have saved one phalaenopsis this way and one mini cattleya this way. I the past I used to dump the entire plant inside a big bag and zip it up. That never worked for me. My entire plant would rot in a very short time. Hopefully this will save your plant.

Andrew

so, i have gallon bags and moist sphag moss, is it ok to put the moss in the bottom, the whole plant on top, zip it up and maybe cut some holes in a few places or would leaving it partially open do just as well?

The purpose of putting moss in the bag is to provide humidity. So moist moss and not dripping wet. Putting it in the bottom is fine. If too much condensation, you can open the top to let in some air.
Andrew

I put the moss in the bottom of the bag. I cut the corners off for air holes and put some more air holes in the sides. I put the whole plant in the bag because it keeps humidity around the whole plant. I just watch the plant and open the bag some if it is too wet or needs more airflow. If you see mold growing, the environment isn't getting enough airflow. I would cut holes and close the bag as much as you can to keep as much humidity around the plant as you can. I think keeping the leaves out will make the plant lose more moisture through the leaves and they could fall off faster. Just my opinion though.

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i think this pic my show up upside down? dont know why, but apart from that, does this seem ok?

Are the roots wrapped with spaghnum or just sitting on it? If its wrapped don't wrap it tight just loosely. I usually just sit the roots on the moss. Check it often to make sure it gets airflow. I usually open the bag for awhile at least every couple days to get fresh air in the bag. Also make sure the air holes are not collapsed. Good luck!

they're not wrapped. i just stuck the bottom in a little, so it would stand up, with the roots atop the moss. anything i need to keep an eye out for?

Just mold or rot probably. And new growth!