Root Rot in Phalaenopsis Needed repotting

[CR7cristiano]

I have a Phal that i discovered to have root rot after i noticed it was very loose in its pot even though it was packed rather tightly.
Bare in mind that i got this orchid in December 2011 and it had Bloomed three times since up until almost a month now when i cut the spike.

The real question i have is afte removing the plant from the pot and cutting away all the dead roots i have maybe 3 healthy plump roots remaining. I soaked the roots in a fungicide/bactericide solution for a day. How long should i now soak it in a mix of fertilizer and superthrive before repotting in a gravel mix?

thanks

[Orchidreamer]

Others like to soak their orchids for 30min-1 hr in Superthrive. I like to soak mine for longer, up to 3-4 hours.

[CR7cristiano]

Originally Posted by Zootrophion

Others like to soak their orchids for 30min-1 hr in Superthrive. I like to soak mine for longer, up to 3-4 hours.

Ok so then i definitely have gone 4 hrs + so i guess now i can repot it and not water it for the next 5-10 days then

thanks

[james mickelso]

Let's see. Hmmmm. The phal has rotted roots. Probably from water stagnating around the them in what media we aren't told. The rotted roots have been cut off with a few left that may or may not be viable because it takes a week or so for the roots to show outwardly they are going south, and now even they are going to get drowned. Hmmm. A quick dosing in fungicide/bateriacide should be sufficient because the offending organism is most likely topical anyway and if it is inside the roots the chemical can't reach it no matter how long it is soaked and then to add insult to injury, the remaining roots will be thoroughly drowned in more water/chemical. Now that makes sense. Why not let the plant alone and just keep it humid so it can start to heal itself the way it was meant to do. It has the ability to do so if left alone long enough. All kidding aside, why are you drowning this poor thing for so long? Most rot, but not all, are caused by organisms that thrive in wet cool environments around roots that have been emersed in water for too long and need nothing more than to be left to dry out. Yes the prudent thing to do is to cut off the roots that are no longer viable so as to help curtail anymore damage and the spread of the organism to healthy tissue, treat quickly with the appropriate solution, then leave it alone. Superthrive won't help if the root is going south anyway and the root if it is thoroughly saturated with fungicide won't be taken up. Eat a huge turkey dinner and feel what happens to you if you try to eat anything more. Same analogy. Soak for 5 minutes and then leave it alone. You don't even need to pot it. Just hang it in a jar or water glass/coffee cup, and mist the leaves a couple times a day for a week. Then pot in a course loose mix. Will last in that for a couple months and if it feels well enough, it will put out new roots just like that. Not trying to ruffle any feathers. Just my opinion.

[CR7cristiano]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Let's see. Hmmmm. The phal has rotted roots. Probably from water stagnating around the them in what media we aren't told. The rotted roots have been cut off with a few left that may or may not be viable because it takes a week or so for the roots to show outwardly they are going south, and now even they are going to get drowned. Hmmm. A quick dosing in fungicide/bateriacide should be sufficient because the offending organism is most likely topical anyway and if it is inside the roots the chemical can't reach it no matter how long it is soaked and then to add insult to injury, the remaining roots will be thoroughly drowned in more water/chemical. Now that makes sense. Why not let the plant alone and just keep it humid so it can start to heal itself the way it was meant to do. It has the ability to do so if left alone long enough. All kidding aside, why are you drowning this poor thing for so long? Most rot, but not all, are caused by organisms that thrive in wet cool environments around roots that have been emersed in water for too long and need nothing more than to be left to dry out. Yes the prudent thing to do is to cut off the roots that are no longer viable so as to help curtail anymore damage and the spread of the organism to healthy tissue, treat quickly with the appropriate solution, then leave it alone. Superthrive won't help if the root is going south anyway and the root if it is thoroughly saturated with fungicide won't be taken up. Eat a huge turkey dinner and feel what happens to you if you try to eat anything more. Same analogy. Soak for 5 minutes and then leave it alone. You don't even need to pot it. Just hang it in a jar or water glass/coffee cup, and mist the leaves a couple times a day for a week. Then pot in a course loose mix. Will last in that for a couple months and if it feels well enough, it will put out new roots just like that. Not trying to ruffle any feathers. Just my opinion.

Oops i forget to mention it was in a sphagnum moss medium prior to this repot.
Thanks alot man...the more assistance and opinions the better

[james mickelso]

I think if you leave it hanging by it's leaves in a glass or coffee cup, somewhere warm and bright with a little air movement it will come back nicely. If it was healthy enough to grow that many flower spikes you did a good job growing it and it should respond right away. But I think it just needs a rest. A dry rest with enough misting to keep it hydrated. Good luck and please keep us informed. We're always curious as to what works well and what doesn't. And we love pictures.

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[CR7cristiano]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

I think if you leave it hanging by it's leaves in a glass or coffee cup, somewhere warm and bright with a little air movement it will come back nicely. If it was healthy enough to grow that many flower spikes you did a good job growing it and it should respond right away. But I think it just needs a rest. A dry rest with enough misting to keep it hydrated. Good luck and please keep us informed. We're always curious as to what works well and what doesn't. And we love pictures.

I'll take some pics of what i have managed to salvage from the roots and post them in a few
I placed it right in its spot where it thrived so happily until the case of the moss gone bad lol

[CR7cristiano]

here are the pics.
The phal to the left of it is one that i had self pollinated about two months back (pod doing well; growing).

[james mickelso]

Yeah I'd definately just let it dry out and mist only until you see how much of those roots stay alive. The root itself is probably ok but the velamen is suspect. The root can grow out more root tips but the velamen needs to dry out so you can see how much survives., It will continue to photosynthesize using the starch in the leaf tissue. Warm and bright but not too bright. A little water below the root level if you suspend it in a glass or cup will help with humidity also. Good luck. I've saved much worse. You grew it well. Let it use what it has stored.

[bronco]

I have had several Phals that had root rot and have been sucessful,reviving them using water culture.
I recently had 2 Phals with no roots at all.
I placed them in a container of water submerging the plant in water uo to the lower leaves. In about 3 weeks it put out healthy new roots.
Here are the pics.