Phal rescue - sunburn, stem rot, crown rot, root rot?? - Orchid Board

esmith1010 · #1 08-20-2020, 05:08 PM

Hello,
I am new to this and want to bring this guy back to life. Not sure what the exact ailment (s) is/are.

Need advice on size pot to put him in and the medium or should I use hydroponics and what would I put in the water. The roots are SO long.

I have let him soak for a bit in water with a root revitalizer in it and now just have about an inch of distilled water but I want to get him settled.

SouthPark · #2 08-20-2020, 07:12 PM

This orchid still looks quite alright actually.

You could just pot this up in a big pot of say airy bark media. Very good drainage pot can be used. Then put the orchid in a reasonably bright growing spot (but not too bright or super bright - no direct sun) - maintain good growing temperature and temperature range, and water the orchid in a way that won't allow the roots to remain overly wet for relatively long periods of time.

And provide some gentle air-movement if the growing area hasn't got natural gentle air-movement.

For big deep pots - you can (if you want) water around the outer regions of the pot. Get the water around the edge region, and let the water go all the way down the sides (into the media on the outskirts ---- inside of the pot that is). That can generally keep the air humid in the pot, and not drown roots.

Roberta · #3 08-20-2020, 08:14 PM

The crown area doesn't look great, but it is possible that the new leaf just broke off and it's OK. If there is an issue there, the plant in general is big and husky enough that if it can't grow from the crown it could very easily produce a basal growth. So pot it up and let it grow. You can either go for a really deep pot (like the narrow Cymbidium pots) or just wind the roots around a more common one.

SouthPark · #4 08-20-2020, 08:24 PM

esmith ----- also - if possible, just keep the leaves and stem dry. Don't allow water to get into the crown area (even though we know there are always exceptions where orchids can handle water in crown).

estación seca · #5 08-20-2020, 09:25 PM

Something has been nibbling on it. If you just pot it up and keep it away from critters it should grow just fine.

Phals are low-light plants. They are happiest if no direct sun ever hits their leaves.

esmith1010 · #6 08-21-2020, 10:01 AM

Thank you everyone!