phal rescue?

[tedro]

OK now I do believe I have to cut the spike and all the lovely buds on it. As my phal will die probably trying to bloom.

I do have two blooms and lots of buds but it’s taken very very long and I believe the leaves are becoming leathery and it’s getting to the death stage.

I thought today I would cut off the spike.

I also have a container of Ray’s kelpmax.

That’s what I have to work with. How should I go about it exactly?

btw, If I cut the spike will my phal go back to vegetation? Or is it just hoping that it will?
I fear become too cool in here.

I’m not really able to do anything special I can cut the spike I can re-pot I can use special food but that’s about it.

until I hear from the experts here I think I’m just gonna go and cut the spike right now but I’m not gonna do anything else.

Thank you

[Paphluvr]

Are you able to post a picture for us to look at? It might help us give you some direction.

If by leathery leaves you mean wrinkled leaves this is usually caused by underwatering or loss of roots. This might also explain why it has taken long to develope.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Paphluvr

Are you able to post a picture for us to look at? It might help us give you some direction.

If by leathery leaves you mean wrinkled leaves this is usually caused by underwatering or loss of roots. This might also explain why it has taken long to develope.

hi,
I added a picture but I don’t think it will tell you much.
The problem is loss of roots.

[Shadeflower]

Hey tedro, I was just thinking about yours the other day.

I honestly thought you had already cut the spike.

Mine has stopped growing, stopped drinking, everything is on standstill with mine. Frozen in time...

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Hey tedro, I was just thinking about yours the other day.

I honestly thought you had already cut the spike.

Mine has honestly stopped growing, stopped drinking, everything is on standstill with mine. Frozen in time...

Shadeflower,

I thought we might be able to make it. I had one bud bloom last week I had another bud bloom but those two blooms took several months at least all the other blooms are sitting there they all look healthy like they want to go but the plant itself is just getting limper.

Someone said on here in one of my other threads about this that it would probably bloom itself to death.
With things taking as long as they are I believe that that would probably be true we might make it we might not but a lot more damage would be done and it might be irretrievable.

today I cut off the spike. But I don’t know what else I should do, to encourage veg/root growth.

most things I’ve seen on rescuing an orchid or more far gone and they take the Orcutt out and trim up the roots and soak the leaves and everything else. But I’m not doing anything else until I hear from you guys. I did cut the spike and put cinnamon on the cut. but I didn’t remove it from the pot. Which frankly I don’t think is very good because I repotted it again back a few months ago when I after I cut off some of the bottom of the roots. But this repotting has a bunch of rocks in the bottom and it’s not very good probably.

for the record, a year ago it had plenty of roots, so i’ve seen that go away, first hand. with a blackened lower core, etc.

[Shadeflower]

I think the flowers developing are a good sign but still trying to get mine to flower so I'll just add the latest pic of mine too.. Literally not much change

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

I think the flowers developing are a good sign but still trying to get mine to flower so I'll just add the latest pic of mine too.. Literally not much change

wow. i can see yours has good roots, no?
interesting.

mine gets tons of light 12 hrs a day. (not direct)
when healthy it blooms, as you may have seen, profusely.
even this time she was all ready to go. but alas, i changed my mind about letting it “bloom itself to death.” i hope not too late. if it’s the champ i think it is, we may make it.

[Shadeflower]

tedro I did see yours last year. It was quite inspirational as you can see my crummy hybrid is nowhere near as floriferous.

I can see good roots on your picture. I'm pretty sure I've had worse cases than you are dealing with.

Not sure there is much more you can do. Mine is doing fine, still on a mission to get it looking like a specimen phal but it will take years before it loses that top wonky leaf so I hope yours copies mine into the new year.

But I think you should get it some company from the supermarket anyway. It still surprises me you only have the one. Get more, that way chances of one doing well every year is much higher

[tedro]

some update pics.
i should’ve taken a pic after i:
cut off those black parts fully.
last years spike came easily out.
cut the ends of 2 or 3 roots to green.

see added (last) pic of roots with bad ends (black roots gone now; other two trimmed to nearest green.)

put it back in pot and fed with Kelpmax.
needed a stick to try to keep it from falling out, as i put/planted as high as i could. core is above media.

my 12 hr light is done for today, i placed phal under weak light for some warmth and dry effect instead straight into night having just been fed.

due to generally cool temps. i think i should not water it again for a month.
obviously (to me) my media (due to temp?) is not drying nearly as quick as previous 2 years.

i finally agree with whoever said weeks ago that i did not the root system to support blooming. i think i get it now.

if phal makes it she’ll be super phal.

[tedro]

not sure phal is going to make it.

i put the spike in water, a bit of fert; i take a fresh thin slice the end twice so far. …instead of throwing it out.



(the second pic is 2 blooms, there when i took it off 2 weeks ago. the tiniest, newer, buds are dying off.)