2 phals, one thriving, one dying!

[2SadDeadPhals]

Hi guys! Hope you are all doing well. It's growing season in the N hemisphere!

I got 2 mini phals from an Etsy seller at the exact same time, and they seemed healthy when I received them. But one was in a broken down medium, as opposed to one that was in a fresher medium. I repotted them in exact same set up, and now one is doing really well but the one that was in broken down medium keeps losing roots... is it due to transplant shock?

[Roberta]

First, once potted leave them alone! The one with poor roots is going to take some time (months not days or weeks) to recover. Pot it up and give it a chance to grow some new roots.

[2SadDeadPhals]

Originally Posted by Roberta

First, once potted leave them alone! The one with poor roots is going to take some time (months not days or weeks) to recover. Pot it up and give it a chance to grow some new roots.

So do you think the one orchid just came with issues with its roots? I just wondered why one went bad while the other one is doing great. Should I have watered the one with bad medium more often? (since the broken down medium retained water more) I was wondering if this was "transplant shock" I read about, and if there was anything I need to do differently for future reference

BTW, I have ordered an Oncidium Twinkle! Can't wait for it to arrive (and keep it alive hahaha).

[Roberta]

The one in bad medium came with problems - once the bad medium was replaced, the plant was given a chance to recover. But it is a very slow process. The bad medium took months to destroy those roots (long before you acquired it), the new medium will give the plant a chance to grow new ones but that will take months, also. If leaves are limp from lack of water (due to bad roots) they usually don't stiffen up, but new growth is normal. You can treat both plants the same... water often enough so that the medium is damp but not soggy. Air in the root zone is critical. You may find that a supplement like Kelpak is helpful to stimulate root growth, especially on the problematic one. If you use it, follow the directions - once a month, more is not better.

[2SadDeadPhals]

Originally Posted by Roberta

The one in bad medium came with problems - once the bad medium was replaced, the plant was given a chance to recover. But it is a very slow process. The bad medium took months to destroy those roots (long before you acquired it), the new medium will give the plant a chance to grow new ones but that will take months, also. If leaves are limp from lack of water (due to bad roots) they usually don't stiffen up, but new growth is normal. You can treat both plants the same... water often enough so that the medium is damp but not soggy. Air in the root zone is critical. You may find that a supplement like Kelpak is helpful to stimulate root growth, especially on the problematic one. If you use it, follow the directions - once a month, more is not better.

Ohhhh!!!! So it just came with issues. That's really good to know. I thought I did something wrong but was perplexed that the other one is doing so well.

The bad one turned 2 leaves yellow, which fell off. I looked in the pot and found a lot of mushy gross roots, so I removed them. I will put it on the side and leave it alone (aside from feeding it) and hopefully it will recover! Thanks for the advise. I did get some kelp thing, so I will try giving it some

Just goes to show that the vendor I bought them from didn't keep orchids very healthy. This is 3 out of 4 that's declined! (these were replacements for 2 that died soon after arrival)

I ordered the Twinkle from Orchid Insanity, who has fairly good review in the vendor section here. So I am hoping it will arrive healthy! Thanks again.

[Roberta]

There are plenty of good orchid vendors to choose from - read through the Vendor Feedback sub-forum to get some ideas. Your time and money are much better spent keeping healthy plants healthy than trying to revive those that someone else has started down the road to compost.

[2SadDeadPhals]

Yes! I'm doing research and am trying to buy from reputable vendors only! Even if I have to pay a bit more, I think it will be worth it at the end. That lesson has definitely been learned.