Phal leaves yellowing after bud blast - Orchid Board

MrsRegent · #1 04-13-2018, 05:10 PM

Hi everyone

My phal is struggling. It's a grocery store one I've had for about a year and a half so I don't know what cultivar it is.
It had a lovely looking spike about 2 months ago that just withered without blooming. I've learned that's called bud blast, and in my case the most likely case was cold temperatures at night as it was too close to the window during a -30C stint. I've relocated it to be farther from the window.
Shortly after the buds started withering the largest leaf yellowed and died, but it produced a new leaf at the same time so I figured it was okay as it's done that before post-spike. Now a second leaf has started to yellow over about the last 2 weeks. Is this a continuation of cold damage? Do I try to rehab this plant?

I've included a picture of the roots as this plant has had some root issues. I repotted it about 6 months ago after discovering a small mushroom in the growing medium. New roots have been very slow growing.

Any thoughts and advise are appreciated!

beepybeetle · #2 04-13-2018, 07:45 PM

That plant looks dehydrated to hell and back. Root damage? It could be cold damage but most of the time windows and houses in general should be very well insulated, unless you open the window. If you moved your plant to somewhere warmer and it still got the same damage afterwards, then I don't think it's cold damage

estación seca · #3 04-13-2018, 07:58 PM

Before doing anything else, browse through a sticky thread here. In the left yellow menu select Forums, then Beginners, then look near the top for the thread The Phal abuse stops here.

After you have browsed the thread, and have an idea of how to take care of Phals, you need to take your plant out of the pot and see whether there are any roots other than the one green one seen in the photo. Your plant probably did get too cold. It also is severly dehydrated. This might be because you haven't watered it enough, or it might be because there are few live roots. Taking it out of the pot will answer that question. At the point take some more photos and show us.

MrsRegent · #4 04-16-2018, 11:59 PM

I'd say not enough roots is the problem.
I've been misting the roots every day since I noticed it was struggling. It's quite dry here and I think I just didn't up my watering enough to account for almost total lack of humidity this winter.
Any thoughts on what else I should do? I read that taking off the covering part of the blackened, shriveled roots is good so I did that.

Thanks!

WaterWitchin · #5 04-17-2018, 09:32 AM

Wow, now THAT's dehydration.

Misting the roots daily isn't enough. Were it mine, I'd try vase culture and see if you can get the two viable roots (that I can see from the last picture) to sustain it while it puts out new root growth.

If you go to top of page, look at red/maroon bar at top of forums, toward right find the "search" button, click on it and search "vase culture" and do a bit of research. Some also might suggest "sphag and bag." I just suggest the former as it's easier to not rot the plant while on a learning curve.

Good Luck, and welcome to Orchid Board.

And question away as needed.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #6 04-17-2018, 09:40 AM

Reduce pot size and grow like normal. Another option is to mount the orchid on cork bark with moss under the roots and water 1 - 2 times a day, daily. Do not mist, water pot thoroughly instead. It will recover in 1 - 2 years, (seems long, but that is roughly the time frame it takes provided everything goes right). Good luck.