How do I save this philaenopsis

[Arlevy]

Hi,
So I got this 6 leaves Phalaenopsis orchid from my mother in law.
All the roots (part from baby roots with black spots that I thought I could save) and the stem they connected to was rotting.
I sterilized a pair of scissors and removed the roots, left the stem and spray the heck out of it with hydrogen peroxide 3%.
Dry and repotted it on top of some bark.
In the next 2 days things got worse, the bottom leaves started to yellow and just fell when I touched them. There base was mushy.
Again, hydrogen par oxide 3% -> let dry -> back to the pot.
After a day the bottom leaf was start to yellow from the bottom. I thought that the rotted stem was the source of all evil. It was black and smelly.
Did some research and came into conclusions that all the blackness must go.
Sterilized my scissors and CHOP CHOP!
Again, hydrogen peroxide 3%, left to dry.
I have a rootless 2 leaved.
I really hope I did a good thing by chopping it out.
Don’t know how to proceed?
Do you think It have a hope?

Please help!

FYI, I left it in a glass cup with no water to so all the open cuts will dry.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Step 1. Ask questions/get advice first before proceeding.
Step 2. Don't cut off roots and spray with hydrogen peroxide.

I don't hold out much hope. You can try placing it in a plastic bag, somewhere shady indoors. If it survives, it could throw out a few new roots.

[Roberta]

Before all the cutting and the peroxide (which tends to destroy roots) it might have had a chance. Now, I sincerely doubt it. Give Orchid Whisperer's suggestion of putting it in a plastic bag a try, but don't be surprised if it goes the rest of the way dead. For the record, one does not need to remove everything black... good roots can develop such spots, and still be quite viable. Echoing the very good advice from Orchid Whisperer, ask questions BEFORE you cut instead of after.

[Arlevy]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Step 1. Ask questions/get advice first before proceeding.
Step 2. Don't cut off roots and spray with hydrogen peroxide.

I don't hold out much hope. You can try placing it in a plastic bag, somewhere shady indoors. If it survives, it could throw out a few new roots.

1. You are absolutely right, I was following information from “missorchidgirl” of YouTube and after your response I understand I did a fatal mistake for this orchid.

2. I put this orchid in a plastic bag.
Should I add some humidity to the environment like wet cloth or something?

[estación seca]

I have occasionally saved a plant such as this by leaving it in a glass with just enough water to touch any roots. Change the water every day. Let the plant dry completely for a few hours at least once a week. I have never managed to keep alive a plant like this in a plastic bag.

[Arlevy]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I have occasionally saved a plant such as this by leaving it in a glass with just enough water to touch any roots. Change the water every day. Let the plant dry completely for a few hours at least once a week. I have never managed to keep alive a plant like this in a plastic bag.

Did you see the pictures?
I have left with a dry stem, and tiny root thread.
Does this thread considered as “root”?
can it hydrate the orchid?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Yes, Miss Orchid Girl provides some questionable advice.

To head off a future post, if you ever see advice she gives about Fusarium, please ignore.

[estación seca]

Phals store a large amount of water in their leaves. A plant like yours, with 2 large leaves, usually has enough vitality to make a new root or two. Then it will be able to take in more water and grow more leaves. Your plant is in poor condition, but it might survive.

[camille1585]

When simply cleaning up a plant, it's fine to remove any questionable roots since there are many other healthy ones. With a plant that has a root system in poor condition, it's better to be more critical. Black roots may not be dead and sometimes the portion of a root by the base of the plant may seem dead, but then it's followed by a relatively healthy section. On a struggling plant it's good to leave those on since any bit of functioning root is good.

As to the peroxide, while it's good for treating crown rot, it should never be used on roots and it usually does more harm than good. A better approach is to snip whatever rooten roots there are, then leave the bare plant out to dry for a couple hours before repotting.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I would take Camille's bare root advice in a somewhat different direction. Take a Phalaenopsis with few or no apparently good roots, either hang the bare plant up somewhere, or put the bare root mass in an empty pot (shaded location). You actually don't need to trim bad roots yet. Rinse the bare roots under clean tap water daily, this will hydrate any living roots. Allow the roots to air dry again before watering again.

Within a month, it should be evident whether any roots are living (at least some firm root tissue, not papery), when in doubt, don't cut). If the leaves start to get wrinkles, try tenting a plastic bag over the plant to conserve humidity. A Phalaenopsis can be maintained a long time with this bare roots care.

If the plant can recover, it should start pushing out new roots. When it has new roots a few centimeters long, you can trim dead roots and repot into bark medium.