Saving a store bought Phal

[silken]

It looks like a very good root! And yes, they turn green when wet and as they dry, back to a silver gray colour.

[LittleWatty]

Just saved another Phal. It was one of the ones that was healthy looking when I saved the other Phal in this thread, but no one bought it or its sibling, so they suffered. I caved today and decided to snatch it up, if they hadn't tossed it yet (the other had 2 spikes, one drying up, and looked even worse. If I could have, I would have saved it too).

Anyway. This one is a bit of a puzzle for me. It has a tangled mess of roots, but its hard to tell which ones are still viable. There's at least one good, healthy white root, and one semi-decent green root. However, all the others look like they're rotted, or will be rotting. Yet when I feel them, they just feel deflated, not hollow and rotted. So... I didn't trim them. I ripped apart the sphag (which was a chore compared to the last one. Bone dry and hard as a rock), and now have it sitting in a solution of superthrive and water. I need to get his roots started because he doesn't look like his leaves will last very long. The two oldest are purple and really shriveled, and one of its biggest leaves is splitting down the middle.

Anyway, pictures are below. Tips on this guy would be great.

[silken]

I see a few good roots. After it has soaked for a while, see what feels firm and plump. Anything hollow and mushy is rotten although I don't see any black real rotten ones. Sounds like this one got under-watered whereas they are usually over-watered. The leaves look a bit desiccated, but not about to die yet. I think a good soak as you are doing and then potting it in something that has been soaked. Allow it to nearly dry before watering again. I like clear pots as the roots can photosynthesize. I can't remember if you were already told this. Good luck. It's a lovely one!

[LittleWatty]

Yep - and they came in a clear plastic pot inside a decorative opaque pot (that is way too big, it pins the lower leaves upwards). The leaves are very wrinkled, but the wrinkles don't seem as deep as the purple phal I rescued. I'll probably be soaking this phal for another two hours, unless that sounds like too much. I'm betting the orchids they had in the back (not Mother's Day orchids, and there were only 3 of them prior to me buying 2 of them) were over watered at one point, and then just left to fend for themselves without any water. The purple phal at least had a little moisture in the center of the sphag ball, but this one had absolutely none.

[silken]

I put leca (clay) balls in the bottom of the decorative pots to bring the level of my plastic pot so it sits even with the top and then the leaves aren't cramped. Also for sure the plastic pot never sits in water and there is a bit of air under the plastic pot from sitting on dry leca balls.

2 hours should be fine to soak the roots. Sometimes real shriveled leaves may not completely plum up but will still be fine and new leaves will grow in smooth and un-shrivelled.

[LittleWatty]

I'm hoping it will manage to put out a new leaf soon. All of the old ones are looking quite sad, and it appears to have not put out any new growth for quite some time (excluding maybe a few roots). The top leaf is quite long, and there's no sign of a new one coming in. I managed to get one of my mother's sick Phals to put out a new leaf (it only had 4 left, and it looks worse than the two here), so this one has a chance!

[Wynn Dee13]

If the roots are not squishy and rotten and are just shriveled up they can sprout new roots from them. Also if you wet the moss before removing it from the root ball it is easier to get the moss off the roots. The plant looks like it will recover. Those old leaves won't plump up all the way again but they should still be fine. Once the plant gets settled in its new home it will put out a new leaf. You just need to give it some time.

[LittleWatty]

Soaked the plant for about 2.5-3 hours. Leaves didn't plump up, but many of the roots did. That at least gives it a fighting chance. I didn't end up using about 1/4 of the moss when I repotted it.

[Wynn Dee13]

You didn't reuse the old moss did you? I wouldn't do that cause it will need to be repotted again soon. The moss will be broken down too much.

Sorry if I misunderstood your post and you used new moss. I just want to make sure you know not to reuse it.

[LittleWatty]

I don't have choice for now. I'll be re-repotting it in a week or so when I actually have access to some good potting material (Schultz's orchid mix, if I remember the name right). But, as a temporary housing location, it is in the old sphag. I tore it completely apart, breaking it into as many small pieces as I could, but its also just temporary.