Is My Orchid Dead?!?!?!? - Orchid Board

butterflygr396 · #1 10-23-2012, 12:38 PM

My orchids leaves both fell off today(there were 2)
and almost all the roots are brown. the only thing that is a green is the core and there is a little spike atached to it. should I repot it? the dirt/moss is kinda like a sponge so every time i water it, which is every Thursday, it stays wet for awhile. By the way, it is a mini Just Add Ice orchid. it has one hole on the bottom of the container. lately i have been switching of with fertilizer one week and ice the next. is it dead? or does it have some sort of pest or disease? I also have a regular sized orchid which is a Just Add Ice orchid as well Which is a very healthy plant.
Thanks!!

Bill U. · #2 10-23-2012, 01:44 PM

Welcome to the Board!

First off, there can be a couple of things that may be going on, so I highly suggest that once you are able to upload pictures (I believe after 5 posts) that you do so- it helps the rest of us help you because then we can actually see what is going on.

I would say that your phal is definitely not happy if it has lost both of its leaves and the roots are brown. Are the roots soft or mushy?

Is the moss more soil-like or more resembling moss? How much light is it getting? Is the moss almost dry before you water again?

In my opinion, I wouldn't use ice cubes to water your phal- these guys are tropical plants that don't really appreciate that type of cold against their roots- it can actually kill them! The "Just Add Ice" marketing is exactly that- marketing, it is not the recommended watering strategy. There are some members of the board that have had great success with watering with ice cubes.

With some more info, we can help you better!

Bud · #3 10-23-2012, 01:57 PM

Bill is right...do not use ice. It is best to put the pot under a sink and let the faucet drench it soaking wet and then put the pot on a saucer with pebbles and water and forget about it for a week....or if you see the surface dry; spritz it a bit for moisture on the aerial roots

watch youtube on how to correctly repot a Phal and then try to do that on the same pot it came from unless you discover root rot and you removed dead roots then the plant will be best potted in a smaller size

flexdc · #4 10-23-2012, 06:00 PM

Another victim of the ICE method scam. I am starting to get really angry at the perpetrators!!
If you have a camera, post a few pics on here and may be we can help.
We see so many entries of plants dying because people use the "Ice method".
What a scam!

butterflygr396 · #5 10-23-2012, 10:32 PM

Hi,
I added some photos to my gallery as this is the only way I could figure out.

I would say that the roots are mushy.
And the moss is kinda spongy, after you water it you can squeeze it and make it dry.

And yes, the moss is just about dry before I water it again. I think its getting enough light as it is in the back of my house by the window which is where the sun sets.

I did take it out if its pot today, squeezed the moss to make it more dry as it was very wet, and put it back in.

By the way, I was giving it about a cup of water every week about a few months ago but the leaves were shriveled looking so I thought maybe I should just be giving it ice as the instructions say. about a week ago it was just looking a lot worse. Anyway, I now know never to give my orchids ice again!

Thanks!

Bill U. · #6 10-24-2012, 03:27 AM

It sounds like a case of overwatering due to the excessive moisture with the moss. Some phal growers recommend repotting into bark- I personally grow in a mix of 50/50 sphag moss to hydroton grow rocks for my phals.

Whenever you are working with moss, you have to make sure that the moss is drying out as much as possible in the middle of the root ball- the tops will normally get dry, but it's that middle part that is EXTREMELY important because that is what is going to cause root rot. If the roots are mushy, then it is possible that your roots have rotted due to the excessive moisture in the root ball. I would take it out, and with sterilized scissors/shears, trim off any mushy roots- if it is firm, then it should be okay. I know that this sounds extreme, but you need to get any rotting portions out of there ASAP. Then I would repot into your preferred potting media using a pot that SNUGLY fits your root ball- especially if the roots have been having some problems, try to make it so they are pot bound.

There are some other links on this forum for the "sphag 'n bag" method (in addition to countless links on the internet and youtube) which I think might be beneficial in your case...