please help my phal doesnt seem to be progressing

[aries23]

hello all,

well my phal does not seem to be doing well. after repotting it a couple weeks back and removing bad roots, it only had 4 small good ones. after not having any medium for a week, i finally purchased bark,ch,and perlite mix. i didnt soak it, after a couple of days i realized this and when i took the orchid out and the roots green was squeeshy and the root was dried out and some of the stem. I purchased rooting hormone powder for the stem and a leaf that fell off. I also purchased orchid moss. It still doesnt seem like its ok... It has gotten really bumpy on the bottom and more things to be noticed by the pictures.

i cld not post pix .. said security error

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I'll be honest, your plant may not make it.

I suggest getting another one, and be very particular about the screening process.

Be picky.

1. Look for good, strong root growth.

2. Be watchful for any yellowing of the leaves.

3. Feel for the leaf's turgidity.

4. If you must get a plant that has rips or some sort of wear on the leaves, keep it to a bare minimum.

5. Flowers are not a good indicator of orchid plant health.

[aries23]

[quote=King_of_orchid_growing;263164]I'll be honest, your plant may not make it.

I suggest getting another one, and be very particular about the screening process.

Be picky.

1. Look for good, strong root growth.

2. Be watchful for any yellowing of the leaves.

3. Feel for the leaf's turgidity.

4. If you must get a plant that has rips or some sort of wear on the leaves, keep it to a bare minimum.

5. Flowers are not a good indicator of orchid plant health


..._ well to be honest i think i might have cut off too many roots that i thought were bad but were not. phal had 4 beautiful green long leaves. one of the lower ones just came off. I put some cin powder on the parts that didnt look good. i think the fertilizer consistancy was too strong even thou i followed directions. I cleaned her up again and the other leaf. pieced some styofoam and used a bit of moss and put them in my bathroom so hopefully this works. and i did rinse the powdered rooting hormone off as well and will not use it!

[SP2340]

Phals like to be kept moist. So by not having it in any medium for a week is not good... and further more sinse it had small roots to begin with. Not a big deal, it's a learning process. I lost three $50 Vandas, so don't feel bad.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

1. If you cut off good roots, the cut ends would be green.

2. Be careful with cinnamon powder. Too much of it is not a good thing. It can dry out the roots and cause more problems than good. The biochemicals in it can act as a growth inhibitor.

3. People like to use Listerine to disinfect the roots.

4. Powdered hormones don't work on orchids. If you must use hormones, you must either find a group of hormones called Auxins (this family of hormones stimulate root growth).

or...

You should get KLN.

5. I recommend you mention the specifics of your fertilizer.

I responded to someone on the OB in the Article Comments forum in a thread called "Proud New Orchid Owner" in regards to fertilizer. I highly recommend you read it.

[slipperfreak]

I agree with King that you should probably just buy a new one.

What was the original medium the plant was in, before you repotted it? Usually Phals are sold in sphagnum moss, and a lot of beginning orchid growers water them too much in the moss, and the roots rot. That could be why you ended up cutting most of the roots off when you repotted it. If they were soft and brown, and the outer part is easily rubbed off to expose the inner wiry core, that is likely the case. Sphagnum moss works great for Phals, but only if you water sparingly. The moss should dry until it is barely damp before it is watered again.

I hate to say it, but I think you sealed the plant's fate by not planting it in fresh media for a week, and then not soaking the media when you got it. Soaking new bark is necessary to open the bark's "pores" so it holds moisture better. I have also found that boiling it for 15 minutes works well if you don't want to wait the 24 hours soaking it in room temp water.

SP2340 is right - this is a learning process! Take what you've learned from this experience and improve your culture. I think it's safe to say that we've all lost our fair share of plants.