NOID Phal Repotting Trauma
 

Meet Dave. My NOID Phal from Aldi. I repotted Dave on 10/30/2016. At that point, he had decent roots and seemed very healthy. I used RePotMe Montery Dark. Though I think I got too much of the moss since it was the top of the bag. I noticed Dave tipping out of his pot this evening. Most of his roots have died. Any ideas? I'd like to work out why my repotting is killing my Aldi Phal before I repot my new Phal equestris plants.

Should I repot him entirely again or just try to secure him instead

I am not sure of your conditions or how you went about potting so I am not sure what is happening.

I have found that when potting, I sometimes injure roots and so I keep the roots dry for a few days after potting to give them a chance to heal. Injured roots often succumb to rot due to fungus having an entry point. Some people soak the orchids with a product to prevent fungus instead of letting them dry for a few days. Both are effective. If the roots died because they were injured, any roots that were not injured will continue to grow and your Phal will be fine.

Of course, something else might be happening. How warm are you keeping your orchids? Is the medium drying quickly? Is enough air able to circulate around the roots?

Our thermostat is set to 70 during the day and 65 during the night. The house is running around 40% humidity. Though today is higher. It has been rainy and warmish today.

Normally it sits in an overize glass vase to make it less tippy. Dogs and orchids don't mix without help. Oversize for air flow. We run a ceiling fan in this room.

When I repotted, I had soaked the media as the instructins indicated. Should I have not soaked it, so it could be dry?

If you are not sure how long it is taking for the medium to dry, you might want to try using a bamboo skewer to monitor how moist it is down in the center of the pot.

It does look like you have some viable (green) roots there still. And the leaves look firm and smooth, indicating that the plant is taking up moisture. I would firm up the medium around the remaining roots and leave it alone, keeping track of the moisture carefully for a while. If the medium was very different from what was used before, some roots may have died off, but with good culture, more will grow. Don't panic!

I'm so good at panicking.:blushing

I do use the skewer. I have it cut off short and wrapped in floral tape at the top, so it blends in a bit in the pictures.

I will pack in some fresh bark to tighten it back up.

Thanks

For what it is worth, I was taught that you tamp down the bark around the roots firmly enough so that you can pick up the whole pot-and-plant by the top of the plant itself. That should take care of the tipping problem for the near future.

A few months ago, I repotted my phals in a leaning position because I've read a number of posts on this site that it's how they grow in the wild. Helps prevent water from accumulating in the crown. Since I've lost a few phals to crown rot, this new growing position is an eye-opener for me. They've since thrived and grown a bunch of new roots and leaves.

Since yours is in a leaning position, might want to keep it that way. Just have a pot that's heavy enough to balance it without tipping the whole plant over.

Otherwise, good luck with the roots! I see a few green ones sticking out, so that's a positive sign. Maybe a few more holes in the pot for airflow?

To me the roots look overwatered.

Here's a fun trick. Try and see if you can fill your phal crowns with water. I bet you can't, or if you do, it will drain out before you can put the watering can down.

Seriously, for 18 months I deliberately filled the crowns of all my phals with water at every watering, in all seasons. I didn't lose one.
Tell you what did cause crown rot. The winter before I built the greenhouse, I had some phals in the garage. They were getting colder than I liked, so I watered them with great care, and never got the crowns wet, not even once. they all died from crown rot, and the only difference was, they got too cold.

If you don't believe me, buy a cheap phal, and try and kill it. I have learned more from trying to kill them than you would believe.

Oh yes, and the potting medium for phals? I use 2" bark sieved to remove everything smaller. No moss, and they go in something like a bub pan. 35cm wide and about 8 cm deep. I pot them vertically with the lean towards the centre, which means they have space to grow.
I don't cut off dead roots, and I don't ram them in. I have to water three times a week in full summer, and once a week in winter. There is no danger of overwaterig, and talk of overpotting is irrelevant. You could have them in a pot three feet in diameter and depth, and there wouldn't be a problem.

The problem is with moss and anything that closes off the gaps and stops air flow. Do that too much, and the roots will all suffocate and die.
Of course you can grow phals in pure moss, but to me that is a game for experts. Yu have to be on their case 100% and there is very little room for error. NOT, IMO a technique that should be suggested to beginners.

Phals are easy. The dreaded crown rot can be avoided if you stick to these rules.

1. Maintain good air flow to the roots at all times.
2. Only water in the morning.
3. Keep the water near the orchids so that it is not too
cold.
4. Don't let the pot sit in water.
5. Don't let them get too hot.
6. Don't let them get too cold.

Now, the rule about not getting crowns wet is very true for other orchids. Let water sit in the crown or leaf axils, and they will succumb to fungus very easily.

Phals don't seem in my experience to give a damn.

Yes, you know...i strongly suspect that phals in the wild get rained on....and that it even rains on the crown. And they don't immediately rot...they actually thrive :)