|
Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 7:11
| I bought a new TLC phal at Lowes a few weeks ago. It had only one leaf, but two flower stems. One stem had four flowers on it, the other had one unopened bud. I will admit, it looked a bit rough (pale leaf with a few wrinkles), but I thought it would recover, and for $2 it was worth a shot. I brought it home and put it with the rest of my phals, which are all doing great. Right away, I noticed that the single leaf started fading and wrinkling even worse, and started just hanging down instead of out/up. This morning I noticed that it had dropped all flowers AND the bud overnight. When I picked up the pot to collect the flowers on the table, I realized the "plant" itself was rocking and loose in the pot. One little tug, and the whole plant came out of its pot. It seems to not have one single viable root on it. Not one. How in the world was it flowering like that when it has no roots and "no" leaves? Stupid question... but is this orchid capable of being saved? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| I think one thing that is overlooked in all these discussions about Phalaenopsis culture is the food and water storage capacity of those thick succulent leaves. Someone gave me a cot case to revive the other day, all the roots are dead, but the leaves give some hope of revival. If it was mine i would put it in the bin but i'm giving it a try because it has sentimental value to the owner. |
|
- Posted by shear_stupidity 9B (My Page) on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 17:59
| How do I begin to try to save this plant? With no roots, I'm imagining it's going to desiccate? Any general emergent care tips would be great. |
|
| I have repotted the plant into a clear pot. Mix is bark and perlite. It will not desiccate because i have it inside in bright light where it will not get direct sunlight. Good time of year to do this here. Current conditions 24.3C Humidity 83% But it is winter there and you might have to up the warmth & humidity. There are numerous past threads of Phal. rescues. I often wonder how many of those plants are still alive. |
|
- Posted by orchidnick z9Ca (orchidnick@yahoo.com) on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 18:45
| It does not need roots to survive. If it has healthy leaves, it will make new roots. With 'No' leaves it's a goner, don't waste your time. The flower was a desperation bloom. With it's last gasp it tried to reproduce, nothing else. Let it RIP and spend $5.00 for a new one, a totally different way of looking at what used to be desirable plants. Nick |
|
- Posted by shear_stupidity 9B (My Page) on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 18:48
| That's what I was thinking, Orchidnick. No roots and poor leaves? Goner. I'll let it die a slow death on my counter, though. Hope springs eternal and all that. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Orchids Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.