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Another sick Phal..

Posted by daisyhair 9 -Orlando (My Page) on
Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 16:15

I wondered if this is beyond hope. It was intirely in moss and I noticed it had dropped a leaf and the others are yellowing.

I am not sure how to tell if all the roots left are OK.. some are yellow and some are white.. I do have a few green at the top. The orchid was obviously distressed.

I am letting it dry on my patio, out of direct sun for two days but am unsure how to proceed after this.

Advice?

TIA!


Follow-Up Postings:

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More pix..

Sorry.. I could not figure out how to post them in one post...


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More pix..

Sorry.. I could not figure out how to post them in one post...


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RE: Another sick Phal..

I do not think it is too late to save it because you still have green leaves. I would shake out the moss and then repot it into regular orchid potting mix. You can get a decent bag at walmart or lowe's. The plant will need drainage so get a chunky bag. Make sure to keep it warm, around 70-75 degrees and water it 1-2 times a week. After it has adjusted, maybe in 2 weeks you can fertilize it. Phaels. are hard orchids to kill so you should be okay.


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RE: Another sick Phal..

Thank you..
Do you know if the white roots are still viable? They seem plump.


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RE: Another sick Phal..

Dear DaisyHair,
Your roots look fine as far as I can tell from the picture. You can tell for sure by given them a squeeze. If they are hard (as opposed to squishy), they are still alive. Green tips mean that they are actively growing as well. I suspect that your problem is that you are using clay pots. If you use clay pots, you need to water more often to keep up the plant turgidity. Orlando has high humidity so it shouldn't be too hard. Else, put them into a plastic pot with fresh orchid bark and water once a week, letting them dry out between waterings. You should be just fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Wayward Hawaiian


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RE: Another sick Phal..

It looks like the Phal had crown rot. The roots look good. Repot, as suggested and you might get a basal keiki from the crown area. The odds are good given proper temps and watering.

Jane


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RE: Another sick Phal..

Note re: crown rot; when watering, water over the pot, preferably not over the center of the leaves (aka the crown). If you do water the crown, tilt it to empty out the water (unless you have really good air circulation that will dry it out in a reasonable amount of time). In nature, phals grow at the base of the tree with their crowns hanging downward. Thus, even though it rains all the time in Southeast Asia where they are from, they don't get crown rot because the crown always drains out. If you're curious, do a google search for phalaenopsis in situ and take a look at them in their natural habitat. It'll all make sense. ;-) Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Wayward Hawaiian


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RE: Another sick Phal..

Thank you for the info on Crown Rot.. I had no idea that Phals grew upside down. That makes perfect sense and seems to be what has happened.. another leaf (I've got two left) fell off. It's rotten right at the bottom.

I repotted in fresh orchid mix and it did go back in the clay pot.. I was afraid I had watered it too much.

I appreciate you all!


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RE: Another sick Phal..

Sadly, bacterial crown rot is one of the toughest things to get rid of. Back in the old days, some of the big growers used to use a dithane M45 paste but I believe it is no longer for sale. The tetracycline they sell at feed stores, in a paste works sometimes. However, the easiest thing to do is, when you see those evil clear patches full of bacteria, cut the leaf back past the clear area (if possible) and douse the cut with rubbing alcohol to sterilize out the bacteria. If you succeed in stopping it, the plant, as was pointed out, will often send up a basal keiki or sometimes a new leaf from the crown, depending on how far down the bacteria went.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Wayward Hawaiian


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