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Phal in danger! Help please

RachelGee
9 years ago

Hi guys,

Please please help! I love this little orchid, and she's been fine for a year or two now, but now she looks like this!

Bad pics here: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/MarauderNo5/library/Sarah_Orchid_Phalenopsis

She's always maintained two leaves. But she got burned about 2 months back, seemed to stabilize (the burns dried out while the rest of the leaf stayed good).

Then she grew two more (surprise!) and shed both of the old. Then the second set of leaves yellows and shed as well. Now she's just got these two baby leaves, and is already losing one of them!!
It's a little hard to see, but the leaf in the right side of this pic is already tearing away...

Looking down on the crown, you can see the beginning of the very smallest leaf, so it seems she's still growing, which I THOUGHT would rule out crown rot, but I don't know!

What is going on??
How can I help her?

This post was edited by RachelGee on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 13:39

Comments (8)

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Cannot see the pic. Where do you have the orchid? How long since you changed the mix? Pot looks too big for plant. Are there drainage holes at the base of the clear pot?
    Are there any live roots?

    This post was edited by arthurm on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 3:50

  • RachelGee
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I changed the mix recently. Just after the most recent stem died back. Pot probably is too big. Does that make a difference? There are definitely drainage holes. It's all moss that I have as the medium. Which holds moisture well, but the water runs right through it.
    There /were/ live roots when I repotted. I don't remember how many. Would it hurt if I repotted it again and checked the roots? I could do that tonight or tomorrow.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Different link for pictures

    This post was edited by RachelGee on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 12:53

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Cannot see pics, have to sign in, you might be overwatering your orchid. Have a look at those thick leaves, they store water. Mine are in bark plus perlite and I only water once or twice a week.
    Moss can be good if you get the watering right. But as far as know the ancestors of the modern Phalaenopsis did come from the tropics but not from cloud forest areas. They got wet and then dried a bit before getting wet again.
    Plenty of past posts to read as well as the big Phal experiment on the latest page of this forum. Do a bit more research and then ask some more questions.

    This post was edited by arthurm on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 3:52

  • RachelGee
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I only water my phal once a week ever. Per the sites I've read from, I soak the medium for a few minutes, then drain completely and let it dry out of the course of the week.

    Is having too big a pot a problem?
    Would it hurt if I repotted it again and checked the roots?

    The leaves in the photo below are only a few centimeters long...

  • RachelGee
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So, update: It's definitely a major case of root rot.
    Probably because the pot was too big and the moss stayed wet too long. So it dried out, but wasn't dry for long enough...

    For now I've removed all the medium, and placed the pot in a small glass jar previously used for bullion cubes. I rinsed the jar, then used a small amount of bathroom anti-bacterial soap, then rinsed again, and wiped dry.

    I'm currently research root rot solutions, and deciding how much to cut away. My guess will be all.

    Any root rot tips are very appreciated! 1 Pic attached and photobucket link below:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of roots

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    I wonder about all this anti-bacterial stuff. There are beneficial and non-beneficial bacteria.
    Anyway all you can do is a tidy up and a pot down to a pot size so that the plant is tightly potted and if new roots emerge it will be an easy reach to the sides of the pot and the plant will be happy.
    On the happy theme, some gentle sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon is beneficial and even all day sunlight very strongly filtered is beneficial.
    Temperatures should be OK. They are narrow temperature range orchids. Limits are about 60F Min 90F max.
    Maybe buy another orchid because the road back may take some time.

  • jane__ny
    9 years ago

    The jar must have drainage. You are going from one bad situation to another.

    Put the plant in a tiny pot with drainage holes. Put it in a bright window and water when dry.

    Jane

  • Danielle Rose
    9 years ago

    I think the little guy you have there is a goner. I have salvaged a plant that looked like that by wrapping what was left of the roots in moss and placing in a small, well-ventilated pot, (I filled the space around the moss/root ball with bark).

    It took ages, but it did grow a new root system. However, it also managed to hang onto two of its old, full-size leaves, which I think helped. Not sure if your plant can hang on with just those two small leaves.