trouble saving phal.

[journorchid]

One of my rescue (clearance, big-box) phals is failing to thrive to such an extent that I fear it may be lost for good. I have been doing everything I can for it (I think) because I love its two small yellow flowers, but the thing has been progressively cut back and cut back and nothing seems to have worked.

=When I brought it home, I cut off the dead/rotted roots and repotted it in a medium bark mix (yeah, the overly coarse stuff they have at the big-box). I also eventually cut off one of the spikes, since it only had one bud and I wanted to let the plant 'focus its energy.'

=I tried to water it sparingly after the move, skewer method, etc.

=I pushed back the potting mix to see how it was doing rerooting and noticed two (bad) things: the couple remaining roots had rotted, and there was a white fuzzy patch at the bottom of the rhyzome (like what you'd see with a mealybug, but I've never had mealybugs below the surface before).

So, to the gurus: What's my best chance of saving this plant, if there is any? There seem to be no good taproots left, but the foliage is OK (tho a bit droopy for my taste)?

Should I soak it in something? Superthrive? Physan? Dynagro?

Just help -- I don't want to be a murderer, but the way things are going...


Thanks

Dan

[Fabolusus]

If there are no roots and the rhizome is rotting then it probably can't be saved. You could try using a finer mix. Soak it over night with the reccomended dose of superthrive, or dyna grow k-l-n. When you water, you really should be thoroughly drenching the pot. Phals don't like to dry out. Also, and this may be the hardest thing to do, you have to leave it alone! Don't continually uproot it. Just water it regularly, and let it do what its going to do.

[journorchid]

Originally Posted by Fabolusus

If there are no roots and the rhizome is rotting then it probably can't be saved. You could try using a finer mix. Soak it over night with the reccomended dose of superthrive, or dyna grow k-l-n. When you water, you really should be thoroughly drenching the pot. Phals don't like to dry out. Also, and this may be the hardest thing to do, you have to leave it alone! Don't continually uproot it. Just water it regularly, and let it do what its going to do.

thanks for the tips. i did notice one promisiing green spot on the base that could be new root growth, so i'm not writing it off. have moved it to the bathroom to increase humidity. i have always had trouble on the watering level wtih this plant (unlike my other phals) because there was some sphag mixed in with the chunky bark and icould never judge what to do. anyway, i'm going to take your advice -- one night soak, repot in something finer, leave in bathroom and let it be. i'll let y'all know how it works out.

one thing nice about phals is that they will try to initiate new roots early in the spring, i would go easy on the fertilizer until you actually see something growing, when you do water or soak please do it early in the day allowing the plant to drain and the leaves to dry off compleatly. if you havn't pick up a good beginner book like orthos all about orchids. you can usually find it close to the table of death at the big box stores.

If you don't treat the plant for root mealy bugs it's definitely going to die. What do you have in the way of insecticides? You must cover the plant with it and drench the medium, every seven days or so for at least three times. Phals don't have rhyzomes, but they do have a central stem.

And if you use the skewer method, how wet is the skewer before you water again? It should be just barely damp.

[journorchid]

what insecticide should i be using? i have physan 20 and did soak the bottom of the stem & what's left of roots with a weak solution of it when i moved the plant. what would recommend in terms of using the stuff for ongoing care? re: watering -- i do water when the skewer is just slightly damp, but i think the mixture of mostly bark with a bit of sphagnum has a way of tricking the skewer. should be better off in the new, finer bark mix.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Skip trying to pot this guy. This plant needs Sphag & Bag. Get a zip lock bag that is big enough to put the whole plant into. Take a small handful of sphagnum moss, wet it, then mostly squeeze it dry. Put this in the bag with the plant (no mix, just the moss) and zip it up. Put this in slightly lower light than you grow Phals in. Don't want to over heat the bag. Then just wait. There is nothing left to do until the plant has produced some roots. When you take it out of the bag to pot it up, you might want to use a little fungicide on it, and keep the bag partially over the plant until it has hardened up again to the lower humidity. This plant will last a very long time in such a bag, and it is not important if the moss touches the plant or not.

Since the plant is not potted, we are not going to worry about mealies in the pot. Keep an eye out for any signs of them, and treat the plant if you see them.

[new_keiki]

this is where I always get confused: should the bag be 1. completely closed to have maximum humidity, or 2. it should be open to let air circulation (with humidity greatly reduced compared with the closed bag configuration)? I tried both but none worked with my dying phal. Help please!?

[Fabolusus]

It should be closed completely

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

You have to have patience. I have had plants in bags for 6 months or longer. Zip it up, and if you want, you can take it out for inspection once every week or so.