Any hope for this dead or dying? phal?

[jimsocal]

I'm new to this, but I cut the phal back as was suggested to me, kept watering it once a week thoroughly to let it dry out in between waterings, moved it to get less light... but it seems to be getting worse by the week and I fear it may be too late to revive it.

Advice?

[butt0n]

That's really dead. What happened to its leaves?

[Fabolusus]

When you say you cut it back, please don't tell me you cut the leaves off too!

[jimsocal]

Originally Posted by Fabolusus

When you say you cut it back, please don't tell me you cut the leaves off too!

No, they just fell off.
Maybe I cut the stalk back too much?

I guess the plant died as part of my learning process.

I have another orchid, a dendrobium that seems to be doing well, as you can see below in the photo.

However, as you see it has a new plant coming up that is doing well but one shorter and one very long "dead" stalk that I would like to cut back for aesthetic reasons. Should I not cut it back, at all?

[Willc73]

that is pretty darn dead.
Looks like the pot it was in was way too big for it too. It appears to have died from the roots on up. When it was alive did the crown still look green or did it turn black?

[Fabolusus]

If you don't really know what you are doing, then why is your first instinct to cut things off? You should leave it as it is. Also, it looks like that in both pictures your orchids are sitting in trays of water. This is one of the fastest ways to kill orchids, as they require perfect drainage. If you are trying to use trays in order to increase humidity, than you should lay down a layer of pebbles to keep your pots out of the water.

[jerrymeola]

cutting the flower stem could not have hurt the plant.

It is too dry now but it is hard to guess how it looked when it still had leaves. Too much or too little water can kill a Phal.

The Den should have the stem left on until you have at least two large new stems. The stem can be used by the plant as a food and water reservoir. They can be left on forever, but if you do not like the look wait until you have several new stems growing.

[Fabolusus]

Is this phal the same one from your previous post?

Need help - have photos you can use!

Judging from the dryness apparent in both pictures, it looks like it dried to death. Phals don't have pseudobulbs, and tend to suffer from underwatering. You should consult this thread: Skewer use for watering of orchids

[jimsocal]

Originally Posted by jerrymeola

cutting the flower stem could not have hurt the plant.

It is too dry now but it is hard to guess how it looked when it still had leaves. Too much or too little water can kill a Phal.

The Den should have the stem left on until you have at least two large new stems. The stem can be used by the plant as a food and water reservoir. They can be left on forever, but if you do not like the look wait until you have several new stems growing.

Thanks for this info re the dendrobium, that is what I wanted to know, exactly!

As to the phal that is dead, it was very healthy at one point and you can see it here (it's the pic on the far right, and the yellow flowers in the 1st photo)


As to the other poster who said it looked as if it was sitting in water, it is not. It actually is elevated a bit, but in any case when I watered it once a week I took it to the sink and let it drain before putting it back in its tray. I put it in the tray only to protect the furniture just IN CASE some water comes through. I am careful not to let it sit in water. I also mist it every morning.

It was very healthy, I think I just cut the stalk back a bit too much perhaps, and I did that because it seemed to not be growing and I thought maybe it needed that. Wrong decision apparently.

My den is doing well however, and I'll leave the stalk alone in spite of it being kinda ugly that way.

Jimsocial, phals grow from a central crown. This crown should not get any water in it. If it does, mop it up, otherwise rot can start. Also, it cannot be cut back or injured, or the plant will either die or if one is lucky, send out small babies. The only thing that can be cut back is the bloom spike after blooming is finished, and even this can be left on and it will die back naturally. But cutting the spike off to about an inch would not kill the plant.

You might want to try the skewer method of watering. Get some shishkabob skewers from the grocery store, cut one down and put it into the medium. Leave it there and when you think the plant needs water, take it out and touch it to your lip or cheek. If it's wet, don't water. If it's almost dry, water. How wet or dry the skewer is before you water will depend on what type of orchid it is. For example, for cattleyas the skewer should be dry. I've been growing for eight years, and I swear by this method.

Dendrobiums can bloom on old canes, so don't be in a hurry to cut off any canes. With spring coming, your den will need lots of light, fertilizer and water, as it will be their growing season. They don't need as much in the late fall and winter.

Yes, you've sacrificed your orchid for the benefit of knowledge. We've all killed our share of plants. So go out and buy another plant, and start all over. Only this time, you'll know a bit more about what to do.

[jimsocal]

Originally Posted by Fabolusus

Is this phal the same one from your previous post?

Need help - have photos you can use!

Judging from the dryness apparent in both pictures, it looks like it dried to death. Phals don't have pseudobulbs, and tend to suffer from underwatering. You should consult this thread: Skewer use for watering of orchids

Yes, it is the same phal from the previous post.
I've put barbecue skewers on my shopping list.
Where at in the grocery store are they found, exactly? I've never seen them.

I found mine in the section where they hang all the kitchen gadgets. You might have to ask.

[jimsocal]

Originally Posted by orchid126

I found mine in the section where they hang all the kitchen gadgets. You might have to ask.

Thanks. That at least gives me some place to start looking. Finding someone to ask isn't always that easy where I shop.