Orchid had root rot, repotted, now droopy leaf. Thoughts?

[peacefuldusk]

I have an orchid I recieved in Feb 2011. It was in the clear plastic container and the medium seemed to be entirely spag moss. I recieved two in separate containers at this time, they were my first.

On the one in question, after dropping its flowers early May I could see mold on the dirt, and it did not have roots sticking out like the healthy one (which has two beautiful thick flower stems). The sad one had four leaves, one of which died and the stem turned rapidly yellow so I cut it close to the base. So I thought it was a goner, I repotted it with a commercial orchid mix from Home Depot and put it in a unglazed, clay pot with extra holes for orchids. I used a busted up clay pot in the very bottom, with about .5-1 inch pieces. At the time I repotted it I noticed a tiny new leaf forming which I was suprised about and now know I must have touched when I replanted because it grew in damaged and stopped growing about 1/4 of the way. When I repotted it all the roots were rotted except for two, 2 inches long, and they were not good looking. So I cleared it all out, repotted and hoped.

That repot was in June-July, it seemed to be doing ok, it grew that new leaf but it stunted at a quarter size or less and the leaf has a dark purple color the other two do not. Then the last week of August one of the older leaves became soft and wilted overnight. Only the right leaf, the old one on the left side and the new one on the left side still have a nice arch and are keeping themselves up (although not as peppy as my other orchids). So after reading online I had become convinced I needed to pull it out again and check the roots and see if there is more rot, I still have no sign of roots on the surface of the dirt accept a tiny rot looking piece. So two days ago it started growing another leaf towards the right side, it just popped up REALLY fast (I check them all day now for growth it is so exciting). But the other leaf is still wilting, not firm at all and laying over the edge.

So should I still pull it out and check the roots because of the wilty leaf or continue to leave it alone since it must be doing kinda ok if it is producing new leaves?

Thanks so much!

(Its healthy partner with large roots, many leaves and two healthy flower stems only now started to produce a tiny leaf and it seems to not be growing beyond its little nook anytime soon.)

[BGGraham1]

Perhaps a couple of photos may help some of the more experienced folks around here help you. I see you have 3 posts, so a couple more and you can post some pics. You can make it something simple like a countdown, or something...

[peacefuldusk]

Thanks I will take a couple pics!

[peacefuldusk]

See pics below!

Update: Keep getting internal server error, will try again later!

[-k-]

Try resizing the pics, or upload them to your profile page by creating an album, then you can copy the link to the post!

[BGGraham1]

...or use photobucket.com...

[peacefuldusk]

I was trying to upload them to my profile album here, it worked last night, but is not now. I might just do photobucket!

[peacefuldusk]

Ok here are the pics...

Wilty Leaf


Only visable root (old)


The two new leaves


I should mention it had a watering today.

*BGGraham1 I am in Moorpark

[BGGraham1]

The medium its potted in looks pretty old, or at the very least, too dense. Do you have some chunky bark you can put it in? The roots need to "breathe."

[Emma Grey]

First, hello!

Hmm, that potting mix looks really dense and fine, which can smother roots.

Also, it only had a couple of roots when you repotted? I suggest you pull the plant out and check the roots. That pot looks too large. When you pot, use a pot that is just large enough to fit the roots. If a pot is too big, the mix takes too long to dry out, and this causes root rot. I've seen people use small Tupperware, Dixie cups, and the like for orchids with few roots (with holes punched in the plastic, of course).

[peacefuldusk]

I used an orchid potting mix from Home Depot, I forget the brand but it is the main soil brand they carry because almost all mixes were that brand. Do you think it is ok to use if I buy bark then? I bought two of the same size pots since I was potting two and at the time I was not really sure about size. They were in 4ish inch plastic containers, I guess they are in 6 now. The one fit well I think, although maybe not snug enough, I don't think I would have been able to smush it back into a 4, of course that one is doing well. The wilty one had lost almost all of its root mass and was pretty much nothing. I will put it into a smaller pot.

The orchid pots I bought at Home Depot are more shallow but wider than regular clay pots. I have two others I would like to repot that are bursting out of the containers, I think I would have to cut them free, they can't even handle the weight and stand up. Is there a place you could recommend that is good for buying better sized pots? Is deeper and narrow better or wide and shallow? I imagine these will need 5 or 6 inch.
Thanks

[Emma Grey]

Peacefuldusk - I don't know where in SoCal you are, but I live in Riverside. I go to Calwest Tropical for pots because it's literally right down the street from me. They sell clear plastic pots and net pots in all of the sizes I could possibly need. They also sell potting medium.

Here is their website: Calwest Tropical.

Also, a lot of people on here purchase potting medium and pots at repotme.com. They have excellent products and service. The only bad thing is that if all you need is pots, the shipping from there is pretty expensive.

Or, if you prefer the clay pots, you can buy regular clay pots in whatever size you need and drill your own holes in them using a special bit. You'd have to ask Shannara about that though. She's the drilling expert.

[peacefuldusk]

Thanks Emma! I live in Moorpark near Thousand Oaks and Simi. What percentage of bark should I put in with the soil and should I mix it or put layers?

[Emma Grey]

Do you mean soil as in potting soil? Don't use any soil because it's too dense and will smother the roots. I use repotme.com's Phal all-purpose Classic Orchid mix. I find that it's MUCH fresher and less broken down than orchid bark mixes sold at big box stores. As you gain experience you will be able to figure out what media work best for you based on your conditions, watering habits, etc.

Here is a link to discussion of potting mixes on this forum so you can get a feel for the different mediums available.

I hope this helps.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by peacefuldusk

Thanks Emma! I live in Moorpark near Thousand Oaks and Simi. What percentage of bark should I put in with the soil and should I mix it or put layers?

Yay! A close neighbor! If you ever come up Oxnard way, there's a hydroponics store that sells all of the potting media you may need. They have fir bark, coconut husk chips, perlite, sphagnum moss, charcoal and other stuff...they also have the fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides, pots, baskets...well, EVERYTHING! They used to be called U.S. Orchids, but they call themselves U.S. Hydroponics now. If you don't come out to my side of the hill, go to Green Thumb Nursery in Canoga Park. They have a couple of different orchid barks available, perlite and charcoal. I only saw single sizes there, so I just got small bags. Not the real good stuff, but better than the Miracle Grow stuff.

You may also like to check in with the Conejo Valley Orchid Society. I belong to the Ventura one, but its kinda small. Conejo Valley meets in Westlake. Let me know if I can help you in any way. I'm still a noob, too, but I haven't killed anything since I joined this forum!

[peacefuldusk]

So far I only have 4 orchids so small bags would be ok, plus we live in an apt and I can't store much.

I see so many different views on the mixture, it is a little overwhelming. I know there is a place in Thousand Oaks called Armstrong Gardens that says they specialize in orchids but I don't want to spend and arm and a leg at the wrong place either.

[BGGraham1]

Hmmm, the hydroponics store sells stuff in large (bigger than a gallon) ziploc bags. I'm not familiar with Armstrong Gardens...

I'll tell you what. I've been the recipient of some seriously sweet 'geek gifts', and its time to pay it forward again. Send me a PM with your address, and I'll see what I can do for you.

[peacefuldusk]

Aww thanks Brigitte! I bought some bark yesterday though at Armtrong Gardens, I also got some river rocks for humiditiy trays. Do you think there is anything I am missing?

I soaked the bark overnight and am now ready to repot. The bag says I should totally fill the pot and place the orchid on top and work the roots in a bit. Is this right? Should the roots be kinda exposed at the top? The videos I watched on youtube today seem to put the orhid down in the meduim as far you you would any plant and cover.

Also one of my other orchids with lots of roots has a light yellow root like neon, is this a new root?

Sorry for asking all these questions, I am back at the beginning I guess!

[BGGraham1]

No problem. I hope I grabbed the link right, but this is probably the best thread about repotting you can find here.

Repotting a Phalaenopsis

It even shows some of the newer roots so you can see what they look like. Good luck with it, and let me know if you need any more help.

[peacefuldusk]

Do you think the broken pieces of pot can substitute for the peanuts?

[BGGraham1]

I think so. As long as its an inert medium, it should be fine.

[peacefuldusk]

So the wilty one has no roots at all, not one. I debated on whether or not to repot it at all once seeing it. I mean it is growing a leaf and I feel so bad giving up so I put it in the smallest container I had. The other one also had barely any roots left, but did have a few, so I ended up repotting that one in a small container as well.

The two others I have, that were in an arrangement that I never repotted before, turned out to have root rot as well having been in spag only. Good news is their roots were plentiful and most a foot long. It took me 45 min each to get all the media out, it was packed like concrete. They went into approx 6 inch pots, which was really tricky due to the amounts of roots, I am afraid there might be gaps where I might have not gotten bark in and I did break a couple roots trying to get it in there. It is definitely trickier getting them into tighter containers and using bark instead of soil.

Next I need to think about fertilizer I guess, I am kinda scared about it because I have rabbits in the house and they are very sensitive to anything like birds are. I was reading some people do not use fertilizer at all. I think it wold be ok as long as it was not something that could not become airborne.

[Brooke]

I know everyone says to soak the bark before repotting but it is much much easier to get the bark to jiggle into place if it is dry. I put the Phal in the pot, then the bark and then jiggle or tap the sides of the pot and it will fall into place easier than wet bark which hangs up on the wet roots. I continue until the bark reaches the top, repeating the jiggle/tap method.

I also don't worry if I have a couple of air gaps inside the pots. Phals are epiphytes and appreciate the air spots in the media. In the *other* plant world it is important for the roots to be in touch with the media or the roots die, in orchids, not so much.

Any dust left on the bark will flush out the bottom after a thorough watering. I then soak the entire pot in water for a couple of hours.

Brooke

[peacefuldusk]

The bark seems close to dry to me today. I stuck my fingers down in there and really don't feel any moisture. But then maybe I don't know how the bark should feel. I don't know I mean I soaked it for 24 hours and after being planted only a day I feel like the bark is drier than when I bought it. It looks dry too. These orchids are making me obsessive I think.

[peacefuldusk]

So after repotting I tried to do the skewer method by putting cooking skewers in them a week ago. I tested them a few days ago and they were still moist, it is almost two weeks after repotting and they have not been watered since. Today when I pulled them out they have a blue mold growing all over them. There is also mold growing on the supports for the orchids. Also none of the plants are looking very good now, they are all beginning to wilt and the leaves are turning light yellow and growth has pretty much stopped. The previously sick one's leaves are still the darkest which is weird and they are now totally spongy and have little cracks or wrinkles on them.

I did notice there is more morning sun than there has been, I guess that could be the yellowing. One problem I have is in my condo I have only one place that lets in light, from an over head light that I have no control over, it catches the morning sun. Everywhere else there is no light let in.

I am feeling defeated they looked better when I left them alone for a year. Now that I have messed with them they seem in worse shape.

[-k-]

Try not to be discouraged; can you post some updated photos of the plants and how they are potted? Also a little morning sunshine won't cause harm, so no worries there...
2 weeks seems a long time but perhaps that's what your conditions warrant, but pictures will help us determine what's going on and how to correct it. . .