P. Wenlong Pink Girls still struggling

[Tommy]

Hello everyone,I posted about this a couple of weeks ago. it just isn't doing well sure hate to loose it saw a picture of it and it is really pretty.Hasn't bloomed for me yet so far it has a bad case of root rot. i have had it over a year. i repotted it 3 times last year and its still hanging on lost another root.i have potted it in spag,then in bark and the in a mixture of both but no luck yet . would it be of any benefit to use some rooting hormone around the base of it to help stimulate root production or is that not a good idea.i keep it on the dry side hopeing that would help but no success.or should i just give up on it would appreciate your advice.Tommy

[Musika]

I have seen alot of people say to mount orchids that are having a hard time growing new roots in pots. I'm still learning myself, but maybe that would help?

[Rema]

When I got my first phal I had no idea how to care for it and it ended up loosing all its roots but one short one, and looked very much like your picture. I repotted it a few times and I think what did it was proper drainage. I potted it in bark with some packing peanuts and ordinary garden rocks on the bottom of the vase, then I proceeded to water it about 2-3 times a week (it was a very hot spring and now is summer here) and soaked it once a week in fertilizer water. It was kept near a west facing window (the best I could do) with lots of light all afternoon but never any direct sunlinght. Now it has produced 2 new leaves and many new thick green roots, 3 of which are already climbing out of the pot. I may have done something wrong, but I did get good results after about one year trying to save it. I hope this helps or at least brings some hope. Good luck!

[BGGraham1]

I've had a couple of Phals that had root problems, and I will swear it was the seaweed extract. I put them in loose sphag, and misted with seaweed extract water (about 1 tblsp per gallon water) once a week. A couple of them had root explosions in just a few weeks. Giant roots climbing out of the pots!!

If you've got nothing to lose, give it a try...

[jpyerry]

The roots that are present have growth tips, so that is a good sign. The first Phalaenopsis that I killed, was an attempt on my part to rescue the orchid, it was on sale but I could tell that the roots were in poor condition when I bought it. After checking the roots, not only was the media badly decomposed but the media was also infested with root mealy bugs and the roots that were still alive had no tips. After repotting to fresh media, it was really just a slow death march for the plant. After having a little more experience under my belt, I realized that I also overpotted it, which I think was its death blow. Looking back on the experience, I would have done some things differently, but at least I learned from my mistake. It is very dangerous to overpot, especially with an orchid in poor health.

With that in mind, what size pot have you been using? Based on what I am seeing in your picture, you will probably need to repot in a small pot (maybe a two inch pot, but I can't tell for sure since the plant isn't in front of me).

I really don't think it will make a difference whether you use Sphagnum moss or orchid bark, if you use Sphagnum moss make sure to loosely pack it, otherwise you will reduce airflow to the root system. Since you have tried both, you are probably aware of how long each medium takes to dry out in your growing conditions. If I were you, I would choose the media such that it approaches dryness after 2-4 days. The main reason I don't use Sphagnum with my Phals is that it takes over a week to dry out for me and it kills roots.

As far as chemicals are concerned, I have had some luck with K-L-N rooting solution. Seaweed extract is a good product, I primarily use it as a foliar feed once a month mixed with some Pro-Tekkt, my plants have responded well to it. When you have the roots exposed, you might want to dip them in rooting hormone (like Clonex gel, or Rootone powder, or something similar) this can help stimulate root growth and serves well as an anti-fungal. Also, whenever I am trying to rescue a plant with a poor root system or root a cutting, I like to add Physan 20 to my watering routine because damaged or unrooted plants are quite susceptible to fungal and bacterial attacks. Some people swear by SuperThrive, personally I have never noticed a difference whether I use it or not.

You might want to place the plant in a ZipLock bag, if your humidity is low. But, use it with caution. Some people swear by it, other people suggest that it turns the plant and the media into a bacteria and mold factory, makes sense since there is no airflow. Personally, the Phal. I killed was in a bag when it died, whether the bag did it or whether I "Sphag and bagged" it when it was in its final death rattles I am not sure, on the other hand, I used the technique more recently on an Oncidesa and it is showing signs of recovery. So, I guess the "Sphag and bag" technique is a little hit and miss for me.

My last bit of advice, is patience. Orchid recovery is a very long road, it can take months for the root system to get itself back to where it should be and even longer before you get it flower again. And, remember everytime you change to a new or different media, the plant does need time to adjust to it.

So to summarize:

Pick a pot that is small enough to just contain the roots.
Apply rooting gel or powder, if you want to.
Plant in new media, whatever you have found to dry out in a few days.
Water using whatever chemicals you decide to try if you decide to try them (be it KLN, Clonex solution, Seaweed Extract, with an Anti-fungal thrown in for good measure).
Bag it if you decide to try it.
Do not fertilize.
Be patient, it is going to take quite awhile to get back on track.

Best of luck,
Justin