What to do with some soggy orchids?

[Mercedes]

Hi y'all,

I'm really new to orchids, but somehow my collection has grown from one starter to three in the past week.

My first Phal orchid was bought from a reputable source, has fat, green, healthy roots and is blooming like mad (one new bloom opened yesterday, another is opening today!). In a moment of weakness, I bought two more orchids from the Home Depot, a phal and a Paph. I knew they were overwatered, but I didn't realize just how soggy they really were. I let them drain in just the plastic pots in the sink, them put the plastic pots in decorative pots with a thin layer of bark at the bottom for airflow. It's been two days and they're not really drying out yet (I'm in the humid south, so it may take a while). Out of curiosity, I lifted the soggy Phal out of its plastic pot to peek at the roots, there are several healthy green roots, but a lot of rotty looking ones surrounding a soggy clump of spagnum moss, and a layer of bark at the top of the pot, with some vermiculite/perlite mixed in.

Should I risk repotting with new bark? Both of the soggy plants are in bloom and I would hate to lose the blooms, but the damp roots worry me.

Any advice is welcome, thanks.

[janet_a]

yes, absolutely repot. pull off any soggy or mushy roots; based on your location i'd say repot in medium bark (but let it soak a good 24 hrs first). somewhere on here is a good repotting post.... i'll see if i can find it....

oh, and welcome to the addiction.

[Vivienne]

Better to lose blooms than the whole plant. I would, at least, leave them out of the decorative outer pot to give them a little more chance to dry. The Phal would probably be okay to repot while in bloom but I, personally, would leave the paph until it's done it's blooming. Perhaps you can get a small fan to put near them to assist in drying.

[kmarch]

Mercedes, Hello and welcome to the forum!

I'd recommend:

1) Before you do anythign at all, go to the AOS website and download the culture sheets for Phals and Paphs. This will tell you what they like and from that you can deduce how you will give them what they like.

2) Repot the orchids in a mix that will give them what they like. For the Phal, I fear medium bark alone will be far to dry as Phals like a bit of moisture. Don't use medium bark alone for the Paph. I recommend a moisture rententive mix of medium bark, medium perilite, mediumd coir chips, chpooed sphagnum, ground peat, coarse sand and if you have it available, shreaded oak leaves. A bit of crushed up tree fern fiber wouldnt' hurt either. Paphs should never be allowed to dry out and should be kept gently and evenly moist. I have not found a ready-made orchid bark mix suitable for Paphs. They're all too dry.

Happy Growing!

[fred]

hi and welcome to the forum

here is a short cut to the culture sheets
http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...m-the-aos.html

I hope you enjoy your stay here with us.

happy chatting

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Until you get to the repotting, just leave the plants out of any pot altogether. That much air surrouding the mix will dry it pretty fast, and even if it doesn't do it fast, all the extra air at the roots will keep them healthy.

[Mercedes]

Got it. I've left both the orchids in their plastic pots by a fan set on low. I think I'm going to repot the Phal tonight or tomorrow. I'm not sure about the Paph yet.

I'm a research junkie, so I've read the AOS culture sheets as well as the culture sheet posts here already, but this problem was sort of outside the usual info.

Thanks for the help.

[E-Jag]

Mercedes, I think maybe you've got the problem in hand - lots of good advice here. Just wanted to welcome you - I call B'ham home also. All of my family (at least what's left) is there and I get up there a couple of times a year. Good to hear from somebody from B'ham. Good luck in your endeavors.

E-Jag (Rick)

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Both Phals and Paphs take repotting well. Not so for many others.

[justloveorchids]

If you handle the phal gently and trim off those soggy roots and repot in something better than spaghnum and then keep the plant misted with worm tea solution you should find it will be fine

Although All the neglected and sick looking phals i have aquired from various sources were not in flower at the time I repotted them and gave them TLC they all sprouted new leaves fast and new roots and flower spikes in double quick time

If there former owners could see them now they would barely believe the transformation

Worm tea is a life saver

[Mercedes]

OK, I've repotted the Phal after trimming the dead roots and removing all of the old potting material. It still has a lot of healthy roots, so I'm thinking it'll be OK, even if I lose the current blooms. The Paph's roots were in much worse shape, most of them just fell away with the old potting material (very decomposed bark, a lot of it just looked like soil). It only had a bitty couple of roots left, so I'm hoping for the best.

I used soaked bark, so now the plastic pots are sitting out by the fan. Is there anything else I should do now?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think the Paph would be better in fine bark, as Paphs are semi-trerrestrial. Or chop up a little sphag to add, but I have no experience with that, so you are on your own with such additions.

[mayres]

I agree with Cynthia - all my paphs are in small/fine bark mixed with perlite and seem to like it. mike

[Mercedes]

Aha! I'm so on the ball! (doing happy dance) Last night I potted the Paph in fine bark with a layer of medium bark at the bottom for drainage. The Phal is in medium bark.

I'll keep y'all posted on their progress.

PS- another Phal followed me to my workplace today. I needed the company at work, right?