Help with my orchid

[jblumreich]

the leaf was rotted away, very wet and limp, soggy feel.
what's wrong? how can I make it healthy again.

[janet_a]

ok, some basics: what kind of plant, what kind of medium, what kind of light and water?

also, is this happening to more than one leaf, and what color is the leaf?

the big hairy panic-right-now problem is rot, which will turn a leaf yellow and limp in literally 24-48 hours. it can then eat the rest of the plant on the same schedule.

if you've just got a bottom leaf that is going limp, it may be a watering problem (too much, or too little. helpful aren't i? )

tell us some more and maybe we can diagnose it for you.

[jblumreich]

It is a phal. The leaf is going limp. It remains green, but lifeless, limpy, soggy and soft. It was with two other phals in a basket type of arrangement, in the front of my kitchen bay window (facing east), very good filtered light thru out the day.

I purchased this phal about a month ago. It finished the bloom, I was above to move it outdoor (under the canopy of my oak tree), I then noticed the problem. one leaf was completely soggy, turned yellowish and fall off. One leaf looked all right, but was rotted at the base. the plant still got some healthy leaves, but so far, I have lost about 3 leaves, and one is half way limpy.

It is potted in a mixed type of bark soil. I believe the culpit is the top dressing "fern type of material" the florist placed on top of the plant to make it pretty and attractive in the store. I believe it stayed moist and rotted the root and leaves. I have since peeled this material away. I wanted to just pull the entire plant out of its planting medium to take a look of the root system. But, decided that I am too inexperience to do so.

I am in the last day of the "tax" season. I am guilty of not paying close attention.

Thank you for any kind of help.

[janet_a]

yup, pull it out. looks like probably it's staying too wet. it's time to learn to repot.

http://firstrays.com/potting.htm

[jerrymeola]

The problem is the florist basket arrangement. It is almost impossible to grow orchids in this way. Florist sell these arragnements as a sustitute for cut flowers and are not trying to keep them alive after the flowers fade. they prefer you buy another one.

The roots of the orchids all need air circulation. That is why we use loose medium for potting. The basket prevents all air circulation. This leads to root rot as even minimal watering is too much to evaporate properly. The sphagnum moss on top of the plant slows down evaporation of water but is not bad by itself.

You can cut off the soft leaves as close to the stem as you can get.

First remove the plants from the basket. It is probably planted in a plastic pot. Gently squeeze the pot and slide the orchid out of the pot (best done horizantally on newspaper). You will probably find the potting medium to be very wet. I would normally replace the potting medium, but since you are inexperienced, I would leave the plant out of the pot until the medium dries out completely. Normally you do not let Phals dry completely but this is a special case. Once the mediuim is dry replace it in the pot and water very conseratively for the next month.

To replace overly wet medium for those more willing to try. After removing the plant gently squeeze the medium until the bark falls off. You may even find a center of sphagnum moss as this is the way many commercial growers grow Phals. Remove everything until the roots are bare. Any black roots or soft and mushy roots should be cut off. Firm white to tan roots remain. If there are no good roots, then recovery is unlikely. Either buy new potting mix or if the old mix is not soft you can sterilize it by placing it in bright sun for a day or two.

Even thought we just dried the roots you should soak it again for about 15 minutes before reassembling. This will soften the thick roots and minimize cracking Also soak new potting mix before using it. Position it over the center of the pot and gently replace the medium working it inbetween the roots until the pot is full. The plant has a tendancy to fall out of a new potting so either place it somewhere it will not be moved or use a pot clip.

good luck

[jblumreich]

You are so right. I will give it a try.
Thank you for all your advise.