Dying Phalaenopsis

[yourkid]

I have a Phalaenopsis that I got about 3 years ago. I brought it to work and it held its flowers for about 2 months, then the "branch" died but the plant remained healthy looking. It never reflowered.

FInally, I decided to repot it. I read several sites about how to repot it and undertook the task. When I uprooted it, there were several healthy "aerial" roots and some other roots that I would have either called "normal plant roots" or "dead aerial roots". Since all the websites I read made no mention of the "normal roots", I cut them off.

I have a feeling (although I still cant find any info about it) that those roots were in fact "normal plant roots" and I should have only cut dead aerial roots.

Is there anything I can do? The plant has lost 2 leaves and has 2 remaining. One looks very healthy, the other is starting to yellow (just as the two that died did before succumbing).

[MariahK]

I dont really have any advise for you with out pictures, but Phals only have one kind of root.

[Megan]

Is it a problem where you don't have a lot of good roots left then? I have read on this website before that there are ways to regrow roots if that is your problem. I'm sure there is a much more experienced member than I am, who would probably know a lot more about this than I do. I'll try to find that other thread for you.

[yourkid]

It could be. I dont know why it would be dying now though. All the roots were either BLATANTLY dead (like very shriveled and brown, very thin) or healthy, green/white. There are 4 good roots. I cut off the very dead stuff and repotted into a bark mix which says its forumlated for epiphytic orchids.

Should I maybe mix that bark with some a little potting soil (enough to provice some nutrients, but not enough to choke the plant)?

[Megan]

How often do you water your Phal and what kind of lighting does it get? I know very little about the potting soil because I haven't even gotten to the point of potting my orchid for the first time. Maybe someone else on this board would have some answers for you as far as the soil goes.

[yourkid]

I water it once a week. It gets flourescent light only (no availability to windows to move it). After replanting it, I read it should be kept a bit darker for a few days (which I did) and then moved it back into the light.

[Megan]

It sounds like you haven't been doing anything terribly wrong. Maybe it just needs a bit of time to resettle after being repotted? That was probably stressful for your plant, especially if it has only four roots.

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by yourkid

It could be. I dont know why it would be dying now though. All the roots were either BLATANTLY dead (like very shriveled and brown, very thin) or healthy, green/white. There are 4 good roots. I cut off the very dead stuff and repotted into a bark mix which says its forumlated for epiphytic orchids.

Should I maybe mix that bark with some a little potting soil (enough to provice some nutrients, but not enough to choke the plant)?

The answer to the question is no. Potting soil will do no good for your Phal except rot your roots. They pull the nutrients while being watered, through the air, and the sun, not through the soil or ground.

You say you water only once a week? Pics would be most helpful here. Phal like to have moist medium, but not soggy. Have you seen the skewer method used for watering?

We need to see pics of the plant to diagnose. There could be several things going on, but I suspect crown rot....

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The roots in the pot probably died because it was left too long in the same mix and the mix degraded to the point of holding too much water. This is not a particularly serious situation if one waters by need and not by schedule. Since you continued to water once a week, the increasingly more moist mix eventually rotted the roots. The current roots should be enough if you were able to get them into the mix where moisture would be held for a number of days to sustain the plant until the next watering, when the mix is very nearly dry. If the roots are still up in the air, they will need regular misting until some roots grow down into the mix.

I generally like to thoroughly wet aerial roots and bend them, gradually if need be, downward to get them into the pot. I have come up with a new way to get these roots into a pot. I start with a large pot that needs only a little bending of the roots, and press the roots downward as much as possible with wet paper towels and something for weight (no bark here yet). I then progressively move the plant into smaller pots over the next few days, allowing about 12 hours for the roots to adjust to each of the smaller confines with more pressing down of the paper towels. When you reach the size you want, pot up.