Office Phal Rescue

[edgy]

Hello Everyone,
Our office manager was given a phal in bloom when she found out she was pregnant. Just recently I found the pot sitting next to the garbage so I brought it home with me. I haven't tried pulling it out of the pot yet. I've watered it. The roots still look good. I figured I would take it on as a project. Any advise on what to do with this one? Has anyone had any experience in bringing a plant like this back from the brink of death?

[0r-kid]

Oh wow edgy...I'm about to post my own phal rescue (two plants in the same pot from Lowe's), but neither one looks nearly this bad! Wow...I think I'd get it out of the sphag of course, other than that I don't know what else. You're brave for taking on this one. It would be neat if you could bring it back and perhaps give it back to her (with better care instructions?) when the baby is born. Good luck friend!

[edgy]

I'm not sure brave is the word....more like curious....but these are resilient, and i'm sure that if it is possible, i'll get the answers here in this forum. She is kind of a mean spirited woman so I'm not even thinking of giving it back.....especially after giving it the ol college try and a lot of tlc. That being said.....I am up for the challenge and open to any and all suggestions...I've never tried to care for an orchid in this state before so as I said before I'm curious and eager to learn from the experience. Thanks for the response

[0r-kid]

Oh...she's one of THEM!!! I wish you good luck with it. It will be interesting to watch this plant come back!

[englandfx]

Brink of death?...

The plant is already dead!

Just throw that in the garbage. It is futile since there are no leaves on it. And I can bet the roots have all rotted.

[SamIAm]

Hi edgy,
I partially disagree with taking it out of moss, I would take it out of the moss it is currently in, clean up the roots if necessary and repot using fresh sphagnum moss. NZ moss is the preferred. I would repot with moss lightly around the roots and keep it moist. I think using bark, even presoaked would dry out too fast. Moss that is not packed in gives roots plenty of air along with the added moisture this orchid is in desperate need of. Best of luck and keep us posted on any progress

[edgy]

It costs me nothing but a little time to play this out no matter how it turns out. Any more advise is welcome and much appreciated.....Thanks

[edgy]

So...are you saying there is no hope at all?

[edgy]

The roots are still plump and green after watering and there is a good amount of healthy roots visible.

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by edgy

It costs me nothing but a little time to play this out no matter how it turns out. Any more advise is welcome and much appreciated.....Thanks

Edgy, I hate to be a party pooper, but I would trash it. It ain't worth it, and it's a gonner. You say it costs you nothing but time, but I don't believe that's true. This kind of plant steals your life energy. You may have a lot to spare, but before it's thru with you, trust me, you'll have considerably less.

A pathetic, miserable, ungrateful, half dead scrap of phal is a continual reproach, every time you look at it. It's a downer. You try and try and fail and fail, and it eats your confidence. No matter what you do, it was never the right thing. It consumes mind space and life energy that would be better spent enjoying your successes and learning how to grow and bloom a grateful plant. Believe it or not, you learn 10 times more from a success than from a failure.

Every single time I have thrown one of these out, even when it was a rare thing that I couldn't replace, I've experienced an immediate uplift of spirits, and never been sorry later.

[englandfx]

I agree with mehitabel

[edgy]

Thank you for all the help......I think I will heed the advise. Thanks

[koshki]

Well, call me a sucker, but I'd give it a try. If there are some good roots, that is. I would repot it immediately.

If it dies, it dies, and no fault of yours. But if it lives, how wonderful!

Especially if the previous owner is such a b****! Poetic justice!

[Audrey_C1]

I've heard great things about this media for orchids. I have one of my phals in it, and it's doing great.

Mike's mix found here:

Phal Repotting & Media

Good luck!

[SamIAm]

I've read on this board multiple times of people bringing back orchids with hardly any/to no roots, so why would it be pointless with an orchid that has viable roots but no leaves?!...isn't it capable of growing new leaves? I agree with koshki, I'd have to be a sucker and at least give it a chance. Not everyone finds nurturing something back to health a drain. Even if it's not ever perfect.

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by SamIAm

Not everyone finds nurturing something back to health a drain. Even if it's not ever perfect.

Sorry to give that impression, SamIAm. I don't mind one bit nurturing somthing back to health, and don't find it a drain, either. I would say it's quite rewarding. What's a drain is nurturing it while it's what gardenia growers have called "suicidal" -- ie h*** bent on dying.

But no harm in learning things the hard way. That's what I've always done, too

[edgy]

The plot thickens......ok so is the consensus then that if it is going to be save that it needs to be repotted? If so....back to the moss or another medium?

[0r-kid]

Originally Posted by edgy

The plot thickens......ok so is the consensus then that if it is going to be save that it needs to be repotted? If so....back to the moss or another medium?

ooo...let me know what you choose. I've put both of my rescues in bark mixture because it's what my other, healthier phals like. I'm too knew to know, but I would assume it could depend on what the roots look like?

[SamIAm]

Hi edgy,
Yes, it should definitely be repotted. Who knows how long it has been in the current moss. Fresh moss, fresh start ...or whatever type of media you feel is appropriate. Most of my orchids are in NZ moss and doing great, happy green roots and new leaves, so, my vote is for moss. Even pre-soaked bark dries too quick for my orchids liking, even with 50-60% humidity. Good Luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted

[englandfx]

Well the plant is already dead... that is clear as day...

So I'm not sure what you are all talking about, unless I'm blind lol

[blackorchid]

hi edgy i had a Phal with no leaves but good roots, so i put it in pumice in a plastic propagtor. It took a long time to grow new leaves, but it is now a healthy plant that is just showing two flower spikes. Good luck

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by englandfx

Well the plant is already dead... that is clear as day...

So I'm not sure what you are all talking about, unless I'm blind lol

Unless you are there in person, how are you sure that the plant is dead? It may look bad, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is absolutely no life at all.

[digitalgate]

i could do that. but chances are very very low. warm temperature , humid air, lost of circulation and wait for the crown to grow something. But it could go down hill from there.

[englandfx]

Originally Posted by psyc1210

Unless you are there in person, how are you sure that the plant is dead? It may look bad, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is absolutely no life at all.

Well based on the picture, the plant is dead. A picture can be worth a thousand words,...and one of those words is dead

[koshki]

Edgy's got the plant in his possession, and said there are at least "some" healthy roots. He alone can tell what's going on with this plant, when and if he decides to take it out of the pot and inspect it.

If there are no good roots, well then I'd concede it's dead. But I for one, would take a poor, neglected and *free* plant to see if I could coax it back to life. With the expert help of friends on this site, of course!

[kip]

if there are still some healthy roots, it's definately alive. the roots can even do some photosynthesis if they're exposed to the light. I've never tried to bring a standard phal back from this point, but it might help to mount the plant under glass to keep the humidity up, while still allowing light through to the roots. good luck.

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by englandfx

Well based on the picture, the plant is dead. A picture can be worth a thousand words,...and one of those words is dead

Reiterating exactly what I said...based on the picture you are coming to your conclusion...Edgy however has more than just a picture, and can see more than we can.

[edgy]

I took the plant out of the pot and trimmed off the dead roots.....I'll post pictures as soon as I get in tonight.

[PhalNewbie89]

Good Luck, this little phal was lucky you noticed it. I hope it rewards you for taking the chance to try.

[edgy]

OK.....Here are some pictures......Thank you to all of you that have responded. I'm always up for a good challenge but not afraid to cut my losses either. Your advise here in this forum has always helped tremendously....let me know what you think. Eddy

[lmartiny]

What plant? Sorry. (couldn't help that) I'm just getting on board here. If it's got good roots and you want to give it a go what harm is there in that? I would soak a bark mix (spag I can't deal with) and put it in a small pot. Clamp it into place to keep it still and keep an eye on it. You never know. I would not say anything to Ms. Mean Spirited. She put it out for trash. You don't owe her anything.

[lmartiny]

OK. We just totally crossed posts. I see your picts. Um, well, does not look too promising. But give it a shot if you want. Afterall, it does have roots. Plant part looks complete dried out though.

[kip]

well, it doesn't look good, but at least it's alive

[maria1971]

Ok, well


Lemme just tell you a story.

My sister had a phal...she didn't take care of it.

I used to pass the phal every day when I watered my outside orchids.

All the leaves fell off.

I told her one day, "hey your phal is dead. Do you want me to throw it out."

She told me just to leave it there because she was going to throw it away but wash and recycle the pot.

So, I forgot about the stump (as I liked to call it)


About a month later, I asked her again if she would like me to throw out the plant (as I tripped on the pot a couple of times and was getting annoyed.)

She said fine.


So, I go outside again, and lo and behold--the thing had 2 new tiny little leaves.


Fast forward about 2 more months--and the thing is huge.


Lesson: don't give up until well, it's time to give up. Sometimes I throw away a plant because it's clearly beyond redemption--i.e. dead roots, no leaves, rotten pseudobulb.

Other times, I just tell myself, "let's just see what happens." I bought a rupicolous laelia from Brazil this past spring...the thing had horrible roots, shriveled up pseudobulbs and no new growths. The thing actually fell apart when I picked it up. I essentially potted ONE tiny pseudobulb..and if any of you have ever seen a rupicolous laelia, you know how small that is. Well, Fast forward, again, to now...and the thing is still alive, and has put out 2 more growths.

So, lesson, sometimes plants have a mind of their own, sometimes they are truly, truly dead. It's really up to you to determine "when the fat lady sings" for each particular plant.

I also disagree with the poster who said you don't learn anything from failures. I've learned most of my lessons from failures...not successes.

so, to make a long story short, if you have time, and energy, and the will to try, Hey, why the heck not?

[englandfx]

That stump looks rotten and black to form any new leaves on it.

However, if a miracle comes by, it will be 3 years before you will see blooms on it.

[xKTx]

Your efforts are really admirable, whether or not you succeed, so best of luck! Keep us updated =)

[0r-kid]

Originally Posted by englandfx

That stump looks rotten and black to form any new leaves on it.

However, if a miracle comes by, it will be 3 years before you will see blooms on it.

You've been quite negative about this plant this entire thread. The stump may look rotten and black from the pictures, but edgy is still the only one that is seeing it in person. He's still the only one that can make the call.

And as far as 3 years before he sees any blooms on it...who cares? It can take 3+ years to see blooms on a perfectly healthy and thriving plant. You still wouldn't throw away that healthy plant would you?

[katsrevenge]

Well, I've two phals in my bathroom that had no roots when I got them. It took a few months but now they have roots and both have new leaves. No spikes but they joy of saving them is totally worth it.

I say go for it. I'm not an expert but I say it has a slim chance as long as the base is good... and the chance to mentally spite a bad boss would make me want to try even more.

I'm thinking vented glass box setup with the roots laid over a bed of damp moss? That way, they get light and moisture but not enough to rot...

Would ferts help or hurt?

[lmartiny]

Yeah. Go for it. What the hell!! That's what I say.

[englandfx]

Um, of course I would never ever throw away a healthy looking plant 0r-kid lol

[berkeleysgr8]

I would give it a shot! I had a plant that lost all of its leaves last year and it made a basal keiki.

[Brooke]

Englandfx how many phals do you have now?

Brooke

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by edgy

OK.....Here are some pictures....... I'm always up for a good challenge but not afraid to cut my losses either. ....let me know what you think. Eddy

Eddy, reread Mehitabel's advice. It's time to cut your losses. Life is not infinite.

--Stitz--

[englandfx]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Englandfx how many phals do you have now?

Brooke

I have 5 phals.

[janet_a]

i suppose it's possible it could throw a basal keiki; if you feel like experimenting, it costs almost nothing to repot it and keep an eye on it and see if does anything.

careful of those plants from the office though--i brought 2 home in 2002, and now i've got 3 dozen.

[tizzycat]

Edgy, I, like you, would give it a go. There are definitely some viable roots there. I would repot it in bark in a clear pot so you can keep an eye on what's going on with the roots.

My very first orchid (a gift from a very good friend) lost all it's leaves, but had good roots, I put it out in the greenhouse all summer and just poured a drop of water throught it when I rememberd. I noticed last week that there is the beginnings of what looks like a keiki forming. Fingers crossed.

Good luck with the project. You have nothing to lose, but a tremendous sense of satisfaction if you succeed.

[edgy]

Ok, so after reading everyone's comments......I'm going leave it be and watch....If something happens...great....if nothing happens, no harm no foul. Nature has a funny way of suprising us, especially when we expect nothing. Thank you all again for the advise. EnglandFX...I know you're not being negative...you are probably very much a realist. I appreciate your honesty and candor. Again...Thank you all. I'll send updates....if there are any

[edgy]

Thanks for the ecouragement Tizzycat.....That's exactly what I'll do with it.

[englandfx]

No I wasn't being negative lol... just real and practical .. so yeah xD

[FLBob]

I'm going to jump in here with my two cents....
Toss it.
A diseased plant may have spores of the fungus that killed the plant. You may just be setting yourself up for trouble beyond the fuss of attempting to revive a plant that is way far gone.
Look at the healthy plants you have, protect them.

[edgy]

Thanks Bob.....That's something I had not considered up to now.

[FLBob]

I've tried the "I can save it" bit many times, some times there is success, some times not. But I won't keep a sick plant around.
If I have a psudobulb or two fall off during a repot, well I work with that piece of a plant until it proves me a sucker, or gives up a flower. At least I knew that the piece was healthy to begin with.

[edgy]

Thanks Bob

[edgy]

Thanks Bob.......good point. I guess I'm going to let it play out but I'll separate it completely. I've got a lot of space outside.

[edgy]

Phal has crossed over......the plant just kept deteriorating....thanks for the advise, encouragement and honesty.

[PhalNewbie89]

Sad day. Maybe it will be a beautiful plant in orchid heaven :P

[maria1971]

R.I.P.

Good luck with your other plants.

[tizzycat]

at least you had the satisfaction of trying.