Surgery on a phal?

[MelissaSE]

I have a couple of larger (8-10" leaves) phal NOIDs that bloom great and are growing well. But they are getting kind of "stalk-y" looking -- there are tons of roots, and new leaves on a regular basis, but when the old leaves die, of course there's a bare stalk under the newer leaves. There are also new roots above the stalk.

I've heard of cutting off the bottom of the plant, and just letting the newer, higher-up roots take over. This would get rid of that bare stalk. Has anyone ever tried this? How long does it take for the plant to recover?

Here's a photo of one of mine that just finished blooming. I'm planning to repot soon, but don't know if I should perform the de-stalking surgery at the same time...

[beezermommy]

Let me know what everyone else says. I have a phal in similar condition. Good luck!

[digitalgate]

I would advise against that, you can't cut this plant. Normal plant you prune to keep it healthy. For phal if you cut , it would be kiss of death for the plant. This is only done if you have crown rot.

[PaphMadMan]

I think digitalgate is mistaking your intention. You're talking about cuttiing off the bottom of the stem to shorten it, not removing the crown. What you propose would work but I don't think it is necessary.

Just repot it deeper, putting the base of the lowest leaf just at the surface, buryiing the lower stem below the surface. Get a deeper pot or shorten the lower roots if necessary to make it fit. You should repot every year or 2 anyway so it isn't any extra work at all. If there is any of the base of the stem below the lowest roots it can be trimmed away without affecting the plant at all. If there are dried leaf bases you can pull off easily, do so. It shouldn't set your plant back at all.

[MelissaSE]

Thanks, PaphMadMan. This one is already in an 8" pot, so I'll probably have to trim some of the lower roots to get it farther down into that pot. That may become my project for the upcoming long weekend...

I have another one that looks much the same at the base, except it's even bigger (in a 10" pot) It still has an enormous bloom spike on it, so it can wait a while!

[digitalgate]

Originally Posted by MelissaSE

Thanks, PaphMadMan. This one is already in an 8" pot, so I'll probably have to trim some of the lower roots to get it farther down into that pot. That may become my project for the upcoming long weekend...

I have another one that looks much the same at the base, except it's even bigger (in a 10" pot) It still has an enormous bloom spike on it, so it can wait a while!

you mean root? not stem right?

[orchids4me]

Ok ... Un pot it and take a picture of the stalk area that is currently under the media... If that lower part of the stalk under the media currently has all dead roots and the lower part below all the new roots and stalk that is above the media is dead, then that can be trimmed off and cinnamon powder put on cut area to prevent infection. But only if the lower part is dead. If not then just pot it a bit deeper.
Show us pics before you do anything please!!

[gabi_borza]

If you repot deeper I sugest you cut off all of the dead and dried leaf bases. The roots can't penetrate trough that hard leaf base, and you might get new roots from that place if you repot deeper!

[MelissaSE]

Digitalgate -- yes, I'm talking about trimming roots to get the plant lower into the pot. My original question was about cutting off the lower end of the stem below the aerial roots, and PaphMadMan's reply pretty much answered my question. I definitely do NOT plan to cut off the crown of the plant!

I'll take pictures of everything and post them when I do the re-pot in a few days. And Gabi_borza, thanks for the suggestion to remove those dead leaf remnants, I can see the wisdom of that!