My Phal tetraspis C1 isn't doing so well. Help...?

[bearded orchid]

So Syndy picked me up a C1 at the Chicagoland Festival a few months back. When I got it, the roots were pretty sparse but still in good shape. However, things have decided to go downhill shortly thereafter...

I tried potting it up in a sphagum-bark-hydroton mix but after a month the roots started to die. Then I tried mounting it as my violacea seemed to take well to that. Well, I noticed the leaves kept getting more limp and wrinkled so I took it off the mount and all I have are strings and some stubby air roots. Please help. I'm not sure what needs to be done now to get this little guy on the right track.

[Daethen]

I'm afraid the first thing you need to do is to cut the spike off so that it doesn't have to support that while trying to grow roots.

[sunshine]

Originally Posted by Daethen

I'm afraid the first thing you need to do is to cut the spike off so that it doesn't have to support that while trying to grow roots.

I have to agree. This way the energy goes to making new roots and leaves. The leaves are very dehydrated. I would pot up is some sphag and the smallest posssible pot size 2 inch or less. May have to make one

You could also give it a good soaking in water with a mixture of superthrive and fertilizer to help rehydrate it. Don't forget to trim off the dead roots.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Brooke]

Somewhere on Geeks is a thread I wrote describing how to revive a totally rootless Phal but I can't find it. Here is a quicker version but without the pics to show the progress.

I would soak the entire plant in a weak fertilizer solution for a couple of hours, remove it, blow the water out of the crown and put it in a shallow container with damp sphag around the short roots. Make sure you keep it out of the sun during this time. I would moisten the sphag daily. Every couple of days I would soak the entire plant again.

I wouldn't remove the spike because many times when you cut it off it might send out another spike which is harder on the plant than keeping the original spikes. If it decides to bloom, remove the bud.

Once the roots are long enough to anchor in your preferred media, resume regular culture. I prefer sphag and tree fern because it needs constant moisture and doesn't want to dry out but also doesn't want soggy.

For me the the speciosa C#1 has been a much weaker grower than any of my tetraspis. I have had mine for over two years and am finally getting some decent sized leaves and roots on it but it is still living in a 3" air cone.

Good luck - Brooke

[bearded orchid]

Thank you, Brooke. I found the thread you mentioned Reviving a Rootless Phal
I wanted to know, when you say keep it out of the sun, would that also correspond to keeping it out from beneath my t5s?

[elona]

The little C1 looks like it's really trying despite everything. Good luck.

Just thinking about the C1 and species orchids in general. Is it true that species orchids are more fragile than hybrid orchids. When I purchased my Phal tetraspis C1, I was told that.

[Brooke]

Phil I don't know how far away you are currently growing from the T5's but it doesn't want or need hot bright lights. Your goal is to keep it moist, preserve the humidity around it because it doesn't have any roots to absorb moisture for the leaves. I actually stuck mine under a shelf but when my heater was running, it received additional heat.

Elona I don't think most Phal species are any more difficult than hybrids but my speciosa C#1 has been. I have three different tetraspis, two in pots and one mounted and those grow like weeds.

Brooke

[orchidaddict789]

My C1 came from the same grower, but not from the Chicagoland Festival. The previous owner of the plant imported it early summer and it's been growing in sphag. I got it in September and when I checked its roots, and discovered it only had about 5 short 1" roots. I placed it in a vanda basket with sphag. Sphag kept up the humidity, while the openings along the sides of the basket improve air circulation. I was a little worried about rotting the few short roots, so I let the sphag get moderately "crunchy" dry before watering. Since your plant has fewer roots, you probably need to keep it a little bit on the moist side.

I've been dousing it--leaves and all, in superthrive, and when I ran out of superthrive, I began using Dyna-Gro KLN. I know KLN *probably* caused the crazy root growth on all 5 of my previously rootless catts (don't quote me on that though, since I didn't do a proper "scientific experiment").

My C1 grew a 1" new root and it stopped growing. Does C1 lack a gene for good root production or what... My plant's leaves are still nice and firm, but I'm worried about its roots too, because, I don't know, if old roots die and they aren't replaced...

I really hope yours gets better! What is your humidity, just out of curiosity?

[bearded orchid]

Brooke, I had it growing about 9 inches away with two 3500 and 6000 bulbs.
I went ahead and soaked it a couple hours in some .25 strength fert and KLN and now have it resting in in a drip tray with damp sphag and have it in a large ziplock bag with a little opening for air flow. I also put it on top of the upper light fixture where it's nice and toasty with a little cast off light from below. We'll see how it does.

Orchidaddict, I hope your C1 does alright too. I guess they're just content to grow sparse roots.

I'll post updates as I see them, good or bad.

[orchids4me]

Hi bearded,
I hope yours pulld through I learnd my mistakes from my first one and Synda got me one also (replacement for the one I lost). I kept it in sphag but I wait until the moss is almost crunch or is crunchy and just add a little water do damp it back up a bit . This one seems happy this way and watering so far.
Good luck with yours ....

[elona]

I don't think the C1 lacks the gene for growing good roots because mine has tons of healthy roots about 6 inches long when I repotted it.