Crisis on a Thursday night!

[LTerrieM]

Help?

I was going through the usual ritual of a nice lukewarm bath and leaf cleansing and I got to a Paph that i inherited from my Mom. ( Now, I took her to an orchid show in Timonium, Md and encouraged her to try two orchids that I knew would do well for her environment, I now own both) The Paph was purchased in the spring of last year, so when she recently gave it to me I was happy to accept.

The phale had moss flies and I found out tonight the Paph was really a mess. Upon exam, I found after removilng the top spaghnum moss that, in fact, that was all it was potted in. I began to remove the moss from the roots and found three long roots. One rotted, and one had about an inch of rotted root that I surgically removed. Problem............. in my hand last year's plant ( one big leaf and old flower stump broke off. I couldn't even tell where. That was the one with the roots!) The other is healthy, new growth about 1 1/2 " high ..............no roots, No Roots!!!

In reading I found that new growth will send roots after about 2 inches high. I don't have any other Ladies so I am bashful and want it to thrive.
A bark based medium, and roots similar to the size of a phale, no bugs. I've conquered all of them, but I'm want a little reassurance that I'm on the right track. I have rooting hormone but I'm feeling like if I pot in my normal Shulz Bark medium and drench, and just keep a little dry for a bit with water in the graveled dish below I will encourage the roots to grow by their search for moisture far below. What do y'all think?


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[kmarch]

Hello and wlecome to the forum!

My apologies but I'm really having a hard time understanding your post. I can't tell when you're talking about the Paph and when you're talking about the Phal. The incomplete sentences don't help.

Can you clarify what the problem is with the Paphiopedilum?

[articuno75]

The phale had moss flies and I found out tonight the Paph was really a mess. Upon exam, I found after removilng the top spaghnum moss that, in fact, that was all it was potted in.

Which one is "IT" the Paph or the Phal?

Problem............. in my hand last year's plant ( one big leaf and old flower stump broke off. I couldn't even tell where. That was the one with the roots!) The other is healthy, new growth about 1 1/2 " high ..............no roots, No Roots!!!

I got really lost here. Did one of the plants break in half or something?

I have rooting hormone but I'm feeling like if I pot in my normal Shulz Bark medium and drench, and just keep a little dry for a bit with water in the graveled dish below I will encourage the roots to grow by their search for moisture far below. What do y'all think?

I too am having a serious time trying to decifer your post, but I think that I figured out.

As for the Paph, do retype this post. Kmarch can really help you out on this as he is the Paph guru on this forum.

It sounds like you got a case of root rot from the plants being in total Spagh. Unfortunately, this happens to some growers. You can take your Phal and plant it into the Schultz Orchid mix as you stated, but don't let it completely dry out. Phals like moist, not wet, roots. Have you been introduced to the Skewer Method? This can help with knowing when to water and checking moisture levels. I hope this helps.

[articuno75]

I also forgot to mention on checking the threads and the AOS website for the culture sheets on both of these orchids.

[m3phist023]

I've not had much luck with phals, but I have a Maudiae-type paph that had no roots. I soaked the stump in Superthrive solution and potted it in coconut husk chips, and it now is growing lovely, hairy roots, and the new growth that stopped has started again.

There is hope!

[LTerrieM]

I guess I was babbling in a panic. It was the paphiladeum. As I tried to uncover the plants roots, I found that the entire plant was just sitting in the spaghnum moss. It was a mess. The roots were all tangled in amongst the moss. Upon exam, the really healthy part of the plant had no roots, just this threadlike attachment to the older part and I broke it, by accident. There were two part to this paph. The rotting roots wer on the older part. It was almost like a plant that had grown from a root.

So I was a little rattled. This newer, healthier part has no roots. Its new leaves are about 1 1/2 " tall, but no roots. I've read that new growth begins first, with roots to follow soon after when about 2" tall.

I repotted in bark based medium like ! would have for a Phale. I drenched the pot and set in a clear plastic dish of gravel that I will keep wet.

I was going to allow to dry and maintain moisture in the dish below. Hopefully this would encourage root growth.

Please help. The Paph looked so good I never would have guessed this to have happened. Any input would be appreciated.

[kmarch]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. So you've got a Paph (Paphiopedilum) that had a new growth which broke off and which has no roots. My usual remedy for Paphs with no roots is to put them in sphagnum, keep them gently and evenly moist, never let them dry out, maintain good air circulation (I do not recommend the sphag and bag method for Paphs), and be very very patient.

Rootless Paphs usually take longer to reroot than most other commonly grown orchids, so it's going to take a while. The small new growth that broke off can also be put into sphagnum but the chances of it rooting and recovering are small.

You mentioned that the plant looked really good until it fell apart. This is, unfortunately, one of the odd quirks of Paphs. They often don't show any signs that something is wrong until the plant is in trouble.

Good luck

[rmt135]

1. On average how long will Paph reroot?

2. Will this set back the time for next bloom?

3. Will hormone help to speed up this reroot?

[LTerrieM]

Thanks, the healthier side is actually the larger plant now. I mean the new leaves are 1 1/2 " high. It was surviving off the old, one leaf, flower stump, side. It still looks great.
I will try the spaghnum idea, it's pretty large actually. I think I stand a good chance!

Thanks all........I really appreciate the support.

Terrie

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think I would not use hormones. My experience, so far, is that rooting hormones on the rhizomes of sympodials does not act like rooting hormone, but much more like sprouting hormone, and actually suppresses rooting. Now this may be because I use more than I should, but how much is right. In general, I would restrict rooting hormones to roots and maybe to monopodials, as I have no experience with rooting hormone on monopodials, so it may or may not work on Phal/Vanda bases. I did use rooting hormone on Paphs, and they sprouted new growths, but the new growths never rooted before the plants expired.