Rescued orchid NOID. Can anybody ID it?

[shiningrock]

I rescued this phal today at a discounted price. I just can't stop looking at it -- it is so different than any I have seen before. It is very beautiful but the flowers will be dropping off soon and the roots have some issues. Almost all of the roots were rotten or partially rotten. There is one healthy looking root but who knows what it'll turn out to be.

The phal was potted in sphag. I immediately took it out so it is now bare rooted and drying off. I left on some of the partially rotted roots because maybe they can still help feed the orchid. If I have to cut the spike I will.

The tag says Wedding Promenade like many others on sale in big box stores (no matter what color it is).

I have posted some pictures in the hope that somebody can ID it for me. Also, can anybody please advise as what to do at this point to give it the best chance of survival?

I plan to pot it in coconut husk mix or a bark which I will get soon with a shipment from Jerry (hybrid project). I plan to use a smaller pot than it came in because there are fewer roots now. I don't have anything to treat it against rotting or molding. I guess physan would be good. Where do I get some?

1st pic -- flower
2nd pic -- roots before cut
3rd pic -- after cuting the rotted ones
4th pic -- two OK looking roots
5th pic -- a black spot in the center of the stem (is this rotted?)
6th pic -- flower

[kmarch]

It's a Phalaenopsis. It's what we call a splash-petal phal because of the markings that look like it has been splashed with paint. Normally I would say there's no chance of finding the name because there are so many hybrids many of which look similar but in this case splash petal phals are a fairly new breeding trend and you just might be able to find the name of this one.

Your potting plans are all good. Physan can be found at just about any retail outlet that carries a good selection of gardening supplies. Most chain nurseries, garden centers and DIY stores will carry it.

The great thing about physan is that you can mix it (according to directions) with the water you use to water your orchids so if you can't get it before you have to pot your phal you can still use it.

Regarding your 5th pic, you could probably cut the stem off below the last root if you're reasonably sure it is dead. Wait for a second opinion on this point.

I think you have reason to be optimistic. You've done a good job with the roots and it sounds like you're going about things in a way that will give you the best chance for success.

[patlee]

Everything Kevin said is right on the money The only thing he left out is what a beautiful phal you have. Never saw it in this part of the country. Along with the physan I would pick up a bottle of Super Thrive. It promotes root growth and you can water with it after you do the physan thing

Congratulations on a great job of cleaning it up, and on picking up a real knock out. Wish it was mine...

[shiningrock]

Thanks for the replies Kevin and patlee. I hope to save this one.

It has been more than two weeks and of course the plant seems to be fighting the battle of survival. I pulled it out of the pot recently and found only one remaining root (which might dry up soon).

I read on the forum that you can give phal leaves a bath in fertilizer solution for fifteen minutes -- so I did that. I left it out of the pot and I am now misting it a few times a day. I can feel a bump on the stem and I am hoping that it is a new root!

I don't see a new leaf and I don't know how long the existing ones will last. Does anyone has any further suggestions to save this plant

Here are some recent pics.

First pic shows the one surviving root and a starting spike (which hasn't change since I got it). You can see the bump on this one too. It's on the side of the stem (look above the spike).

The second pic shows the size of the plant. Next to my 35 mm camera cap.

[articuno75]

This is the New plants - nearly frozen leaves plants with bad roots or for bare root planting.

Can't hurt.

It's under post #4. You can sub the vitamin with Superthrive.

Hope this helps.

[Martine]

WOW! I can't stop looking at this orchid. It's beautiful. Never seen anything like it.

[digitalgate]

dont put into strong light yet. lower light than usually. Otherwise lot of water will be loss
from the leave. Let it develop new roots -that will take anything from 3 to 5 months. Then
increase your light according.What media you use depend on your area. Bag and sphag moss might do the trick.

[berkeleysgr8]

It is a gorgeous orchid! I would have bought it too! Hopefully it pulls through... we're rooting (hehehe ) for success!

[shiningrock]

Sorry to say but it's a loss . I discarded it yesterday. Didn't even take a picture of it, it looked sooo sad. I guess I couldn't save this one .

[solay]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that it's gone. Maybe next time it will work out better for you.

[psyc1210]

Sorry to hear you lost the orchid. I had one from Home Depot that was all rotted out, and it only had 1 root left. I pulled it from the pot and have been wetting the root multiple times per day, and now it's growing 4 new roots. It's just been sitting potless on my counter for a few weeks.

[norris]

I'm sorry to hear you lost that plant, I was hoping it would pull through, it had such a nice bloom. Today I finally tossed out my first Catt. it had been struggling for about 6 months, and when I looked at the roots ... there were none, and the rhizome was rotted also I did learn some things, that's for sure, so I guess it's not a total loss.

[missann]

I too am sorry to hear of your loss. I wonder how these people can make plants in such poor condition bloom. It amazes me. For me, I would have not done the fertilizer thing. I think it is not a good thing to leaf feed orchids. I may be wrong, but I think I read that you shouldn't do that. Also-does anyone ever think about using rooting hormone that you would use on cuttings on the bottom of orchids to get them to root? I think that may have helped, but so far, I have not read anything about people using rooting hormone for orchids. Some of it also has an antifungal ingredient in it to keep the stem from rotting off.

[Orchid_Sense]

Hi Shinningrock, your experience reminded me of my Phal schilleriana. I bought it without knowing all that the roots were gone, but the plant looked fine on the surface. In few days time, the leaves started to turned flimsy and winkled. I thought that I was going to loss this plant. Then I gave a try to tie the plant bottom part ONTO (not into) some moisted sphagnum moss and wrapped the whole thing in a clear plastic bag. Well, it worked! New roots grew and the whole plant 'resurrect'... And one thing to note is; do not fertilizer the plant when the roots are damaged, do it only when new roots are growing.

[brookn]

There is a technique used by Brooke (the other one hee hee), that you bathe the leaves only in a fert. solution for Phals with no roots. There are pics showing how successful it is. You bathe the leaves every day with a watered down fert. solution, and sit the plant onto a bed of sphag until the roots are about 2 inches then you pot it.

[Brooke]

Hi the other Brook - I didn't fertilize the leaves every day :>) I usually got around to it once a week, maybe. I turned the leafy part of the plant upside down in a container and poured the fertilizer water over it and let it soak for 20-30 minutes (I never timed it) then removed the plant, dried the crown and stuck it back in the moist sphag bed. It is the underside of the leaves (stomata) that absorb the fertilizer more so than the top part.

I did apply a rooting hormone on the bare stem just below the bottom leaves before placing the phal on the moist sphag. It would probably go faster if you did apply the fert water every day but I can be rather haphazard at times :>)

Keeping the phal in a bowl on moist sphag keeps the humidity up around the plant without the fear of fungus/mold growing if you sphag and bag it. During the entire process the leaves were never limp or wrinkled. You maintain the sphag in the same manner as if the plant is mounted.

The resuscitated phal is now in a 2" air cone pot with roots to the bottom of it.

Brooke