White stuff in phal roots/medium - any idea?

[kcb]

Hello!

Does anyone have an idea about what the white stuff in my phal roots could be and how I get rid of it?

It appeared some time ago (2-3 months) and I removed all the bark, cut away the roots in the area and repotted the plant. Now it's back....
The plant looks to be OK and just had new flowers.

[vanda_obsession]

mold maybe? Looks like condensation to me but you say it's white... my guess would be mold!

[Reg22]

I'm guessing some kind of mold too. Did you repot in the same pot or a new one?

[orchids4me]

I'm guessing its mold also. I'd clean up the roots maybe a peroxide water mix, change the media wash that pot out soap with a little bleach. Maybe melt a few holes in the sides to allow the media to breath a little more. If it does it again and is the same batch of media (bag of media) then it might have the spores in it but increasing air flow through the pot may help.
I have seen this in damp potting soil form between the bag and first layer of dirt it was a haven for it to grow because the sealed up bag didn't get air in it or very little by the small punch holes in the bag.
So I really think holes in the sides of the pot will help.
Good luck!!

[kcb]

Thank you for your suggestions!

After the first appearance I repotted the plant in the same pot, but washed the pot thoroughly with normal soap. I have used the medium on several other plants, but only this one has whatever it is.
The mold, or whatever it is, looks like small, white dots connected in some kind of web. From what I can see, it only appears on the side of the pot.

I'll try to repot again and rinse roots with peroxide and pot with bleach. Should I cut away the roots that has been in contact with the stuff, or just rinse them with peroxide?

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by kcb

Thank you for your suggestions!

After the first appearance I repotted the plant in the same pot, but washed the pot thoroughly with normal soap. I have used the medium on several other plants, but only this one has whatever it is.
The mold, or whatever it is, looks like small, white dots connected in some kind of web. From what I can see, it only appears on the side of the pot.

I'll try to repot again and rinse roots with peroxide and pot with bleach. Should I cut away the roots that has been in contact with the stuff, or just rinse them with peroxide?

If the afected area of the roots are rotted/mushy then trim them with sterilized sissors or cutting implement and use the peroxide you can also put powdered cinnamon on the cut area after that.
If the media is from the same bag you can sterilize that also with a very light bleach water soaking and rinse very well several times that will kill any spores or little pests in the media also. But put some holes in the pot so it breaths better and this doesn't continue to happen. I usually use the clear slotted pots. I didn't check where your from. But I know rePotme Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Care - Orchid Fertilizer sells the clear slotted pots and other supplies.
Good luck !!

[-k-]

I'm going to have to disagree with the crowd here but that does not look like mold to me, I could be wrong but to me it appears to be some type of eggs. I do however completely agree with Emmaye to repot, clean the plant thoroughly, including any rotted roots and sterilize the mix before repotting.

[mayres]

Funny you should say that "-K-", but I've been thinking the same thing since I first read this post yesterday and no one had yet posted! I was kind of afraid to say it for for some reason, but now that YOU have done it! $10,000 question - if so, what "critter" in Norway would do this? Hmmmmmmmmm

[rcb]

I've had similar looking egg like things in my pots, back when I used bark as the media.

As I do with all odd things that occur but don't seem to hurt the plant, I left it alone. I do know that eventually the little balls disappeared and only the web like stuff was left. And again, the plants never seemed to mind. Since it didn't seem to cause any harm, I never bothered to find out exactly what it is.

If it is a type of mold, I can tell you that using slotted pots didn't make a difference, as I use slotted pots and it occurred in them.

Since switching away from bark, I haven't seen any more of this.

[ingse]

It might just be fungus and will go away if you make some holes in the pot so there is more air circulation and let the media dry out a bit more before you water it again.
I am also a member in a swedish orchidforum and someone asked about this "problem" some time ago. "It" disappeared after a while without doing anything else to the pot, media og orchid

[phalaephila]

My first thought was fungus as well. The web-type stuff could be mycelia, and the round nodes could be the spore-producing bodies (not quite mushrooms...). I suggest letting the medium dry out a little more, and provide air circulation to the roots. Hope your treatment, whatever you choose, works for the problem!