HELP!!!! My phal is very very sad :(

I noticed one of the phals that my (very generous) boss gave me had a large yellow spot on the leaf (it only had one when I got it)
Today I pulled it out of the medium which was clay beads and spag packed around the root ball itself and there is a big black section on the part that joins the roots to the leaves.
PLEASE tell me that my poor phal can pull through.
I know that I'm supposed to pour peroxide over it, which I did, and heard a hissing noise when I listened. I put it in fresh clay beads once Id taken off any roots that looked dodgey and didnt water it as id rinsed the roots after cutting them.
any other advice? did I do the right thing? I'm worried, This was my second fave phal.

[patticake]

Did you remove the sphag? That tends to hold too much water and cause rot.-

yeah, I tossed it and its doubtful I will choose to use it again.

[jay]

Good air movement will help prevent rot as well. Root rot is caused by anaerobic bacteria that needs a lack of oxygen to grow. An increase in air movement will keep fresh oxygen flowing which does not allow the bacteria to grow.

so dont pack the potting medium too tightly around the plant? Also are the clay beads ok for phals? they seem great for the vandas that are so common down here.

[Evangeline Bourne]

oh, my thread is still here! Incase anyone is wondering the Phal in question is looking better after 2 days with peroxide treatment. I checked all my others and 2 are looking pretty sad, but not as far gone as the first. Heres to hoping they pull through

[Lacerr]

Hey, I do mostly Phals and I have brought several from the brink of death. This is exactly what I do. I pull all of the medium (usually sphag) off the roots, using a sterile blade, I cut all the rotted roots off all the way to the crown (leaves), basically any hollow roots or mushy. I use the cheap terra cotta pots with holes in them at Lowes and I use their better-gro bark mix with their better-gro fertilizer (urea free). So I repot in this mix in the terra cotta pots, some people soak it all first for an hour or so, but it doesnt really matter and since the roots are soggy, I just tend to err on the dry side anyway. I soak the plants carefully not to get water down in the leaves for about 30 minutes and then only water 2x a week. sometimes I mix a little Sphag in with my bark for extra moisture and then I can just water once a week. I am using the high nitrogen fertilizer since its bark mix right now during the growing season, then when it gets chilly, I will switch to a high middle number and I do half as much that is recommended weekly since the roots are suffering, but giving it a little boost of nitro will help the leaves grow and after the leaves grow or get stronger, then your roots can get stronger and grow. You just want to be careful not to burn the roots.

Plastic pots are great as well as the terra cotta, I do not have problems with salt build up on the terra cotta so I use those because they breath. I have beautiful artesian spring water running thru my tap and the salt content is way below the level that hurts plants so I just add aquarium dechlorinator/metal detox. If you are in a major city you usually can google the water info and check your ppm of salt. I forget the safe level for plants.

anyway, my rescue phals have roots spilling out all over the place and new leaves, so hopefully this might work for you.

[Evangeline Bourne]

thanks for such a detailed answer.
defiantly useful information.
2 of the phals are looking a lot better. one is pretty much out of the woods now. 2 others are still looking pretty sick. one has been spaghed and bagged, the other my husband has been/is fussing with, trying to bring it back from the verge. I'll show him you're post. thanks.

[Lacerr]

for some reason I always end up killing them by sphag and bag, we are so so so humid here that it doesn't really matter. today we were 85% humidity, so I can do this, sometimes I forget other people don't have our humidity =D