White stuff on my phal roots! What is it???

[maria17m]

My phal came in a pot that does not have holes in the bottom for water drainage. I wanted to check out the roots, so I lifted the plant up and discovered a puddle of water in the bottom of the pot as well as some white stuff on the roots and soil around my plant. It looks kind of fuzzy.

The plant itself seems very healthy. It has several green strong leaves, the stem is still green, and it has many nice green healthy roots.

Some roots looked rotted, but I don't know if they belong to my currently healthy happy plant or a smaller phal plant that also came in the same pot that withered and died a few months ago. After all the leaves fell off, I removed the crown and what I could from the pot, but there probably are some roots left.


What is this stuff? Should I be worried? What can I do to help keep my plant happy and healthy

[bkim]

The sphag looks pretty deteriorated and rotted. The white stuff is fungus. I would repot it asap.

1) Discard all of the sphag and remove as much organic material as possible.
2) Cut off rotted roots (it will be spongy, not firm)
3) Disinfect the roots with brooke's recipe, physan 20, or some other concoction to kill the fungus.
4) Unless you're experienced with sphag, buy some orchid bark mix to repot. It is much more forgiving than sphag in the watering department.
5) When you repot, find a clear pot of same size with drainage holes. Clear pots allow you to see if the medium is wet/dry. If you've cut off a significant number of roots, I'd even go a size smaller on the pot.

[solay]

I agree. I get the same stuff in the Cymbidium pots once in a while. I just repot after a good rinse and disinfecting. Good luck!

[digitalgate]

ditto that fungus. but which area do you stay? I in the tropics, leave that thing in
the open that discourage the growing of fungus. I put in direct morning sun for 30 minutes
when the sun light has not hit 10000 foot candle. If you stay in zone 1 then, the sun
light might not reach that number even in the summer.

[maria17m]

Thanks for all of your advice, I will definitely take care of my little problem tommorrow but I have a few questions.

bkim, you referred to Brooke's recipe. I think I found it on the website (dishsoap, cinnamon extract, and tepid water right?) Do I soak my plant in the concoction or do I just rinse it with the mixture?

Digitalgate, to answer your question, I live in Michigan. I'm not sure what zone that is. Should I leave my plant outside in the sun for a while? I have an apartment with a northfacing sliding doorwall or a southfacing window. What's the best home for my plant?

Thanks, I appreciate everyone's advice. I am so new to orchid care and I really want to take good care of my baby!

[Anton]

Maria could you go to your personal details and update them to show where you live, that way people living in close vicinity to you can give you area specific information with your cultivation.

Ditto all the above. I use fungicide once a month on all my orchids, and alternate it between two brands, so that the fungi don't get accustomed to one particular brand.

[patlee]

Looks like you have a phalaenopsis. It should take a couple hours of morning sun, but then be careful not to let it get sun burnt (water on the leaves is a very bad idea) by the more intense afternoon light. If you put it in your southfacing window, make sure there is a gauzy curtain to protect it or keep it a few feet back from the direct light. I grow mine in an east facing bay window and your northfacing sliding door may not provide enough light even though Phals are considered to be low light plants.Also, make sure you have good air circulation to help in getting rid of that fungus:

Good growing...

[digitalgate]

actually 15 minute is all you need. Since maria is in Michigan , i dont think 30 minute would
do any harm. But be very careful to prevent sun burn. I use direct sun light on the roots.
But it has to be morning sun. Now is summer, morning sun from 7am to 9am should be fine.
sunning is to make use of UV present in sunlight to kill fungus. It encourage the growth of
algae.
I also use direct sunlight to sun my camera lens for 20 minute to prevent the growth of
fungus in the lens.

[digitalgate]

actually 15 minute is all you need. Since maria is in Michigan , i dont think 30 minute would
do any harm. But be very careful to prevent sun burn. I use direct sun light on the roots.
But it has to be morning sun. Now is summer, morning sun from 7am to 9am should be fine.
sunning is to make use of UV present in sunlight to kill fungus. It encourage the growth of
algae.
I also use direct sunlight to sun my camera lens for 20 minute to prevent the growth of
fungus in the lens.

[maria17m]

Thank you once again for all of the suggestions! I updated all of my personal information and I am going to the store today to get my phal back on track!

[maria17m]

OK so I followed all of your helpful directions but I now have a new concern.

I bought a clear plastic pot with good drainage for my plant. I sprayed the roots with a fungicide. I took all of the moss out from around the roots and instead planted the plant with orchid bark. I cut the squishy grey roots off of the plant.

The problem is, none of the roots are all green. Every root I have left is a yellowish-green color and all of them have dark blackish colored areas. The roots aren't all black. And there are about 2" sections of yellow in between all of the black spots. What should I do? The top of the plant still looks healthy. Is my orchid going to die?????

[digitalgate]

it is going to take 1 year to recover. have patience. don't worry too much. The plant will
decide when they will grow.