Sick Phal Was:Heating Pads, etc.
 

Sorry, haven't been around this week to receive replies to this thread
that I started. Thanks, Larry, for your input.

Now I have another question.

I have a phal that is not looking so hot. It is the only one of my
phals that has so many of its roots outside the pot. And they're long.

It is the oldest of my plants but up until a month or so ago it was
doing fine. It bloomed this year and the last four blooms are still on
the plant.

However, the whole thing seems to have gone limp. The blooms are limp.
The leaves are limp. The leaves have lines in them from tip to base and
look very sick indeed. However another leaf is growing up in the centre
that looks healthy so far.

I mist my phals every morning, concentrating on getting the spray on the
exposed roots. Have I been doing something wrong? I have stopped
misting the sick one for a week or more now but it hasn't helped.

Anyone got any ideas? Do I need to be repotting?
Norma

Sick Phal Was:Heating Pads, etc.
 

Nell wrote in :

Sorry, haven't been around this week to receive replies to this thread
that I started. Thanks, Larry, for your input.

Now I have another question.

I have a phal that is not looking so hot. It is the only one of my
phals that has so many of its roots outside the pot. And they're long.

It is the oldest of my plants but up until a month or so ago it was
doing fine. It bloomed this year and the last four blooms are still on
the plant.

However, the whole thing seems to have gone limp. The blooms are limp.
The leaves are limp. The leaves have lines in them from tip to base and
look very sick indeed. However another leaf is growing up in the centre
that looks healthy so far.

I mist my phals every morning, concentrating on getting the spray on the
exposed roots. Have I been doing something wrong? I have stopped
misting the sick one for a week or more now but it hasn't helped.

Anyone got any ideas? Do I need to be repotting?
Norma


Hummmm..... Some thoughts that may help.
Sounds like one of those plants I pick off the $2 shelf at BORG (Big Orange
Retail Giant).
I have found that when a phal does this it has lost it's root system or is
not getting enough water.
The roots you mention outside the pot, are they solid? Do they turn green
after you mist them? Checking for live roots here.
It has been my experience that a simple misting is not enough water
especially if you have low humidity. (The water dries before the roots have
time to absorb it.)
I only use misting on plants with no roots, once it has roots it goes on
the shelf that gets a good watering twice weekly.

If you have live roots I would put this plant in a pot large enough to
contain them if you can. I like coconut fiber but will use most any other
orchid media especially if I find it dirt cheap.

Hope this helps
Dusty

Do not patronize Radio Shack they discriminate against retired seniors.

Sick Phal Was:Heating Pads, etc.
 

Hi Nell, if it were my plant, I would cut the spike off, put it in a vase.
Unpot, remove any soft brown mushy roots, check for bugs, wash with Physan,
put cinnamon on cut areas & repot in a good draining mix. Also stake to
secure the plant.
Cheers Wendy
"Nell" wrote in message ...
Sorry, haven't been around this week to receive replies to this thread
that I started. Thanks, Larry, for your input.

Now I have another question.

I have a phal that is not looking so hot. It is the only one of my
phals that has so many of its roots outside the pot. And they're long.

It is the oldest of my plants but up until a month or so ago it was
doing fine. It bloomed this year and the last four blooms are still on
the plant.

However, the whole thing seems to have gone limp. The blooms are limp.
The leaves are limp. The leaves have lines in them from tip to base and
look very sick indeed. However another leaf is growing up in the centre
that looks healthy so far.

I mist my phals every morning, concentrating on getting the spray on the
exposed roots. Have I been doing something wrong? I have stopped
misting the sick one for a week or more now but it hasn't helped.

Anyone got any ideas? Do I need to be repotting?
Norma

Sick Phal Was:Heating Pads, etc.
 

Wendy wrote:

Hi Nell, if it were my plant, I would cut the spike off, put it in a vase.
Unpot, remove any soft brown mushy roots, check for bugs, wash with Physan,
put cinnamon on cut areas & repot in a good draining mix. Also stake to
secure the plant.
Cheers Wendy

Thanks, folks. This is probably all good advice and I shall see about
putting it to good use, today, if possible.

As for it not getting enough water, it gets the same as the rest of my
phals - daily misting and water once a week with orchid food. However,
the sick one is in the smallest pot and perhaps that's one of the
contributing factors. May also explain why so many roots are outside the
pot.

The new leaf it is putting out seems very firm and healthy, however, so
the plant can probably be saved.

Thanks,
Norma