I rescued new phal a short while ago. It has huge, oblong leaves and a
massive spray of GORGEOUS white and purple flowers--and clear evidence that
someone's been chopping its roots off to stay in the tiny pot, God knows for
how long. Poor thing has no crown to speak of, just massive leaves and big
flowers coming straight out of the ground. No sign of rot or bugs or disease
or anything. So I repotted this fellow a couple of days ago. He's perking
up: one of those giant, floppy leaves is dramatically less floppy, and all
the small leaves are sticking out straight.

The question is, how long after a plant with [potential] root damage is
repotted does one leave it before watering, to avoid rot? I know it varies
from plant type to plant type. I don't want it to dry out too far while I
wait not to shock it... and this also goes for the other phal I repotted the
day before because I had overwatered it. There was mold on the medium and on
some of the roots, but the roots cleaned off just fine and are green and
white and firm. It's in all new, dry medium now.

Both of these plants are opening new flowers now. I hope that's good, and
not a sign of shock? These are buds that have been getting larger and
becoming colored like the other flowers on the stalks.

Thanks,

Katrina



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I dont know if this helps, but when i have phals that have gone
through rotting problems,

Thanks for your help!

i take them completely out of the old mix,
rinse them off

OK, I did that part!

and spray them with a fungicide that i got at the
local hardware store.

I was raised by an organic gardener... I try to avoid fungicides and things,
but will use them if necessary. These roots were all nice and firm and green
and white after the removal of totally dead ones, so I hope this won't cause
me a problem.

because i dont want to add them to completely
dry sphagnum, then i spray the mix with distilled water, which helps
water down the abrasiveness of the fungicide as well as keeping the
roots moist.

Bark seems to be the norm here. It's what they all came in (except the poor
miltonia in its styrofoam chunks), and it's what they have as the only
available orchid medium I could find to buy. These fellas were repotted into
dry bark medium... they're not drooping or anything. Should I try just
misting the surface of the medium heavily or something, do you think, or
water them lightly, or let them sit a few days?

Thanks again,

Katrina



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"White Monkey" wrote in message
m...

I was raised by an organic gardener... I try to avoid fungicides and
things,
but will use them if necessary. These roots were all nice and firm and
green
and white after the removal of totally dead ones, so I hope this won't
cause
me a problem.

You have other options. For example, you can try sprinkling cinnamon on the
roots after trimming them. Also, sphagnum has some antifungal properties,
so if you can get it, you could use it as the primary potting medium.

HTH

Ted

I was raised by an organic gardener... I try to avoid fungicides and
things,
but will use them if necessary. These roots were all nice and firm and
green
and white after the removal of totally dead ones, so I hope this won't
cause
me a problem.

You have other options. For example, you can try sprinkling cinnamon on
the
roots after trimming them.

Thanks! These seem to have survived my un-informed re-potting this time, so
I'll remember this for next time.

Also, sphagnum has some antifungal properties,
so if you can get it, you could use it as the primary potting medium.
HTH
Ted

It is available here, but last time I looked for some I was told that it's
treated with something (maybe to control this problem in the other thread?)
that can get into the water and affect the plant. This was at a
florist's--maybe it was purely a decorative sort. I have to go down by the
floating flower market next week; I'll see what they have there.

Meanwhile, could someone please give me some advice on when and how much to
water these poor things, now that they've been in dry medium for 3+ days? I
can't find a lot online and would really like to avoid shocking them anew.
If I haven't heard any suggestions by tomorrow, I'll just give up, water
them, and pray.

Thanks,

Katrina



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Until the wounds on the existing roots have healed and the new roots have
begun to grow, it's a good idea to keep the plant warm and VERY humid to
prevent desiccation, barely moistening the medium.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"White Monkey" wrote in message
m...
I was raised by an organic gardener... I try to avoid fungicides and
things,
but will use them if necessary. These roots were all nice and firm and
green
and white after the removal of totally dead ones, so I hope this won't
cause
me a problem.

You have other options. For example, you can try sprinkling cinnamon on
the
roots after trimming them.

Thanks! These seem to have survived my un-informed re-potting this time,
so
I'll remember this for next time.

Also, sphagnum has some antifungal properties,
so if you can get it, you could use it as the primary potting medium.
HTH
Ted

It is available here, but last time I looked for some I was told that it's
treated with something (maybe to control this problem in the other
thread?)
that can get into the water and affect the plant. This was at a
florist's--maybe it was purely a decorative sort. I have to go down by the
floating flower market next week; I'll see what they have there.

Meanwhile, could someone please give me some advice on when and how much
to
water these poor things, now that they've been in dry medium for 3+ days?
I
can't find a lot online and would really like to avoid shocking them anew.
If I haven't heard any suggestions by tomorrow, I'll just give up, water
them, and pray.

Thanks,

Katrina



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Until the wounds on the existing roots have healed and the new roots have
begun to grow, it's a good idea to keep the plant warm and VERY humid to
prevent desiccation, barely moistening the medium.


Thank you! Now, I cannot see the roots that are under the medium, and with
two of these the damage was done only to the bottom-most roots, but with
most plants I know this is a matter of a few days or so... I'll mist them
pretty heavily today, and put them in this old aquarium I use for
climate-controlling when needed, then let them sit until Monday, and see if
I think they could take a bit of water safely then. If they aren't showing
the signs you mention above... I'll keep misting and humidifying until they
do!
Thanks again,
Katrina


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On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 11:38:30 GMT, "White Monkey"
wrote:

Thank you! Now, I cannot see the roots that are under the medium, and with
two of these the damage was done only to the bottom-most roots, but with
most plants I know this is a matter of a few days or so... I'll mist them
pretty heavily today, and put them in this old aquarium I use for
climate-controlling when needed, then let them sit until Monday, and see if
I think they could take a bit of water safely then. If they aren't showing
the signs you mention above... I'll keep misting and humidifying until they
do!
Thanks again,
Katrina


Next time Katrina, Soak the bark mix before you pot. Then the
mix will be contributing to the humidity rather than trying to
pull moisture out of the plant. Also if you potted in clay, the
dry pot will pull moisture out of anything it contacts, roots or
bark.


SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Next time Katrina, Soak the bark mix before you pot. Then the
mix will be contributing to the humidity rather than trying to
pull moisture out of the plant.

Thanks! I had thought that leaving potentially damaged roots in direct
contact with wet or damp medium would be a bad thing. Shows you what I know!
I will do this next time.
--Katrina


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On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 13:37:34 GMT, "White Monkey"
wrote:

Next time Katrina, Soak the bark mix before you pot. Then the
mix will be contributing to the humidity rather than trying to
pull moisture out of the plant.

Thanks! I had thought that leaving potentially damaged roots in direct
contact with wet or damp medium would be a bad thing. Shows you what I know!
I will do this next time.
--Katrina
The problem is not the moisture in the mix. It is that some mix
is very difficult to get conditioned to accept wet. It wants to
stay dry to the extent that it will later not accept moisture.
So to be sure we soak it so there is moisture in it and it is
conditioned to continue to accept moisture.


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SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Next time Katrina, Soak the bark mix before you pot. Then the
mix will be contributing to the humidity rather than trying to
pull moisture out of the plant.

Thanks! I had thought that leaving potentially damaged roots in direct
contact with wet or damp medium would be a bad thing. Shows you what I
know!
I will do this next time.
--Katrina

The problem is not the moisture in the mix. It is that some mix
is very difficult to get conditioned to accept wet. It wants to
stay dry to the extent that it will later not accept moisture.
So to be sure we soak it so there is moisture in it and it is
conditioned to continue to accept moisture.
SuE

OK, thanks! That makes a lot of sense. I grew up doing all kinds of *other*
gardening, like corn and sunflowers and gladioli and tropical terraria with
lizards in them, and basic houseplants like fici and a big schefflera,but
this medium and these plants are new to me. That's why for now I'm sticking
to ones that either a vendor says are hardy in this climate and tolerate
occaional care mistakes or that badly need rescuing from a market stall or
junk shop. I appreciate this information, and I will soak the medium next
time. I assume I should also drain it well, so that the plant is sitting in
well-saturated medium but not in trapped pockets of free water.
Thank you for your help,
Katrina


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On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 14:55:03 GMT, "White Monkey"
wrote:
I appreciate this information, and I will soak the medium next
time. I assume I should also drain it well, so that the plant is sitting in
well-saturated medium but not in trapped pockets of free water.
Thank you for your help,
Katrina


Your two steps ahead of where most of us started.
You have some general grow knowledge of tropicals and your
willing to experiment and ASK. Most orchid newbees start with
the "kill them before I ask" attitude. And will not ask, until
they realize it is too easy to kill them, even when you think you
know. Without knowledge it becomes a given that the plant is
dead.
Good Growing.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php