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Talk about your orchids and share photos of them here

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By ironjaws
Posts:  574
Joined:  Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:28 am
#191259
I've got a phalaenopsis, or rather, my mom has a phalaenopsis orchid(the label says phalaenopsisxaphrodite, I don't know if that matters) that came in nothing but sphagnum moss. I'm a total rookie when it comes to plants in general(I can grow weeds and crab grass like nobodies business, though :lol: ).

Anyway, after the orchid's flower spike dried up it was cut off at the base. Then the two leaves that were on there started to wilt/wrinkle. It took a while to figure out the part about bright INDIRECT light.

Having had the two leaves wrinkling up, I did some research. We then uprooted the plant to check the roots... ugh, what a mess: hollow, mushy, brownish, squishy roots. We cut off all the ugly dead roots and were only left with a couple of thin wiry roots. It was then planted in 50/50 sphagnum/perlite. It was left like this for a long while and it began to grow a couple more leaves. The two new leaves at only about 1.5 to 2 inches seemed to stop growing and the tips started to brown or dry. So, again, we repotted, and found that there were no new roots. We repotted in 50/50 sphagnum/Better Gro Special Orchid Mix; the one with fir bark, charcoal, perlite. It's been in this much more airy mix for about a week.

My question(finally :roll: ) is:
1.Since this mix contains fir bark, I should use a fertilizer higher in Nitrogen right?
2.I've got Miracle Gro Plant Food Spikes that are 10-10-10, is this good for now?
3.Should I use ANY type of fertilizer right now, since the plant has so few roots?
4.What is the growth rate of these pretty flowers(I bough myself one, damn, I tried to fight it but I caved :lol: ), should we be seeing any growth/new growth or changesby now?

I apologize there are no pics, but I do not want to uproot the plant again and stress it out any further. I appreciate any and all help/tips/advice.
By Vern
Posts:  232
Joined:  Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:51 pm
#191416
When you feed an orchid you should use a fert that uses ammonium or nitrate for nitrogen and not urea, since it can't process urea.

Some say that you can fertilize once a week 1tsp/gallon water. But since it doesn't have roots I don't think you'll need to fertilize for now until it can get more roots.

I'm also new to the orchid hobby, but I managed to bring mine back to health. The orchid mix is a good change.

Keep the humidity high, they prefer 50-80% and 55-80F, my house is cold and dry so I placed a loose bag over it and take it off every so often. I had a large plastic tub over it once but someone tossed it. It was very helpful when I had it.

To encourage roots, many suggest that you place it in a warm slightly humid place and use the sphagnum method. Have the base hovering over moist sphagnum at the bottom and the roots will be stimulated to grow downward.

But since you have it potted already, its best not to disturb it too much, instead keep the humidity and temp up. Be careful, because if its warm with low humidity the leaves will start to wilt. But don't water it too much or the existing roots will rot away again. The Roots also capable of photosynthesis so a clear pots are helpful and you don't have to bury all the roots under the bark.

It will take time to reestablish itself in the new pot.

It will pop flowers when it starts feeling better. Might take 3mo, 6mo, a year....In the mean time you can get yourself a flowering one and repot it correctly, and the flowers will last a LONG time.

Also you can go to Orchidboard, they have an excellent thread about rescuing and caring for phalaenopsis.
By Vern
Posts:  232
Joined:  Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:51 pm
#191539
best of luck. Also I forgot to add...you need to have some air movement. Some people go all out with fans and what not, but I only have one orchid and I just remove it from the bag just it will get fresh air. Maybe its my orchid, but every time I forget to take off the jar or the bag off something starts to get mold fuzz. Then I just swab the area with some rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

No water should be standing between the leaves, otherwise you will get crown rot, then you'll have establish something else.

From what I read if you only have leaves, you can still get roots. If you only have roots, you may get a keiki.
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