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Are these leave/stem-less orchids dead?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I'm at my parent's home and my mother, who should be in orchid jail for hoarding and neglect (I once found some phals potted in regular loamy potting soil with a begonia! She insisted that this is how they're grown in the tropical country she's from. I doubt that, lol.), seems to have done some kind of hack surgery on these two poor phals who now have no leaves, crown or stem.

Is there any hope for these guys or are they pretty much goners? What can I do for them? Moist ziploc baggy? Please help!

orchids · More Info

orchids · More Info

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Comments (5)

arthurm2015
8 years ago
They might recover in good growing conditions but it might take years to get them back. To get good help you need to tell the readers here where you are in the USA.
Orchid Lovah
Original Author
8 years ago
I'm in Zone 7 in the US but am indoors.
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Didn't mean to make anyone feel bad about Kev'ing their 'chids. Honestly, there are times we're better off just tossing one and buying another...however, in both my cases the cattleyas were irreplaceable (meaning no one sells them anymore). I used to think "no eyes" meant they were goners. It was pure denial that kept me from tossing these 2 catts. BUT, orchids will sprout growths from even blackened eyes! Or some other place along the rhizome. There must be hundreds of "eyes" that are dormant just not visible to us. Of course a rootless orchid is not going to have enough energy to activate all its eyes but if your orchid is strong enough and you provide proper culture, given enough time, one of them will activate. Good luck to everyone who's nursing an orchid. And I look forward to seeing all your recovery posts in the forum!
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Comments (2)
This sounds typical of crown rot. It is a rot in the crown of the plant where all of the leaves meet. It is usually caused by water gathering in the crown from spraying or watering. The only hope is that the plant throws a basal keiki (a growth from the base) which could rescue the plant. My advice would be to put it down to experience, throw the plant and get another.
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Here's the detailed pic, so that no one has to cut/paste. It looks like the white is on raised green bumps, in some cases, so I'm leaning towards scarring. Scarring can happen with any mechanical damage like cat teeth, being dropped (although the landing is the problem), or scratched. Insects can also cause scarring. Although I'm leaning toward scarring, I couldn't definitively say what it is. It doesn't really look like scale, doesn't really look like mealies, but it doesn't really look like mechanical damage or sunburn, either. Maybe someone else will be able to present some other ideas.
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Continue posting pics of it. I want to make a dog standing on point using rosemary. Here in Texas, that should work. Just need to get some measurements of the breed. Good luck on what you are doing. I think it will look great. I've seen houses here with Yaupon balls outside. I always wonder how they can get it so perfectly round. Compliments to you.
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Orchid Lovah
Original Author
8 years ago
This is killing me because the last I saw them I had nursed them to health and they had multiple spikes
Harawlins
8 years ago
I have a friend with an orchid in the same predicament. Hers has healthy looking roots, but no leaves. And it has been without leaves now for a couple of months and hasn't made any new leaves. I have read that if an orchid with leaves has no roots, it can be saved, but if it has roots and no leaves, it's a hopeless case.

I say hope springs eternal. You might keep caring for them for a while and see what develops. I have brought one back from the brink of death, but it was an opposite situation. Mine had very puny leaves and no roots at all, but I have managed to bring it back to health.

At least my answer should bump your post back to the top! :)
Orchid Lovah thanked Harawlins
Karen Dennis
8 years ago
Have you ever tried water culture? It is amazing. Facebook water culture and orchids in general.

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