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Please help me save these phals

last year

Yesterday, a neighbour gave me two very sad, floppy phalaenopsis orchids she’d given up on.

I removed from each a small and horrible plug of some evil substance that encased and choked their roots. The plants now have free but short and severed-looking roots.

According to some YouTube instructions, I soaked their roots overnight in very weak tea, and let them dry out on my kitchen counter since this morning.

Here are some pics of them.

Could anyone advise me on the best course of action to take to try and save them?

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Comments (5)

bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Depending on where you are some shops will sell orchids potted in a foamy sphagnum moss, styrofoam peanuts, or I've even gotten them potted in compacted potting soil directly in ceramic pots with no drainage. Many people I know think they can't grow orchids because of it. I learned long ago to get them out of the grocery store pots as soon as possible.

Others here can probably advise you better, but something I notice right away is the number of straight rotten roots. I would take a scissor sanitized in alcohol and cut those off. Then repot in some good mix in a pot with drainage and keep them in a humid area, or just put a little humidity dome over the top. A gallon ziploc slipped over the pot can work. Keep them watered and hope for the best. A dusting of cinnamon can work as a weak fungicide.
HU-45580804
Original Author
last year
Thanks for your comment. i’ve been persisting with overnight tea soaks - mainly out of fear of doing anything more radical. the plants seem to be reviving, but there are no signs of new roots.
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Hi Debbie, I'm constantly buying distressed phals from the big box stores. Man, they treat them poorly. I agree with everything written so far. In reference to the one with the brown roots if you are ready to transplant it than go for it. The first thing I do when I get a distressed phals home is immediately take them out of the pot and remove the moss/planting mix just to get a better look at the overall condition of the plant. Then they get a good cleaning, soaking and than repotted. (Same pot or bigger depending on need) Phals are very resilient and as long as you handle the plant and the roots with a soft touch you shouldn't have a problem transplanting it now. For that matter, even the one with the green spike can be transplanted without much concern. Remember that phals can maintain green spikes for months before they initiate a second blooming so you may be waiting quite a while for that spike to do something. (On the flip side though, I've also had one distressed phal immediately initiate new buds after a little TLC so it could go either way.) Phal #1 doesn't look overly cramped in it's current pot so you do have the time to wait. Most orchids love being root bound so that shouldn't be a concern. But may I suggest that you pull off a bit of the moss to see what it's planted in. It shouldn't be dirt (and if it is transplant immediately.) It may be a fine grade orchid mix. (a peat based soilless mix or husk fibers etc.) As long as the planting medium under the moss looks fine you can wait on this one - or not - either way the phal should be fine with good care and a bit of TLC.
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You've probably discovered that it is just water stressed (wilted). It should come out of it on its own if you didn't damage the roots too badly. To ease the stress, enclose it in a clear plastic bag - maybe even a garbage bag - to keep the humidity high until it rebounds.
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My moonflowers, which are related to morning glories, sent out new branches when the tops snapped off this spring. I've never pruned morning glories, but there's a chance they will do the same. I would carefully straighten the bent stems, and not cut them unless the vines began to wither where they were bent. Sometimes a plant can rebuild a bent stem, but it takes time and must be treated gently, like a broken bone. Either way I don't know if they will bloom, because I don't know how they behave in your climate. The vines will definitely need something to climb, otherwise they will sprawl on the ground and likely get stepped on by imbeciles. Can you put a trellis in that spot? A teepee made from three or four long sticks tied together at the top? Make sure to sink the poles deep into the ground, at least a foot down, so it can't blow over in a strong wind. I've had that happen. I've also had wind and rain rip vines off of poles. You may want to gently tie the vines to whatever poles/supports you use, to prevent this. I hope this helps; blue morning glories are worth saving for their beauty alone, and it sounds like these have a special place in your heart.
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Abykatz22 Gainesville, FL (9a)
last year
May i suggest you not use cinnamon on the roots it will dry them out. spray or water the roots with a seaweed/kelp solution until you see root growth its a root stimulant. 1 teas to a gal of water. you can get it on Amazon or at a local nursery. hope it helps.
HU-45580804
Original Author
last year
Still on the tea soaking regime. 3 new roots are forming on one plant. So, do I start cutting off the old blackened roots? They’re still firm so I’m hesitating. How long should the new roots be before I pot up the plant?
bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Abbykatz, as long as it is a fine dusting I've never had an issue, depending on the humidity in your climate it can work well to kill some of the fungi that can kill the orchid, I've saved three orchids this way. I've also talked to other orchid growers locally who use it as a first pass before using stronger methods. Onc again, though, it all depends on your climate in your growing area. You want it to dry the roots a little in order to kill the fungus. Compounds in the cinnamon help as well, while still preserving the orchid's own defenses.

As for the orchid, I would definitely remove that necrotic tissue. It's rotting and can act as a vector for disease to get into your plant. Remember to sterilize your tools in alcohol. I would still wait a bit for those roots to get to a few inches before I potted it up.

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