ill looking phal orchid - what are my options?

[missoceanblue]

Hello there! im pretty new to growing orchids....im having a lot of fun so far with this hobby!!! im going to continue (: but im having some issues. my orchid when i got it several weeks ago wasnt in the best condition. kinda on the droopy side but I have been giving it correct TLC and sunlight. watering is my issue, im never sure when to water it! It is still in the original potting mix as i bought it (some sort of moss i suppose) it seems like it never needs any water: (i water MAYBE 1time a week...and it seems as if thats too much) the moss is always damp and soggy and for it to properly dry/air out would take about a 1 1/2 - 2 weeks quickest. i would guess that its in need of repotting badly and trimming the roots as some are waterlogged and decay is taking place im almost positive that the draining through the medium isnt good.even the leaves dont look exactly the healthiest. ive also had a bloom droop/shrivel/and then fall. a week later a bud opened.(i thought was great!) but then a few days ago another bloom began to shrivel/droop/and fall. i would be replanting it right now, but its blooming and theres flowers on it. would that send it into a shock to cut roots and repot while in bloom??? i have no clue when i should be repotting it, because i dont know when it began to grow as i got it in the store; they dont tell you those things. could i repot this while its still has flowers? i dont know how long i should wait, the roots are really beginning to rot. i dont want to get to a point of no return, and have my orchid die!!!! so any info you could share would be lovely!

my info:
* i grow it indoor by an east window
* live in northern WI
* poor humidity, so i use my homemade DIY plant humidifier

[catttan]

I would repot and get rid of all those sphagnum moss.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Best to repot that orchid and forget about the flowers. If you want to save it, clean up the root system and cut off that spike so that it will put energy into growing roots and leaves. Lots of good information here on repotting phal orchids. Check out the tab above that says ORCHID ARTICLES and click on repotting or phalaenopsis

cheers,
BD

[missoceanblue]

Ive repotted my Phal! cleaned up the rot and dead stuff. now i think theres a chance of survival!
biggest question here......to cut or not to cut? should i cut the spike so it can put energy into the roots system now? or if i leave them will that be a mistake and send it into shock? ive read that repotting can lead to shock. thank youu!!!!

[panam]

How did your roots look when you repotted it? If you have lots of healthy roots, you can probably leave the spike and enjoy it while it lasts. (It might not last as long this time, as it had to move to a store, move to your house, get repotted - that's a lot for a poor little spike!) Future spikes will probably be much better.

Leaving the spike on it won't damage the phal, it just won't let it go into overdrive on the roots quite as quickly.

[missoceanblue]

The roots were not good at all.....to my surprise there weren't even very many to start with. alot needed trimming and to be cut from the effect of rotting. it sure did need to repotting though! since there isnt a very decent root system would you give it a go to cut the spike then so the phal can focus on root growing?

[mauraec]

Yes - cut the spike! that plant has to put all its resources into growing new roots. It will take it a good deal of time to recover from all the changes, so don't worry if it looks "dormant" for awhile. What medium did you put it in????? It really makes a difference when you repot that the new medium is appropriate for the particular orchid. Also, you should have it in a shaded area while it's recovering. Can you send photos of the plant? Ir will help us a lot to see what you're dealing with. Was this a supermarket or big boxstore phal? That can make a difference, too.

Hoping for good results....

Maura

[missoceanblue]

if im cutting at the Node, to promote growth where should i cut at the first or second Node? ive seen several videos but they arnt very clear of the correct place to cut...there all for orchids who have finished blooming. i justdont want to end up cutting at the wrong one! so any input would be great (:

[Kmac]

You were correct to repot & trim roots! Since the roots did not look great, I would also vote to cut the spike...as Maura says, it needs to put its energy into recovery. Did you pot it into a bark mixture? That is what tends to work best for me. Don't be surprised if you lose a leaf even after doing the right thing and repotting...if the roots aren't in good shape, that is quite likely. But, hopefully it will soon start to recover and send out a new leaf. Good luck!

[missoceanblue]

i have planted it into Schutlz Orchid Potting mix. i assume that its ok( since its made for Orchids) its a bark/charcoal mix im pretty sure. i have attached photos, i havent cut the spike yet. as in my last post im unsure where i should be cutting. so once i have figured the right place i will follow the steps you've shared above!
i hope that he continues to grow.