Help with General Upkeep of plant what should we cut off?

[smileychopsuk]

Hi, could I have some help please.

I am going to attempt to repot this.

My questions

The old hard stem from last year shown brown we cut off, can this now be cut off nearer so it is tidier.

Why are the shoots so dried like they are dying, and yet some have little green tips, do I just leave these on.

What should I being doing with this plant pls.

One leaf has a little yellow mark in the middle as though it has got burnt.

Its a lovely plant and belonged to my 102 year old grandmother who died, flowers every year, but is there things we should be doing.

I did get a book, but it was not much help.

Thank you

[Ami]

Shoots: I'm assuming you mean roots - I would remove anything that's not green or obviously in use. When I checked my rescues I had a similar situation of lots of random dry ends. Feel around - if its brittle and dry, remove it - same thing if anything is dark/black and smooshy. For the most part leave the center core alone, just trim off any icky things.
---- vendor information removed -see faqs on posting----Also when repotting - make sure you have lots of drainage and don't pack the moss/bark too tightly.

Various leaf booboos like dry spots can be trimmed off but I can't see anything major from your photo so you can just leave it be. I'm also pretty sure that as the plant is flowering on a new spike you can cut the other one back further if you like - but I'm also new to orchids so don't quote me 100% on that!

Best of luck.

[PaphMadMan]

The whitish things with green tips are healthy roots. Don't cut those. The shriveled brown roots can be removed, Those look like typical victims of over-watering. Any brown or yellow leaves can also be removed. Anything that is healthy and green just leave alone.

The yellow mark sounds like typical sunburn. If the rest of the leaf is green and the spot is not soft and spreading, just leave it.

The plant looks basically healthy otherwise, though a little dehydrated from not having healthy roots IN the pot where they can do some good. It definitely needs repotting, and some fertilizer on a regular basis. Do you have some fresh potting mix for orchids and a somewhat larger pot with drainage?

[smileychopsuk]

Wow thank you for the tips..

Just one question, you say the whitish things with green tips are healthy roots, so should I be getting a bigger pot and covering them up with fertilizer??

[smileychopsuk]

Sorry just one more question.

How do we keep the plant upright I put a stake through the roots but I am afraid what the weight will do to the root.

I have found orchid stakes but again the only way is to push through the root.

Are there any pots out there with stakes made to the side of the pots to keep them upright, or is having the stake through the root ok with the weight..thankyou

---------- Post Merged at 03:17 PM ----------

Thank you, so the whitish things are roots and should be in a bigger pot and covered with orchid fertilizer, stupid I know, but I thought they were bloom shoots dying..so they are roots and need to be covered and in a larger pot?

[PaphMadMan]

Yes, plan to have the roots covered when you repot. There is probably dead stem below the living roots and leaves that can be cut off.

Sometimes putting a stake on both sides of the plant, among the roots but not through any of them, is all that is needed to stabilize a newly repotted Phal. Just enough support that it doesn't flop around.