Leaf rot, please help!

[Alana]

I posted this pic in another thread, but I figured it would get better notice and maybe some help here. My new phal is not doing so well, I am using a mild fungicide atm, but I have some Liquid Copper in case the mild one doesn't work. I really like this one, and want to save it. It was soaking wet and stuck in a pot with no drainage. I had to fight the pot to get the orchid out. Ended up cutting it off with a branch trimmer. It's currently in the inner pot alone, with plenty of drainage, and drying out. (the droplets are fungicide) Any advice would be more than welcome.

[Cjcorner]

Wow, haven't seen that yet. Someone should have some advice...my first impulse would be to repot and see what is going on with the roots.

[Alana]

Phal's should be potted in sphagnum? or is there a better mudium. I believe it's in sphag now. Think it's algae, among other things.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Different growers grow in different medium. I prefer to grow my phalaenopsis orchids in a bark mix. Check out my video on repotting a phal.



Also, here is a page on the OrchidTalk website with instructions along with the video. Repotting a phal.
Cheers,
BD

[Alana]

Thanks! picking up a nice bark mix on the way home today

[gidi]

Different growers grow in different medium. I prefer to grow my phalaenopsis orchids in a bark mix. Check out my video on repotting a phal.
Cheers,
BD

I have also bought a new phal today so it in areal cheap price, blooming with 2 spikes big leaves and healthy roots so i bought it
any way it came in a bark mix so i took it from it's pot to check if there are any surprices inside, which i'm glad to say weren't.
i used packong penut for the base layer of the pot to have good drainage then a thain layer of hydroton only then i started to arange the phal roots inside the pot (one of the rots was almost 50cm long) than i add more hytroton to cover all roots and grab the plant on top of the hydroton i added a layer of bark mix.
when using a bark mix as the only media in the pot, the top layer dries much faster then the bottom layers and especialy the media arround the roots where it has great amount of humidity and less air flow than the top layer. so i prefer to use hydroton as the main media due to his form that allows quick drainage and more airfllow and becuase the clay itself "breath" and keep humidity, using hydroton and a thin top layer of bark mix i have noticed that the surfacr (bark mix) and the interrior dries our at the same rate, of course i need to water more frequently since it can hold less water

[Alana]

Well, I got it repotted and had the whole area and all the tools sterilized. Still keeping it off to the side. The moss was still soaked even after a couple days. Looks like I might lose most the blooms. Might get at least one, will post pics when it gets better.

[wcottee]

Bruce,

Noticed in your video that you didn't use an "Orchid pot" (with the holes in the side). As a beginner my question is do those "Orchid pots" really make a difference?

Thanks in advance,

Walt

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Bruce,

Noticed in your video that you didn't use an "Orchid pot" (with the holes in the side). As a beginner my question is do those "Orchid pots" really make a difference?

Thanks in advance,

Walt

Hi Walt,

Some people really like the pots with the holes in the sides; I do not. I don't like the roots to grow out through those holes. It makes repotting and maintaining the plant more difficult. If I only have 100 or fewer orchids, I might consider using them again, but for me, the plastic grow pots are just fine.

Welcome to the community, Walt!

Cheers,
BD

[Alana]

Good news! ( I think...) The 'icky' spots are drying up, and are no longer wet and mushy to the touch, and the roots are looking much better now that the rotten ones have been removed. As for the flowers, they are all drying up. Also, I have a question. Should I go ahead and nip the spikes so the plant has more energy to spare for repairs? Or leave it and let the buds die off by themselves..
Oh, don't know if I had mentioned it yet or not, but it has 2 spikes, both are in the process of blasting the flowers.