Root Rot on Phals in S/H

[jkhom]

Thanks Becky. Because of your advice I also feel more comfortable about my phals.
I just started with s/h a few weeks ago with some dens, miltonopsis and phals.
So far the only one that shows signs of new root growth is the milt. I was getting worried about my dens and phals , almost to the point of going back to bark mixture.
Hopefully I'll see new root growth soon...........

[cherublace]

one of my s/h transfers (onc) took two months to show new root growth. i really was about to pull it out when i saw the roots. hang in there.

[GiovannaD]

Repotting in s/h during the winter is almost always problematic when it comes to phals. If you try it in the summer, the results are unbelievable!!
However since you went for s/h, you should expect stagnant growth during the forthcoming 2 months of winter. Keep an eye out for root growth in the upper stalk of the phal. I found that the s/h works better (ie less rot) when using normal pots and gradually increase the level of moisture at first with a deep dish under the pot. After it has become accustomed to the excess moisture you can keep the phal in a pot with a water reservoir.
You can fight mold without chemicals. Just decrease the amount of the reservoir or even better, don't keep it filled with water and only water the phal when necessary (when the pellets change color).
In my experience, moving a weakened phal to s/h in the winter is not a good idea. I have switched a robust phal to s/h during the winter, but it didn't lose any roots, however it sulked for months until spring/summer.

[Becky15349]

Giovanna is absolutely right - sometime there is some stagnancy when repotting in the winter, if you don't have the right conditions. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I have all my plants on a windowsill with southern exposure, so essentially, even though its winter, I'm still getting significant active growth on all my plants. However, repotting in the summer is (of course) more fun because you see the fruits of your labor quicker. All I can say is, just be patient if you just repotted, and give the plants at LEAST 2-3 months to show any signs of positive adaptation to the S&H media. Don't give up on them - like all things, good things come to those who wait We've all been there, so trust us just a little...if they go south, you can throw tomatoes at us

[GiovannaD]

Well Becky you know how it goes...at first you get enthousiastic and you switch everything you've got to s/h, including your kitchen parsley and then...a few months later....it dawns on you that s/h isn't exactly a foolproof method of growing under all circumstances. Takes a few tricks and common sense to get a phal going in s/h seamlessly.

[Jenne]

I'm really glad I read this! I have a phal I want to convert to S/H, but now I know to wait until spring. Thanks for the info!

[stacey8989]

Thanks guys. I dumped out the water from the S/H phal. It was growing roots/leaves when it was in the sphag, which is why I figured it would be ok to move it to S/H. I'll leave it in the S/H medium & pot for now, but only water when it's dry. I like that I can move the medium around easily to check on the roots.

[GiovannaD]

That's the best part: you can unpot it anytime without causing any damage to the plant and check on it progress. However bear in mind that if you keep it near a heat source, the medium will dry out very quickly, so try not to shock the plants from too much moisture to no moisture at all.
Remember just because it's stagnant doesn't mean it's going to die, it's merely getting accustomed to the new enviroment. When you see new root tips on the stalk, you'll know it's going to be ok.

[Becky15349]

LOLOL I never thought about putting my kitchen parsley in S&H!! That's a funny mental image...

[GiovannaD]

Hey I even kept my summer spearmint in s/h and it worked out pretty good.