what can substitute physan 20? mold is present, phal is in bloom

[chemist]

Being a chemist, it's pretty natural that your first inclination is to treat with a chemical (believe me, I understand - I've worked in the chemical industry for over 35 years), but that is treating the symptoms, not addressing the problem. If you must do so, and can't wait for the Physan, one ounce of bleach per gallon is the appropriate rate, not 10%.

Actually its not being a chemist brought me to physan but reading this and other forums . If I would really follow my profession I would probably treat my phal with some pesticide as soon as I saw the mold (I perform multi pesticides scan on various food samples, so we do have some pesticides available, but not in concentrations enough to kill fungus probably).

I followed Catt Mandu's advise to just clean it with tap water and repot in fresh bark. I did clip some roots that did not look good. I just wish dear Catt Mandu mentioned to let roots dry but repot when root are still flexible. I think I let it dry to long so I had some difficulties to put roots back in pot (I repot in the same pot). It looks pretty good to me after repotting. So far it did not drop the blooms.

It wont get back to lab, I guess its lab air quality that initiated mold growth . I wonder what is in people lungs here

I have a question, now after repotting I have more roots on a surface that are not covered with bark. How do I treat them? Do I have to mist them so they do not dry up or maybe I need to cover them with wet paper towel time to time so they get moisture?

[Catt Mandu]

Hi chemist

Those exposed roots can be watered whenever you water the other roots. I would not cover them with a wet paper towel. You can spray (mist) those roots occasionally if you like (but try to avoid wetting the leaves).

Remember that the roots of epiphytic orchids are designed to be exposed to air (growing on trees in nature, orchid roots are exposed to air every day). Most of the thickness of an orchid root is a tissue called velamen that stores moisture around the true root (the root is inside the layer of velamen). So, unlike the root of an African violet, or a bean plant, etc., it is OK if the Phal roots are dry occasionally.