Recue Phal, ongoing project

[Carolla]

I thought it might be fun to start a thread for one of my toughest rescues. I got this plant in 2011, it was severely dehydrated and had just finished blooming. My neighbor offered it to me because his wife had almost killed it. The roots were ok, it was just not being watered. Basically it slowly lost all the leaves it came with, they didn't really plump up much, but they did maintain the plant until it grew new ones. I had left the spike on and it generated a keiki, which I gave to my daughter.

I just realized how long its been, it's due for repotting!

Here are the pictures I took right after its first good watering:





Then in 2012:



The plant looks fine, now I need to get it to bloom. It's supposed to be a vibrant pink, can't wait!

And 2013 :

[78Terp]

Nice save!

Beautiful leaves now!

[Carolla]

But now, after three years, I sure hope to see some flowers! I'm thinking it might be one of the ones that really wants a bit of chilling, I'll have to see what I can come up with for it. The unused bedrooms get chillier, but I'd never remember to water it, so not such a good idea. Our bathroom is on the north end of the house, but not so much light. I might try it though, at least I'd see it every day and it is colder in there than the rest of the house most of the time.

[chingjervis]

GREAT CARE!!! amazing.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Great job! What an incredible recovery!

cheers,
BD

[Carolla]

It doesn't count until it blooms! However, I posted this to encourage others to give it a try, many times it does work out!

[T4tlrman]

Rescue? That was a resurrection! You've got the touch Carol - what a lucky plant ~

[Chicknlegs]

Wow can leaves in that sort of state really plump up like that??? I am totally inspire now.

Can I ask whether you kept in a green house or increase humidity or anything in particular or did you just water weekly???
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---------- Post Merged at 05:17 PM ----------

Wow can leaves in that sort of state really plump up like that??? I am totally inspired now.

Can I ask whether you kept in a green house or increase humidity or anything in particular or did you just water weekly???
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[Carolla]

Actually, its been three years, the leaves did NOT plump back up, but slowly died as it grew new ones. It did have some roots, it wasn't rotted, just not watered until it was almost dead. I grow in my house, on either the eastern windowsill, or the last couple of years under lights in my living room (which has a fair amount of natural light even in the middle of it). Our climate is dry, about 20% average humidity, though it might be more in the plant groupings under the lights. It's in about 3/4 bark and 1/4 sphagnum moss and is soaked in the sink every couple of weeks and gets watered usually in between. It's about due for another re-potting. It's doing well enough that I am hoping it will flower this winter. It send out a keiki on an old bloom stalk, which is big enough now that it might beat the mother plant to reblooming! I think it might have bloomed last year, but we've been keeping the house quite warm for my 89 yr old MIL, she chills easily. I think I'll look for a cool room for it this winter, maybe my bathroom which is on the North end of the house, if I can get it enough light. There's pretty good windows in there, not sure how much the frosting of the glass will cut the light though.

[Chicknlegs]

Thanks Carol. Wow three years is a long time. But I am patient and as long as they get better I'm happy. I think mine will take a little longer to show signs of recovery because it is still cold hopefully spring will come and warm them up.
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