Hi! So I bought this beauty that I really wanted to have and discovered that the roots look pretty bad:( I had to cut off most of them because they were rotten and some have a white fuzzy mold on them. Actually I think only the one root that was outside of the pot is alive and growing:( There's also some white fuzz on the undersides of the leaves. What should I do to keep her alive?
by deavve
2 Comments
I would spray the leaves with Physan 20 [mixed to directions]isopropyl alcohol( tops and bottoms of leaves can handle the isopropyl alcohol) my preference over wiping. And spray roots with Physan 20 or 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. The roots in the picture look fine if they are firm. The yellowish one were just in media and not exposed to light. Repot in fresh bark mix and water about every 3-5 days. For about a month then you can get away with about every 5-7 days. If you use the same pot I would clean that as well. I use Physan 20, after washing the pot with like dawn soap then spray with Physan 20, you can also use on the orchid itself because it is anti bacterial, anti algae and antifungal. And a good disinfectant for work areas. Just a heads up if this is a first time repotting a phalaenopsis orchid in bloom. You will (probably, maybe not) lose some of the flowers.
Pic 2, is that a black area of the stem? Hope not. If it is, not good, possible stem/crown rot. Or is it dirt/scarring? They can get black marks from fertilizer burns …