Orchid question, salvageable?
February 27, 2022 12:48 PM Subscribe
New spots appeared on my orchid's leaves today. Curious if anyone here can help me diagnose the issue, and whether the plant's worth saving at this point.
Leave spots and state of roots.
I'm having a hard time finding this type of spots on the internet to see what the issue is. Overwater/underwater? I've spent the last few months trying to nurture this thing but it seems like it's constantly struggling and the leaves have always been droopy. Halp?
Leave spots and state of roots.
I'm having a hard time finding this type of spots on the internet to see what the issue is. Overwater/underwater? I've spent the last few months trying to nurture this thing but it seems like it's constantly struggling and the leaves have always been droopy. Halp?
Just to add, regarding watering: once a week, submerge the roots in water for 15 minutes, then drain all the water. The roots should not sit in water other than during those 15 minutes.
posted by heatherlogan at 1:02 PM on February 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by heatherlogan at 1:02 PM on February 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
There seem to be multiple orchid growers/nurseries near you. Many businesses like that have a service which will take your non-blooming orchid and nurture it for you until it's ready to bloom again, and it's possible one of them can help / keep your plant.
In any case, they could certainly advise you if you bring the plant to them.
Good luck.
posted by amtho at 1:42 PM on February 27, 2022
In any case, they could certainly advise you if you bring the plant to them.
Good luck.
posted by amtho at 1:42 PM on February 27, 2022
Best answer: As somebody who has grown phalaenopsis orchids like what you have for about 10 years now, that looks like a bacterial brown spot. It typically results from water being splashed or left on a leaf, usually when the plant is watered, and the water not drying before it causes the leaf to rot. The link above talks about how to take care of it for this plant immediately. I'd probably just cut that leaf off rather than try to swab with hydrogen peroxide.
For long-term prevention, it's mostly down to good watering habits, which consist of:
- Water in the day, rather than at night, because temperatures drop at night, and water sitting on a phal leaf when it's in the 60's is a recipe for leaf rot of that kind in my house.
- Check leaves after watering to wipe off any water that does get splashed on them -- this is why some people bottom-water phals (I don't agree with everything on that youtube channel, but the basic phal care section matches my experience.)
- Water using tepid or room-temperature water, which I usually get by taking a watering can, filling it up, and then wandering back a couple hours later and watering from that. Others use water that's lukewarm from the tap.
On the rest of the phal: it actually looks pretty good, if dehydrated from how the texture of the leaves and how they droop. Some of the leaves do look a little yellowish, possibly from being put in a place where they get too much sun. But those roots seem decent -- not too many dead roots, reasonably thick and plump, rather than dried out and papery, and plenty of them. They should feel firm when you gently press them beween your fingers. If this were my phal, I'd rate this as something I'd almost certainly be able to get back to health by doing the following:
1. Soaking the whole plant in some tepid water for several hours to give it a long drink.
2. When everything is nice and wet, I'd pull out that block of beige material -- it looks like one of the sphagnum moss plugs that phals are traditionally sold in. They're great for holding water in and let you go longer between but decompose eventually and become a sodden mass that can cause root rot.
3. Let the phal dry out on a towel or paper towel or even your counter for a couple hours, bare root. When I've dunked a whole-ass plant in the water, I'll even sometimes (gently) set it to dry upside down to make sure water doesn't collect in the crown or any nooks and crannies.
4. Repot the phal as seen here.
5. Park it in a place where it gets less light. When people talk about direct sunlight from a window, they meant that if you hold your hand up against the strongest light that gets on a sunny day, you will see a clear shadow of your hand. For phals, the ideal is indirect light, or a situation where the strongest light only creates a fuzzy shadow, especially if your plant is coming back from dehydration.
6. Water a little extra because it will have been used to the very damp, very moist environment of the compacted plug and will probably be particularly thirsty as it adapts to a more properly aerated/less water retentive environment.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message through Metafilter, and I'll do my best. Good luck!
posted by joyceanmachine at 1:55 PM on February 27, 2022 [8 favorites]
For long-term prevention, it's mostly down to good watering habits, which consist of:
- Water in the day, rather than at night, because temperatures drop at night, and water sitting on a phal leaf when it's in the 60's is a recipe for leaf rot of that kind in my house.
- Check leaves after watering to wipe off any water that does get splashed on them -- this is why some people bottom-water phals (I don't agree with everything on that youtube channel, but the basic phal care section matches my experience.)
- Water using tepid or room-temperature water, which I usually get by taking a watering can, filling it up, and then wandering back a couple hours later and watering from that. Others use water that's lukewarm from the tap.
On the rest of the phal: it actually looks pretty good, if dehydrated from how the texture of the leaves and how they droop. Some of the leaves do look a little yellowish, possibly from being put in a place where they get too much sun. But those roots seem decent -- not too many dead roots, reasonably thick and plump, rather than dried out and papery, and plenty of them. They should feel firm when you gently press them beween your fingers. If this were my phal, I'd rate this as something I'd almost certainly be able to get back to health by doing the following:
1. Soaking the whole plant in some tepid water for several hours to give it a long drink.
2. When everything is nice and wet, I'd pull out that block of beige material -- it looks like one of the sphagnum moss plugs that phals are traditionally sold in. They're great for holding water in and let you go longer between but decompose eventually and become a sodden mass that can cause root rot.
3. Let the phal dry out on a towel or paper towel or even your counter for a couple hours, bare root. When I've dunked a whole-ass plant in the water, I'll even sometimes (gently) set it to dry upside down to make sure water doesn't collect in the crown or any nooks and crannies.
4. Repot the phal as seen here.
5. Park it in a place where it gets less light. When people talk about direct sunlight from a window, they meant that if you hold your hand up against the strongest light that gets on a sunny day, you will see a clear shadow of your hand. For phals, the ideal is indirect light, or a situation where the strongest light only creates a fuzzy shadow, especially if your plant is coming back from dehydration.
6. Water a little extra because it will have been used to the very damp, very moist environment of the compacted plug and will probably be particularly thirsty as it adapts to a more properly aerated/less water retentive environment.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message through Metafilter, and I'll do my best. Good luck!
posted by joyceanmachine at 1:55 PM on February 27, 2022 [8 favorites]
I'm a big box store orchid rescuer, because I like them when they're cheap. I've had 100% success with 12 hours in water, 12 hours lying on a towel, for roughly a week. Cut off any tissue that seems dead after the first twenty-four hour cycle. Spray with 10% hydrogen peroxide if you feel you need to - it discourages rot. As does cinnamon, if you'd prefer it smell nicer.
I rescue sad ass phals all the time. I can't get them to bloom but they are 100% not dead and happy.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:24 PM on February 27, 2022
I rescue sad ass phals all the time. I can't get them to bloom but they are 100% not dead and happy.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:24 PM on February 27, 2022
Two more things that I didn’t think of until after dinner: if you cut the leaf off (or trim the infected parts), sanitize your cutting instrument by dunking it into hydrogen peroxide before and between cuts. That way, you don’t introduce the bacterial rot into healthy tissue.
Second, I’d let the cut part of the plant “dry off” — there will be sap that comes from the healthy tissue you cut into, and within couple hours or a day or two, it should dry up. I’d let it dry up at least overnight and probably closer tk two or three days before dunking it in water to drink/repot/etc. Cutting plant tissue raises the possibility of infection, and introducing water into a fresh cut increases the risk. So when I do plant amputations, I basically let the plant scab over good and hard before dunking it in water or doing anything else dramatic.
SORRY TO GET ALL PLANT NERD ON U
posted by joyceanmachine at 5:46 PM on February 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
Second, I’d let the cut part of the plant “dry off” — there will be sap that comes from the healthy tissue you cut into, and within couple hours or a day or two, it should dry up. I’d let it dry up at least overnight and probably closer tk two or three days before dunking it in water to drink/repot/etc. Cutting plant tissue raises the possibility of infection, and introducing water into a fresh cut increases the risk. So when I do plant amputations, I basically let the plant scab over good and hard before dunking it in water or doing anything else dramatic.
SORRY TO GET ALL PLANT NERD ON U
posted by joyceanmachine at 5:46 PM on February 27, 2022 [3 favorites]
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The roots look ok to me. (I'm not an orchid expert, but I have managed to keep two orchids happy for a couple of years now.)
posted by heatherlogan at 12:58 PM on February 27, 2022 [2 favorites]