Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I bought a Phalaenopsis at Home Depot about 2 months ago. I have been watering once a week but then one day noticed that the leaves were getting droopy and "leathery". I simply thought that the plant needed to be fertilized, so I purchased GrowMore 20-20-20 and just recently began fertilizing. I should also mention that I mist all my phals every morning, sometimes even at noon.

Here's the problem:
Last week, while watering, I noticed a foul odor coming from the orchid pot. I ignored it. Today, when I watered again, it was still stinky. I decided to remove some of the medium (Sphagnum Moss). I was SHOCKED to learn that the ENTIRE plant was potted, solely, in tightly packed Moss. I just about cried when I saw that almost ALL the roots were black and dead. Only 1 piece of root (tan, but somewhat plump) remained.

Here's why I was shocked:
The Phal is producing new buds (I should mention that it has 2 spikes--one spike is growing buds, the other is producing smaller spikes from 2 different nodes). Furthermore, the topmost leaf it still growing and getting bigger.

Here's what I did:
I immediately removed all the moss, washed out all the roots, trimmed the black-stringy roots, and re-potted with 80% fir bark and 20% NZ Sph. Moss. I immediately mixed up a rooting mix to help "stimulate" roots. Now I have a small, desk sized fan blowing right at the plant (which is sitting by a humidity tray).

How was this plant able to survive? Is it because I'm misting it every morning and should I continue doing so? How is it that it's producing new stems?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

~Jake

ANSWER: Jake, first let me congratulate you on the action you took.  I have had plants bloom or produce keiki's with no leaves.  These are desperation measures programmed into the plant to preserve its genetic material through the production of seeds or a new plant (keiki). Remember that the plant's leaves still photosynthesize and, therefore, can supply the flower spike with hormones and nutrients.  It is encouraging that you still have leaf growth and, ultimately, the energy produced by leaves will also generate new roots.

You may yet have some of the droopy leaves turn yellow and fall off.  That is a function of reduced root mass to support these leaves.  Dead or dying roots are "Mushy".  The outer covering of the root (called a velamin) dies and that is the mushy part when a root dies.  Inside the velamin is a root hair.  The latter can still prvide some limited nourishment to the plant. Healthy roots are firm (the velamin is swollen because it takes up and stores water and nutrients for transpot by the root hair).  Healthy roots are also green because the velamin contains chlorophyll-- another source of nutrients for the root hair.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again,

While re-potting one of my other Phals., I noticed that there was a long, UN-ATTACHED, root in the old medium. It's  very green and HEALTHY looking. I pulled it out, washed it off and placed it on the top of the NEW medium.

My question:
What do I do with it? Will it produce another plant?

Thanks!

~Jake

Answer
Hi Jake.  Roots and leaves of orchids contain no meristemmatic tiss ue and, therfore, they cannot be used to generate an entire plant.  The only meristemmatic tissue in phals is located in the crown of the plant and at the joints or nodes of the flower spike.  You should just toss the root.