I rescued a beautiful phal orchid from the clearance rack at Lowe’s but am wondering if there is any real chance for survival. The plant actually has 3 flowering spikes so I was surprised to see it discounted until I got home and inspected its roots through the pot. They were nothing but a yellow slimy mess. The leaves are severely dehydrated but the potting media was wet so clearly the roots are not taking up needed moisture. I committed what most would consider the cardinal sin of repotting while blooming but my fear was it would be far too gone had I waited to try and rescue it after the blooms fell. The photo shows the remaining “heathy” roots. Sadly, I didn’t even have to prune the dead ones away as they disintegrated into mush when the plant was removed from the pot. It does appear to have a couple of new healthy short roots and two long air roots but those are pretty shriveled. My plan is to just keep it misted to encourage more root growth but not allow additional rot but I’m not sure if there is anything else I can do. I’ve never tried this level of “first aid” so suggestions are welcome. I’ve seen conflicting information on if I should or should not fertilize it. So if anyone has some insight I’d love to get your thoughts.
