Paph. godfroyae - Roots Knocked Off

[HairBear73]

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice about what to do with my Paph godfroye whose roots have just been knocked off. It was a bit of a wreck when I got it and I've spend nearly 2 years bringing it back to health and it has rewarded me with a spike but now this has happened and I'm gutted.

Would be grateful for any advice.

 

[orchid527]

Were they all knocked off or just some of them? I frequently break off roots when I am repotting, but the plants seem to recover OK. If you broke off all of the roots, you might be able to salvage it by placing it into a plastic bag with some damp sphagnum moss, but it will take months to grow enough roots to support itself again. If you haven't done this before, it might be worth learning the technique. If you already know how to do this and there was nothing special about the plant, maybe it would be best just to buy a new one. Mike

 

[Linus_Cello]

Search for live spaghnum moss on the forum site.

 

[HairBear73]

Unfortunately it was all of them. I have salvaged a Coelogyne this way but not a Paphiopedilum, will try though.
It’s more that I nurtured it back to the point where it was as going to bloom that I’m gutted about.
Thanks for the advice

 

[Paphluvr]

What were you doing that managed to knock off all the roots? Hard to imagine.

 

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

In my humble option the plastic bag with sphagnum moss has not worked. What has worked for me is to take a piece of very flexible light weight wire (I strip telephone wire and use the three inner pieces that are still covered in plastic) and make a small circle on both ends of the wire no larger then one of your fingers. Then careful wrap the middle of that wire around the bottom leaves of the plant and twist it on there. It need not be terrible tight. Then just pot it up using your regular mix with maybe a little sphagnum moss and treat it just like you normally do. I generally write on the outside of the pot or on the plant label no roots and the date I repotted. Most times it will grow new roots before you need to repot again. Those wires act as roots to help stabilize the plant.

 

[Ozpaph]

a photo would really help

 

[HairBear73]

 

[HairBear73]

I’ve attached photos, was only slightly moving the plant, certainly not enough to warrant what happened.
Now that I’ve looked properly at the roots they look as though there is something wrong, the top seems quite withered, I’m guessing this is the problem.

 

[Ozpaph]

Its dead.
Throw it out and buy a new healthy one.

 

[troy]

Rot got to it, I grow lots of brachys, and I pot them up in with 1/4 inch crushed limestone with clay balls and medium size orchiata, the roots need air, or they rot, brachypetalums also need high temps, my daytime temp is mid 80s for these guys all year, check the temp whre they grow naturally

 

[khrisna.9]

use the sand, it happened to me some times

 

[HairBear73]

Thanks all for advice, will write this one off as a learning experience