Reddit reviews Hydrofarm Physan PSPTA20 Algaecide, Fungicide, Bactericide, Virucide, 16-Ounce fertilizers, 1 Pint, Natural
We found 2 Reddit comments about Hydrofarm Physan PSPTA20 Algaecide, Fungicide, Bactericide, Virucide, 16-Ounce fertilizers, 1 Pint, Natural. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Physan 20 fungicideGeneral control of plant pathogens on inanimate hard surfacesFor non-porous surfaces, orchids, fountains, ornamentalsAlgaecide, fungicide, bactericide, virucideAvailable in 16-ounce
Okay, here's what I did!
First, I actually put no work into picking a piece of wood. I ordered one of these and figured that unless it was awful, I could make it work. Too true!
Then I gathered everything else: plain dried sphagnum moss, live mood moss, and stretchy bead cord.
I fidgeted around with the plant and the bare piece of wood to figure out where it would ultimately sit, then once I had a good spot, I laid the roots across the wood in ways that went with the direction they were growing naturally. Some of the roots I threaded through holes in the wood; others I gently pushed into cracks.
I held the plant in place and started to place small amounts of dried moss over the roots, just enough to cover them. Holding all of that with one hand, I cut a length of cord, about 12" long, and wrapped it around the wood, moss, and roots. Just enough to hold it in place, I tied it off at the bottom and trimmed the ends.
From there, I built up moss around the base of the plant, and then incorporated pieces of live mood moss. I used probably three more feet of cord to secure everything down and make sure every piece was secure.
Next came the tray. I bought one of these and filled it with pebbles. Those serve two purposes: first to hold the wood at an angle I like (pile the rocks up where they're needed) and second to keep the wood from touching the bottom of the tray.
To water, I just fill the tray up. Weekly I add a regular amount of fertilizer (instead of weekly weakly) since it has to leech into the wood. Then to keep bacteria or mildew from accumulating, I occasionally add this stuff to the water. This setup has been here since about June, and I've had no bacteria or mold in the water. Have not had to clean the tray out once!
I have two more orchids on mounts (a neofinetia falcata and a "Charles M. Fitch", whatever it's actually called) in the same tray, but one of them is sort of oddly droopy and hasn't really "settled in" yet. The other one looks nice; maybe I'll post a pic in the morning.
Agreed, this is definitely crown rot. Phals are highly susceptible to all kinds of rot so you have to be extremely careful when watering or misting. You can either get the cinnamon, or my suggestion is this physan 20. Most grocery store cinnamons are for human consumption, not the intent to use as a fungicide. Like orchidfool said, the fresher the better if you're going with cinnamon.