Is it possible to reanimate an orchid if the roots have rotted?
Indoor orchids are considered difficult to care for and maintain only because for many novice flower growers, plants die due to loss of the root system. Is it possible and how to reanimate an orchid, in which most of the roots feeding the flower have rotted or withered?
The autumn-winter period is the most dangerous for people from the tropics, where there are practically no seasonal fluctuations in temperature, illumination and humidity. In the warm season, actively growing, blooming orchids feel comfortable in natural conditions, easily tolerating the lack of backlighting, heating and additional air humidification. (Phalaenopsis orchid - butterfly flower)
If the grower did not react to the change of season in time, did not correct orchid care and the conditions of detention, the consequences in the form of weeping, decaying roots, will certainly make themselves felt.
How to save an orchid with rotten roots?
Noticing that a recently living and healthy flower has become lethargic, the leaves have lost their juiciness, withered, and even watering does not help the plant to recover, the florist should be wary. The sooner the trouble is discovered, the easier it will be to resuscitate the orchid, because without the roots, the flower will not be able to feed and will inevitably die.
Before reanimating an orchid at home, you need to assess the situation and find out the degree of damage. This is done by carefully examining the root system:
- Live and healthy roots are always dense, with an elastic homogeneous surface. The younger the rhizomes, the lighter their color, and when immersed in water or after abundant irrigation, they noticeably turn green.
- Older rhizomes are gray or brownish. But as long as they feed the leaf rosette and flower stalks, the roots remain firm, smooth and dry to the touch.
Removing the substrate and flushing the underground part of the plant will show the complete picture of the lesion. A sign of decay, bacterial or fungal infection is:
- darkening of rhizomes;
- the appearance on them of weeping, slimy areas;
- the outflow of water when you click on the root;
- filamentous view of decayed roots.
Unfortunately, rotten roots can no longer be saved, so they are removed, carefully trimmed to healthy tissue. Do the same with dried rhizomes. The loss of two or three roots, if the plant is properly cared for, will not affect the viability.
But what if the orchid has rotted all the roots or most of them? Is it possible to restore health to the plant or will you have to say goodbye to the green pet?
After removing problem areas, the sections on the remaining parts are necessarily treated with activated carbon crushed to the stage of powder or ground cinnamon, which also has pronounced disinfecting properties. When the roots are dry, it is useful to immerse them in a fungicide solution for 10-15 minutes. This will reduce the risk of harmful fungi colonizing the weakened plant.
After disinfecting the remnants of the roots, ensuring the protection of the plant, it is important to treat the growth zone of future roots with a growth stimulator. This will strengthen the orchid's immunity and speed up rooting.
How to revive an orchid: methods available at home
An orchid left without roots should not be thrown away.A tropical plant, with proper care and patience, turns out to be very hardy and life-loving. Experienced growers are advised to consider three ways to revitalize:
- in a home greenhouse;
- without a greenhouse, using regular watering and drying;
- by planting in a regular substrate.
Before reanimating an orchid, you need to assess its condition and choose the most effective and fastest way. If a flower that has lost less than 60% of its roots manages to regain health in a month, then an orchid completely devoid of its root system can require special maintenance and care for up to a year.
The choice of option, how to save an orchid without roots, depends:
- from the condition of the affected flower;
- on the number and condition of leaves;
- from the presence of horse rudiments formed in the lower part of the leaf rosette.
Of no small importance are the conditions that a florist can create for the resuscitation of an orchid without roots.
How to reanimate an orchid in greenhouse conditions?
If the grower has a window greenhouse in which the plant will be kept at a consistently high humidity and comfortable temperature, there is a high probability of saving even a seriously weakened flower without a root system.
How to reanimate an orchid if the roots have rotted? In the container in which the flower is to be rooted:
- a thin layer of expanded clay is poured;
- a layer of cleaned, carefully steamed sphagnum is laid on top of it.
The substrate is carefully moistened and a leaf rosette is placed in it. Until the plant has 3–5 cm long roots, the flower will have to be constantly under cover:
- at air temperatures from 22 to 28 ° C;
- with air humidity within 70-100%;
- in bright diffused lighting for 12-14 hours a day.
Temperatures below 20 and above 33 ° C inhibit root growth, but promotes the reproduction of pathogenic flora and fungi.
What to do if all the roots of an orchid have rotted? Can root formation be stimulated? Yes, this can be done with the help of competent care of the leaf outlet in the greenhouse. As necessary, the substrate is slightly moistened, and the greenhouse is ventilated. This is best done at night, which contributes to the saturation of the air with carbon dioxide and makes the rudiments of a future healthy root system form faster.
The success of rooting depends on observing the temperature regime, maintaining a long daylight hours and high humidity for an apartment. While the orchid is in the greenhouse, the outlet should be regularly inspected to prevent the appearance of foci of rot.
In four out of five cases, using this method, it is possible to save an orchid without roots, and signs of the formation of a new root system become visible after 10-14 days. And plants with roots 3-4 cm in length are planted in an ordinary substrate and transferred to the usual conditions for a flower.
Read also on the topic: correct orchid transplant at home!
How to save an orchid without using a greenhouse?
As in the previous case, the plant is rooted at a temperature of 20 to 27 ° C, in a place shaded from direct sunlight. But how to reanimate an orchid in this case, when there is no home greenhouse or greenhouse?
The pre-treated socket is placed in a deep glass vessel. Every day, in the morning hours, soft, boiled or filtered water is poured into it so that its surface touches only the lower part of the remaining root system and does not wet the leaves. In this form, the orchid remains up to 6 hours. Then the water is drained, and the flower is dried until the next morning.
There is one feature, how to revive an orchid without roots faster and more efficiently.
A teaspoon of honey or sugar syrup is added to the water per liter of liquid. In addition, to moisten the substrate or watering all reanimated orchids, it is useful to use:
- specialized complex fertilizers in very weak concentration;
- top dressing with iron;
- monthly treatments with growth regulator.
How to revive an orchid that has not lost all the roots, but only a part of them? In this case, the plant is still able to feed in the usual way, so you can grow the missing roots by planting the flower in a 6–8 cm diameter pot with an ordinary substrate. Lighting for 12 hours and a temperature of 20-25 ° C will make the root buds active. At night, the temperature should not drop, and the humidity is maintained at an elevated level.
Instead of watering, small-drop irrigation of the upper layer of the substrate is used or a container with an orchid is placed in a pan with a small amount of water for half an hour. Moisten the soil again only after it is completely dry. New root growth begins in 1–4 weeks.
A video on how to save an orchid if the roots have rotted and the plant has lost the opportunity to receive moisture and nutrition will help clarify all the nuances of a complex procedure. Thorough theoretical preparation will not allow you to make mistakes in practice, and soon your favorite flower will again become an adornment of your home collection. Read about orchid diseases!
Video about an interesting experience of nursing an orchid without roots
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
I do everything as described in the video. The orchid will wither anyway. But the leaves are still green. I'm afraid he will die. I have it just like in the video in a bunch of pebbles without roots. What to do?
Examine the leaves carefully. It is possible that the leaf plate is affected by insects. When resuscitating an orchid without roots on pebbles, it is necessary to wipe the leaves with a solution of succinic acid several times a day. the solution must be fresh. For 0.5 l of water, 1 tablet of succinic acid is taken. It is imperative to sprinkle the root base cleaned from rot with root powder.
Hello. Can you please tell me what to do with my orchid? The roots in the pot are rotten, but there are aerial roots. The leaves began to take and Rostislav stopped the peduncle.
I restored the orchid in 2 days !!! Almost all the roots rotted away, only 1 greenish with foulbrood remained (earlier, the husband transplanted the orch into a large pot and covered it with earth, and therefore it all rotted away, i.e. everything happened by accident and unknowingly). So, I cut off all the rot with ordinary household scissors without processing, washed it clean in a basin. At first, I just kept it above the pot in the air to dry. Then I just watered it with water and sometimes kept it in water, so 2-3 weeks passed, no results, only 2 lower green leaves rotted. Further, the technique radically changed: we had rotten logs at our dacha, and so my husband and I broke the chips from these logs, then carefully put only not the smallest chips into the pot, and even when the orch also kept the chips so that the remaining spine touched them with one side, and on the other it was ventilated. In general, the pot is full of small gaps left for air intake. Then she spilled the chips a little bit so that they got wet and that's it !!! No compositions, after 2 !!! of the day the orch raised up luscious green leaves and .... put an arrow on a peduncle !!!! I recommend everyone to do this, no greenhouses are needed !!!
Rotten to rot - that's right! ))))
Hello, we sold the orchid, but it is completely in a deplorable state, cut off all the rot, processed it with brilliant green, and plaque began to appear. Today, I cleaned it again, treated it with charcoal ... Tell me how to save, how to grow roots?
Good afternoon. I bought an orchid, it turned out that it was affected by pests (thrips?), Nearby orchids were infected. After repeated processing, the new plant died (((but there are still living green roots in the pot. Is it possible that something will grow out of this , or can you safely throw it away?
Do not throw away the roots, they are still alive, which means they can still grow leaves.Treat them with Zircon to disinfect and stimulate growth, and transplant them into fresh soil. The pot itself is best placed in a greenhouse.
Help. 3 months ago I bought an orchid at a discount. All the roots rotted away. I cut it off, but there is little blackness left. Roots began to hatch and a new leaf appeared. But the rot made itself felt. All the roots began to rot and again they had to cut everything off. Tell me, is it worth reanimating it further or now only in a bucket?
It's a pity to throw away such a green rosette. If the rot did not have time to spread upward, try again to reanimate it as described in the article above (method with a greenhouse).
Hello, could you save my orchid? What to do? Thank you for earlier.
It seems that all the roots of your orchid have rotted, but the leaf rosette is still alive, which means you can fight for the flower. Trim off any rotten roots. It doesn't hurt to check the old rhizome - it seems to me that it also began to rot. In any case, all sections must be made to living tissue (green), otherwise there is no point in resuscitation, and the rot will spread further. Try the greenhouse method described in detail in the article above.
Can I save my orchid or is that all ?????
If you find something alive and green there, you can try ... But personally, I only see dried remains, so most likely, you can say goodbye to the orchid.
Hello, please help, what's wrong with her? What to do ?
Orchid leaves wrinkle and lose their turgor if it lacks moisture. This can also be the result of the appearance of pests that suck juices from the leaves, for example, a mite. Examine everything through a magnifying glass. If you don't find anyone and everything is in order with watering, gently stir the bush: a loose socket indicates problems with the root system. You need to take out the flower and inspect the roots and remove everything rotten. Treat the remaining living roots with at least a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide, cover the sections with crushed activated carbon and change the substrate. Perhaps the information located here can help you determine the exact reason. https://myvilla.cosmetius.com/en/pochemu-u-orkhidei-vyalye-listya/.
Hello, tell me please, has my orchid come to an end? I think I overflowed it. Above, the roots were dry, but inside the pot there was already a green bloom, and the water did not dry out in the pan. all the roots are terribly wet, I cut everything off, only 2-3 threads remained that seemed a little greenish to me. I treated everything with charcoal and planted it again in the drainage for the orchid purchased in the store. Did I do the right thing? When can I water it? In a week? I really look forward to your help! and I also cut off the peduncle, although it contained sap and green tissue of the flower. but just the peduncle in the middle was dry. I already regret if I did the right thing, that I cut everything off? Or was it worth it to dry and plant it as it is?
Planting, as it was, is definitely impossible, you did the right thing that you cut off. All black roots are rotten, and the strings will not give anything either. Healthy roots should be dense and firm, filled with juice - only they can feed the orchid. If the upper part of the flower (leafy rosette) has not yet suffered, it may well come to life and grow new roots. Use the greenhouse method described in the article.
Tell me what to do with the orchid? I don't understand this at all, there was such a strong plant, and out of stupidity I poured it over ((something needs to be cut off? And should I plant it in the ground or hold it without it?
A bit rotten, of course, but that's okay.Just cut off all the black roots, leave only those that are thick, juicy and green - they are still alive and the orchid will recover. Rinse the root in potassium permanganate, sprinkle all sections with activated charcoal. Be sure to let it dry well (I left it for a day). Then plant in fresh substrate.
Hello
the orchid has rotted roots, but the green bases remain and there are aerial roots
the rotten was cut off, there was still a grown mushroom in the old pot
now transplanted into a new pot with new soil, after transplanting it began to shed flowers and one of the peduncles dries up
does it just fade or die?
If a plant has rotted roots, it has nothing to feed the flower stalks. To save the flower and grow new roots, the peduncles must be removed. They take strength from the leaves, and there will be no leaves and new roots will not be able to grow.
Good evening! tell me what to do? We gave the orchid, stood on the sunny side, most likely the watering was wrong. 2 peduncles completely dried up, I had to cut them off, cut off the rotten roots too. There was only such a pot with some kind of composition and a few roots of dense, but already a little yellowed.
Most likely, all the problems with this orchid lie in the fact that it grows in the "wrong" soil. What is in the photo is absolutely not suitable for growing this epiphytic plant. An orchid needs a special pine bark substrate; it will not grow in the ground, even if it is very light and loose. In general, it is amazing how the flower lasted so long, most likely, it was "stuffed" with fertilizers.
Urgently take out the remnants of the socket and once again inspect the roots (in the upper part, just above the "earthen cup", you can see something black, isn't it rotten?). The roots must be freed from an incomprehensible soil mixture and washed in potassium permanganate. By the way, they are not bad at all, and the leaves are still elastic, so there is a chance to save the flower. Also gently peel off dry leaves on the outlet. A special orchid substrate is easy to find at any flower shop.
I transplant for the third time with a difference of a year, but she is still feeling bad, the roots are rotting, what is the reason, tell me?
Good day! Tell me, is it still possible to save my orchid?
There are living roots, small, but the leaf turns yellow
Let's try to help your plant. First, you need to remove all dry and diseased roots and leaf remnants. Treat with fungicide. use root root for root building. For processing the leaf, a solution of succinic acid. Pour a little water into a glass with the addition of root. Place the plant above the water, but so that the roots do not touch the surface. wipe the leaf on both sides 2 times a day with a solution of succinic acid. Keep the orchid covered until you see root growth and a new healthy leaf.
My orchids have too many aerial roots. What to do with them? Can they be covered with a substrate during transplantation?
I did so at my flower, because most of the roots rotted. Part of the aerial roots, those that amenable to "stacking" in a pot, hid in the substrate. The experiment was a success - the orchid came to life and grows further, even bloomed after transplantation and released new leaves.
Can you please tell me if it is possible to revive my orchid? After flowering, the leaves began to wither, then the lower ones turned yellow and fell off, I decided to feed the flower and accidentally added a slightly diluted concentrate of fertilizer for orchids "health". Apparently burned (((Soon the leaves turned yellow from the middle to the end and fell off. That's what was left ...
I washed it, dried it, then held it in a glass of water (so that excess fertilizer residues come out).
I do not know what to do. Does it make sense to reanimate or did the whole core burn out there?
In my opinion, the roots are still alive, which means there is a chance to save the flower. You just need to clean the remains well again, cutting off the tips of the roots to the living part, especially the longest one - something black is visible there. Also cut out anything dry at the top. Treat all sections with a fungicide and dry. Plant what remains in fresh substrate, you can use moss for the first time. After planting, do not water for 10 days and then use a gentle watering regimen. If you're lucky, the orchid will come to life.
Hello, they gave me an orchid what can be done with it to put it in order. There is a peduncle.
What is she ... .. big. Nothing comes to mind except to cut and root the top after flowering.
Your orchid is already old. She has a high trunk and many aerial roots. If the plant is not blooming, you can try updating it. To do this, cut off the top of the orchid with aerial roots. Try to keep them at least 6-7. Treat the trunk cut with activated carbon. Plant the orchid in a new orchid substrate (pre-steam the bark and dry it). Aerial roots will work as usual and the plant will continue to live and delight with flowering. At first, wipe the leaves with succinic acid. If there is a peduncle, you can wait until it blooms, but not too long. Old roots hardly work anymore and the plant begins to lose leaves.
Hello! I have a healthy orchid root. Can I get a new orchid from him and what to do with him?
In principle, such a method exists, but provided that the roots are taken from an adult orchid at least 5 years old and have at least one pseudobulb. In your case, there is not quite a spine, but a very small piece of it. The long root has almost disappeared, only the lateral process is alive. I doubt that it will be enough for growing a flower. But as an experiment, you can try by putting the root (only the healthy, green one) in the moss and covering it with a film.
Can you save her?
I understand that the leaf rosette also rotted? Try treating these leftovers with a Fundazol paste and rooting in the greenhouse as described above. Maybe we can save it.