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Indoor orchids are considered difficult to maintain and maintain just because many beginning flower growers die because of the loss of the root system. Is it possible, and how to reanimate the orchid, which has rotted or dried up most of the roots that feed the flower?
Autumn-winter period is most dangerous for people from the tropics, where there are practically no seasonal fluctuations in temperature, light and humidity. In the warm season, actively growing, blooming orchids feel comfortable in natural conditions, easily tolerating the absence of illumination, heating and additional air moistening.(Orchid Phalaenopsis - butterfly flower)
But by winter the picture changes. And the plant noticeably slows down the growth, consuming less nutrients and moisture. What is the reason that orchids are dying at home, and how to save a beautiful flower?
If the florist did not react in time to the change of season, did not correct the care and conditions of detention, the consequences in the form of weeping, rotting roots will definitely make themselves felt.
How to save an orchid with rotted roots?
Noticing that the recently alive and healthy flower has become sluggish, the leaves have lost their juiciness, have faded, and even watering does not help the plant to recover, the florist must be alerted. The sooner the trouble is revealed, the easier it will be to reanimate the orchid, because without roots the flower cannot eat and will inevitably die.
Before you reanimate the orchid at home, you need to assess the situation and find out the extent of the damage. Do this with a careful examination of the root system.
- Alive and healthy roots are always dense, with an elastic uniform surface. The younger the rhizome, the lighter their color, and when immersed in water or after abundant irrigation, they noticeably turn green.
- Old rhizomes have a gray or brownish tint. But as long as they nourish the leaf rosette and flower stalks, the roots remain firm, smooth and dry to the touch.
Removing the substrate and washing the underground part of the plant will show a complete picture of the lesion. A sign of rotting, bacterial or fungal infection is:
- darkening of the rhizomes;
- appearance of moist, skinny areas;
- water flow when you press the root;
- filamentary view of broken roots.
Unfortunately, the rotten roots can no longer be saved, so they are removed, carefully cutting to healthy tissue. So do the dried rhizomes. The loss of two or three roots, if the plant is established competent care, will not affect the viability.
But what if orchids have rotted all or most of their roots? Is it possible to return the plant health or with a green pet will have to say goodbye?
After removal of the problem areas, sections on the remaining parts must be treated with activated carbon crushed to the powder stage or ground cinnamon, which also has pronounced disinfectant properties. When the roots dry, it is useful to immerse them in a solution of fungicide for 10–15 minutes. This will reduce the risk of infestation of a weakened plant with harmful fungi.
By disinfecting the remnants of the roots, protecting the plant, it is important to treat the growth zone of future roots with a growth promoter. This will strengthen the immune system of the orchid and speed up rooting.
How to revive an orchid: at home available methods
You should not discard an orchid that remains without roots. A tropical plant, with due care and patience, proves to be very enduring and life-loving. Experienced flower growers are advised to consider three ways of recovery:
- in the home greenhouse;
- without a hothouse, using regular watering and drying;
- by landing in a normal substrate.
Before resuscitating an orchid, you need to evaluate its condition and choose the most efficient and fastest way possible. If a flower that has lost less than 60% of the roots can regain health within a month, then a fully orchid-deprived orchid may require special maintenance and care for up to a year.
The choice of how to save an orchid without roots depends on:
- on the condition of the affected flower;
- on the number and condition of the leaves;
- on the presence of horse rudiments formed at the bottom of the sheet rosette.
Of considerable importance are the conditions that a florist can create for reanimation 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 stable 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 a container in which to root a flower:
- pour a thin layer of expanded clay;
- a layer of peeled, carefully steamed sphagnum is laid on top of it.
Substrate gently moistened and placed in a sheet rosette. Until the plants form roots 3–5 cm long, the flower will have to be constantly under cover:
- at an air temperature of 22 to 28 ° C;
- with air humidity within 70–100%;
- in bright diffused light for 12–14 hours per day.
The temperature below 20 and above 33 ° C inhibits root growth, but it contributes to the reproduction of pathogenic flora and fungi.
What if orchids have rotted all the roots? Is it possible to stimulate rooting? Yes, this can be done with the help of competent care for the sheet rosette located in the greenhouse. As required, the substrate is slightly moistened, and the greenhouse is aired. It is best to do this at night, which contributes to the saturation of air with carbon dioxide and causes the beginnings of a future healthy root system to form faster.
The success of rooting depends on adhering to the temperature regime, maintaining a long daylength and increased humidity for the apartment. While the orchid is in the greenhouse, the outlet should be regularly inspected to prevent the appearance of rotten foci.
In four out of five cases, using this method, you can save an orchid without roots, and the signs of the formation of a new root system become visible after 10–14 days. A plant with roots of 3-4 cm in length is planted in a normal substrate and transferred to the normal conditions for the flower.
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 the direct rays of the sun. But how to reanimate the orchid in this case, when there is no home greenhouse or greenhouse?
Pre-treated outlet is placed in a deep glass vessel. Every day, in the morning hours, water is poured in soft, boiled or filtered water so that its surface touches only the lower part of the remaining root system and does not wet the leaves. As such, 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 water per liter of liquid. In addition, for moistening the substrate or watering all reanimated orchids it is useful to use:
- specialized complex fertilizers in a very weak concentration;
- supplementation with iron;
- monthly growth regulator treatments.
How to revive an orchid that has lost not all the roots, but only part of them? In this case, the plant is still able to feed in the usual way; therefore, it is possible to grow the missing roots by planting a flower in a pot 6–8 cm in diameter with the usual substrate. Lighting for 12 hours and a temperature of 20–25 ° C will force the root buds to become active. At night in this temperature should not decrease, and the humidity is maintained at an elevated level.
Instead of irrigation, small-drop irrigation of the top 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 should only be after it is completely dry. The growth of new roots begins in 1-4 weeks.
Video on how to save the orchid, if the roots have rotted, and the plant lost the opportunity to receive moisture and nutrition, will help to clarify all the nuances of a complex procedure. Careful theoretical preparation will not allow to make mistakes in practice, and soon the beloved flower will once again beautify the home collection.
Video about an interesting experience of growing orchids without roots
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
