Root Rot- I just performed my first plant surgery and tr...
Root Rot-
I just performed my first plant surgery and trimmed off the bad roots on my poor orchid. I gave her new soil and put more drainage/airflow holes into her plastic pot. When should I expect to see improvement or decline? Sheβs got buds right now that are starting to open but I didnβt want to wait any longer.
#PhalaenopsisOrchid #OrchidLovers
I just performed my first plant surgery and trimmed off the bad roots on my poor orchid. I gave her new soil and put more drainage/airflow holes into her plastic pot. When should I expect to see improvement or decline? Sheβs got buds right now that are starting to open but I didnβt want to wait any longer.
#PhalaenopsisOrchid #OrchidLovers
2ft to light, indirect
3β pot with drainage
Last watered 3 weeks ago
18
Best Answer
Yep, that's a burn. Thankfully, I guess, though it's quite severe. The telltale sign are the papery burnt bits, where the sun hit the most and the shaving, wherever the upper leaves blocked out at least some of it.
Root rot, as long as it isn't severe enough to travel up towards and attack the stem (which would spell *real* trouble), doesn't yellow leaves like that. It only results in dehydration at some point when the healthy roots can not keep up. Like Heidi already said, phals (especially with lots of leaves like yours) can survive, depending on the humidity even for months, until the new roots come in. It would only show up as very dehydrated (wrinkly and limp, just like your droopy bottom leaf) leaves. If the Orchid goes on like this, yes, there would also be yellowing, but different from what you have here. The phal would prepare to drop one or max two of the bottom leaves to restructure. To grow new leaves and roots, it draws energy from the not as efficient older leaves. This means they would dry out and yellow from the outside until they drop.
Other kinds of yellowing and leaves dropping from anywhere but the bottom should always be taken seriously, because orchids are prone to all kinds of rot and can be decimated by for example a bacterial infection in the matter of weeks or in severe cases even days, if you don't act fast.
Yes, direct sun, sadly is a no-no. They can burn fast. They do love light though, so try to find something with lots of indirect light, like Heidi described. They will grow faster. Mine do get 1-2 hours, very weak direct sun, but that's a judgement call on my part. If you want to test a place that might get too much light, slowly move it towards that. Should the leaves get warm at any point throughout the day on a warm day, that's too much.
Sadly, the damaged leaves will not be repaired if that is what the "improvement" part of your original question was aiming at. The plant will, however, use every bit of green in those leaves that it can, so just leave them be. Be prepared that it might drop one or two leaves on its way to recovery.
Best of luck to you two.
Root rot, as long as it isn't severe enough to travel up towards and attack the stem (which would spell *real* trouble), doesn't yellow leaves like that. It only results in dehydration at some point when the healthy roots can not keep up. Like Heidi already said, phals (especially with lots of leaves like yours) can survive, depending on the humidity even for months, until the new roots come in. It would only show up as very dehydrated (wrinkly and limp, just like your droopy bottom leaf) leaves. If the Orchid goes on like this, yes, there would also be yellowing, but different from what you have here. The phal would prepare to drop one or max two of the bottom leaves to restructure. To grow new leaves and roots, it draws energy from the not as efficient older leaves. This means they would dry out and yellow from the outside until they drop.
Other kinds of yellowing and leaves dropping from anywhere but the bottom should always be taken seriously, because orchids are prone to all kinds of rot and can be decimated by for example a bacterial infection in the matter of weeks or in severe cases even days, if you don't act fast.
Yes, direct sun, sadly is a no-no. They can burn fast. They do love light though, so try to find something with lots of indirect light, like Heidi described. They will grow faster. Mine do get 1-2 hours, very weak direct sun, but that's a judgement call on my part. If you want to test a place that might get too much light, slowly move it towards that. Should the leaves get warm at any point throughout the day on a warm day, that's too much.
Sadly, the damaged leaves will not be repaired if that is what the "improvement" part of your original question was aiming at. The plant will, however, use every bit of green in those leaves that it can, so just leave them be. Be prepared that it might drop one or two leaves on its way to recovery.
Best of luck to you two.
You did the right thing by getting her out of that pot, removing the rotten roots, and repotting in fresh soil. It's a situation where the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.
As for how quickly she'll bounce back...that depends. The more mature/established the plant, the greater chance they have of a full recovery. The severity of the root rot is another factor...were the unhealthy roots pretty minor compared to the healthy ones? Even with those answers, there are countless other factors that could prove favorably or unfavorably. You took the right first step by repotting her, now it's a "wait and see" kind of thing. Good luck and keep us posted on her progress! π
As for how quickly she'll bounce back...that depends. The more mature/established the plant, the greater chance they have of a full recovery. The severity of the root rot is another factor...were the unhealthy roots pretty minor compared to the healthy ones? Even with those answers, there are countless other factors that could prove favorably or unfavorably. You took the right first step by repotting her, now it's a "wait and see" kind of thing. Good luck and keep us posted on her progress! π
@stephonicle Id say I had to remove about half of her roots sadly. I didnβt realize that only one drainage hole in the bottom wasnβt enough. I finally figured out that water was pooling on the inside. So the pot got some βadjustmentsβ.
I forgot to mention that I also cut off the flower stem so my poor plant can focus on recovery! Thank you for your answer, Iβll definitely keep updating about her! Sheβs my first orchid and a very special one at that so hereβs hoping she pulls through!
I forgot to mention that I also cut off the flower stem so my poor plant can focus on recovery! Thank you for your answer, Iβll definitely keep updating about her! Sheβs my first orchid and a very special one at that so hereβs hoping she pulls through!
@ThatFlowerGirl Hi Zoie, I know this must be heartbreaking for you. I know when I'm trying to rehab a plant that my husband brings home to me I'm always stressed wondering if they're going to make it or not. He works for an apartment complex and residents abandon plants all the time. Anyway, just keep an eye on her roots.
Green plump roots-hydrated
Grey- thirsty
Brown shriveled- gone
And obviously
Yellow mushy - root rot
I wish you and Ruth only the best!π
Green plump roots-hydrated
Grey- thirsty
Brown shriveled- gone
And obviously
Yellow mushy - root rot
I wish you and Ruth only the best!π
@ThatFlowerGirl Also if it helps Orchids can still survive with hardly ANY roots at all! I had an Orchid come to me with just the main stem and a couple of dots for roots! He's steadily pushing out new leaves. Strong-willed little goofus. Lol Just trying to encourage you. πππ
@princesspitstop I love that!! Iβve heard orchids are pretty hardy, which is the opposite of common thought π thanks so much! This one was obviously trying its best to hang on, so now we just have to wait and see if I was fast enough! Itβs definitely sparked my interest in orchids though so I wonβt give up on the hobby!
@ThatFlowerGirl I completely understand! I've either killed or almost killed my fair share of beloved plants, always from either directly or indirectly overwatering (indirect being similar to your pot without enough drainage). I hope what @princesspitstop shared will lift your spirits βΊοΈ It's a helpful reminder of just how resilient plants can be. Hell, they've managed to survive (and thrive) for hundred of millions of years without us silly humans intervening ππ
@ThatFlowerGirl oh, one other thing I forgot to mention...if you can find one, terracotta orchid pots are ideal for avoiding future bouts of root rot. For one, terracotta is porous and allows soil to dry out much faster between waterings (unlike plastic, which is non-porous and holds onto moisture). They look like a normal terracotta pot, except they have narrow slits around the sides for even better airflow.
@stephonicle Haha!! That's so funny. I never thought about it like that. I guess they were doing fine without us. π That's awesome πππ
Ehm, given the state of the leaves (water wise), there shouldn't be anything major to recover from (if your oasis pic is recent). The leaves look well hydrated. If you only have trimmed the really mushy and dead roots and only cut into dead tissue without damaging viable roots, such a repot doesn't really pose a real change for a phal: the dead roots have stopped working ages ago anyway.
*however* , what is up with the leaves? Do you know the cause for the yellowing, and if not, do you have any closeups? Assuming your plant is not one of the very very few variegated phals, that looks concerning to me and like way more of an issue than a few rotting roots. And since the pattern really doesn't look like variegation to me, on first glance, it seems to be quite a sick orchid to me.
*however* , what is up with the leaves? Do you know the cause for the yellowing, and if not, do you have any closeups? Assuming your plant is not one of the very very few variegated phals, that looks concerning to me and like way more of an issue than a few rotting roots. And since the pattern really doesn't look like variegation to me, on first glance, it seems to be quite a sick orchid to me.
@MusicalRedmint wow that first paragraph is so helpful, thank you!!
The brownish leaf is kinda floppy, so I just assumed the yellowing was from the root rot. Iβve included some close up pics for you to take a peek at.
I did a bit more research and it could be sunburn perhaps? It was directly up against a south facing window for a bit. Itβs been this colour for a while.
The brownish leaf is kinda floppy, so I just assumed the yellowing was from the root rot. Iβve included some close up pics for you to take a peek at.
I did a bit more research and it could be sunburn perhaps? It was directly up against a south facing window for a bit. Itβs been this colour for a while.
@ThatFlowerGirl Yeah direct sunlight is a no no. Direct sunlight is if you get down on your orchids level and you're able to physically see the sun at any point of the day that's direct sunlight. They prefer indirect light. If you think about where they are in nature they grow in trees so they have that shade with sunlight shining through the trees. The best that you can create that environment for them the better.
@MusicalRedmint wow thank you for such a detailed and helpful response. Your advice regarding the yellow leaves is so helpful! Googling βyellow leaves orchidβ gives so many non specific things it could be. Your description helps a LOT for the future!
Yes thatβs exactly what I meant by improvement! Itβs like you read my mind. Iβll just give it time and better living conditions and hope for the best.
My poor plant has been through the wringer! But everyone hereβs advice will prevent me from making these mistakes in the future.
Yes thatβs exactly what I meant by improvement! Itβs like you read my mind. Iβll just give it time and better living conditions and hope for the best.
My poor plant has been through the wringer! But everyone hereβs advice will prevent me from making these mistakes in the future.
Again, that improvement is sadly not an option. But with good care and a little time (well, honestly, more than a little, phals are relatively slow growers), new leaves will come in from the crown. Just view those yellow leaves as battle scars.
If you want to "read" up on your plant, I highly recommend miss orchid girl on youtube. She has great informational videos, tutorials, trouble shooting videos, and so much other well presented information. If I remember correctly, for example, she also had a video on damaged leaves and how to assess and deal with them. The aos site is another great resource.
Again, basically, what you do not want to have is spreading yellowing on the upper leaves. If it's spreading fast, it's probably bacterial. If it's slow, it's probably fungal. the treatment is the same, however. If it spreads, cut with sterile tools well into the healthy tissue around it before it does too much damage or even reach the stem. Then seal with cinnamon powder.
If it looks more like the leaves are yellowing because they are withering away, the stem might be involved. that's more complicated.
To prevent all of that nastiness, just be very careful never to get water into the crown, in between the leaf joints, basically anywhere that's not the roots. If you noticed that you spilled some anyway, just remove it with a tissue. And if you accidentally hurt it, seal any cuts with cinnamon powder as well. Then you should not get any of those issues in the first place.
If you want to "read" up on your plant, I highly recommend miss orchid girl on youtube. She has great informational videos, tutorials, trouble shooting videos, and so much other well presented information. If I remember correctly, for example, she also had a video on damaged leaves and how to assess and deal with them. The aos site is another great resource.
Again, basically, what you do not want to have is spreading yellowing on the upper leaves. If it's spreading fast, it's probably bacterial. If it's slow, it's probably fungal. the treatment is the same, however. If it spreads, cut with sterile tools well into the healthy tissue around it before it does too much damage or even reach the stem. Then seal with cinnamon powder.
If it looks more like the leaves are yellowing because they are withering away, the stem might be involved. that's more complicated.
To prevent all of that nastiness, just be very careful never to get water into the crown, in between the leaf joints, basically anywhere that's not the roots. If you noticed that you spilled some anyway, just remove it with a tissue. And if you accidentally hurt it, seal any cuts with cinnamon powder as well. Then you should not get any of those issues in the first place.
@MusicalRedmint thatβs incredibly helpful, thank you!! I will go to her channel and watch as many videos as I can.
Iβll give this one as much time as it needs to get better. Iβll keep an eye out and hope for new growth.
I have one tiny question if I may, should I fertilize once I see new leaves? Or hold off for a good while?
Thanks again, youβve really put things in such an understandable way for me!
Iβll give this one as much time as it needs to get better. Iβll keep an eye out and hope for new growth.
I have one tiny question if I may, should I fertilize once I see new leaves? Or hold off for a good while?
Thanks again, youβve really put things in such an understandable way for me!
That I do not know, sadly. Since you say the root system is mostly intact, it's able to take up nutrients. That's a plus. But people say to fertilize sick orchids less. Yours doesn't seem to be sick per se, but I do not know how much it struggles with those burned leaves. I would say to put her somewhere bright. If it has been fertilized normally up to this point, the leaves should still store loads of nutrients, so there is no risk of any deficiency if you fertilize less for the next few weeks. In those you could watch if it grows relatively normally, if it struggles, etc, and fertilize less or more depending on that.
But I'm not good with fertilizers. Maybe someone else knows. π€·ββοΈ
You will love MOG then, I sometimes bingewatch her podcast- style while doing chores just to listen to her going on for hours about some orchid topic that will probably never be relevant to me π
But I'm not good with fertilizers. Maybe someone else knows. π€·ββοΈ
You will love MOG then, I sometimes bingewatch her podcast- style while doing chores just to listen to her going on for hours about some orchid topic that will probably never be relevant to me π