Can she be saved?
#PhalaenopsisOrchid Hacked off all the dry yet somehow rotten roots and stem. Soaked in 3:1 water:hydrogen peroxide for a few mins, blew really hard and shook it off to get water out of the crown (I live in a desert so I think that’ll be ok), and sprinkled cuts with cinnamon. Trying to decide to try a water prop after it calluses or put into sphagnum/bark I’m soaking currently. Help? I’ve never been able to keep an orchid alive 😭 gonna put her in my little greenhouse thing too to up the humidity now that she’ll fit without the spent spike lol
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It is kinda like a 50/.50 situation. I would put her in orchid bark and breathable soil. Only water when the roots turn a silvery mint color. A well watered orchids roots will be a nice green after it’s roots have sucked up some water. That leaf is still a nice green so I think she has a chance. Keeping her in a humid greenhouse will definitely help her. Good luck 🍀👍
I keep orchids like that in just water as their roots are barely functioning to support the plant and thus need to stay green and watered to keep the plant alive. Gradually they will grow new roots and once there is a proper root system they can be repotted and new leaves and eventually flowers should follow. This is one I’ve been rehabbing for several months in a tiny glass jar and under a grow light. Started with only one tiny root of approx 1/2 cm
Please don’t try ‘water prop’ with an orchid, it’s an epiphite that relies on airflow around its roots and needs the symbiotic fungi/microorganisms that grow on moss/bark to help it absorb nutrients and stay healthy. Sure you can live off of instant ramen for a while, but if you’re already unhealthy it’s very likely to make you take an even worse turn.
Put it in a bed of sphagnum (ideally live sphagnum, which will have a slightly acidic pH and be healthy enough to help kill off bad things) in a vase or open clear plastic freezer bag that is about 6 inches taller than the orchid+moss. Water the sphagnum enough to keep it moist but not wet. Bring your orchid into the bathroom while you shower (and ventilate a little less than you normally would). If your bathroom has a window consider keeping it there full-time during recovery (the water in the toilet/drains should make the ambient humidity in there a little higher than it is in the rest of your home), otherwise at least keep it around other larger plants (which will also emit some humidity, putting it on a seedling mat can also help).
I would also try to peel away the dry sheaths at the base to make it harder for anything to rot/fester in there (you should be able to pinch the bottom of the base of the orchid and peel the sheaths away with tweezers). Also you can get water out of leaf/crown crevices by sticking a corner (or folded to a point) edge of paper towel in there.
Put it in a bed of sphagnum (ideally live sphagnum, which will have a slightly acidic pH and be healthy enough to help kill off bad things) in a vase or open clear plastic freezer bag that is about 6 inches taller than the orchid+moss. Water the sphagnum enough to keep it moist but not wet. Bring your orchid into the bathroom while you shower (and ventilate a little less than you normally would). If your bathroom has a window consider keeping it there full-time during recovery (the water in the toilet/drains should make the ambient humidity in there a little higher than it is in the rest of your home), otherwise at least keep it around other larger plants (which will also emit some humidity, putting it on a seedling mat can also help).
I would also try to peel away the dry sheaths at the base to make it harder for anything to rot/fester in there (you should be able to pinch the bottom of the base of the orchid and peel the sheaths away with tweezers). Also you can get water out of leaf/crown crevices by sticking a corner (or folded to a point) edge of paper towel in there.
@VirtuousRuby42 that orchid is severely dehydrated and the base looks like it’s starting to rot, I’m not sure that is going to last much longer (water is not a biologically appropriate growing medium for orchids, especially a sick one). Those roots are also very short for it having been a few months, depending on the temp/humidity I generally see about an inch of root growth per month on a mostly rootless orchid in moss
@smushface - it’s not rotting, is regularly checked and I have years of experience propagating orchids and rescuing them.
It has regrown the roots and sphagnum moss did nothing for it and did in fact cause problems. Thanks for your concern.
It has regrown the roots and sphagnum moss did nothing for it and did in fact cause problems. Thanks for your concern.
@VirtuousRuby42 these spots + the severely withered leaves all look like huge red flags to me for an orchid in rehab for months, but I only have several dozen orchids and have been growing them for around 20 years so what do I know 🤷🏻♀️
The original poster asked for methods people had used successfully, and I shared mine. I did not say it was the only method. The orchid I showed root growth on is being monitored closely, has active healthy root growth and new leaf growth, and I’m satisfied with its progress. I’m not interested in continuing an unnecessarily adversarial exchange. Have a good day.
Hi there, @Sqmm. Since you are getting conflicting info, I'll throw my hat into the ring as well. I also would advise against water propping. Sphagnum sounds great, maybe within an open container with slightly higher walls, so that more humidity gets trapped. The orchid looks more than salvageable to me, but dessert conditions might make it harder. The box will raise humidity around the leaf and help a great amount, but you will need to be watchful for rot. There might still be spores left, there is dried dead tissue and the orchid is weakened, so the root might try to take hold again further up the stem, which could be very bad. Even if it should, I would advise to use the hydrogen peroxide more sparingly next time. Depending on what you mean with your 3:1 solution (what concentration HP are you using as a starting point), soaking is a lot and might also damage outer tissue of the plant, weakening it even further even if you cannot see it.
For now, I would maybe just try to kep the healthy upper root damp. And place it on a bed of damp sphagnum. The tiny new leaf seems promising.
For now, I would maybe just try to kep the healthy upper root damp. And place it on a bed of damp sphagnum. The tiny new leaf seems promising.
@VirtuousRuby42 apart from the last sentence I can see was nothing adversarial about @smushface's advice. Because that is what it was: advice. She saw a very real issue with your plant and tried to help. When you answered in a way that showed you might not have seen what part she was referring to (not the roots, but the stem that to me as well looks like it might be in danger of rotting), she pointed out out. Though her tone in the last sentence might have been unnecessary, her mentioning her experience is very much not since it gives context as to her expertise (which you yourself also did before btw).
As for her answering your advice before: there simply are methods that are better backed by science than others and that are less dangerous than others. While rehabbing or keeping orchids in water can be done, it can be highly risky and doesn't even lead to rapid root growth as opposed to other methods. If I myself see somebody give advice like this without more context, I'll also try to point out the dangers of it (e.g. that removing the dried bits at the very least would be a must - otherwise you will have rotting mush 4 days later). We are all trying to help as best we can here. Which also means that if we see possibly harmful advice, we can speak up politely and try to help.
I hope Aly and I are wrong about the state of the base of your orchid's stem, though. The picture might just be deceiving us.
As for her answering your advice before: there simply are methods that are better backed by science than others and that are less dangerous than others. While rehabbing or keeping orchids in water can be done, it can be highly risky and doesn't even lead to rapid root growth as opposed to other methods. If I myself see somebody give advice like this without more context, I'll also try to point out the dangers of it (e.g. that removing the dried bits at the very least would be a must - otherwise you will have rotting mush 4 days later). We are all trying to help as best we can here. Which also means that if we see possibly harmful advice, we can speak up politely and try to help.
I hope Aly and I are wrong about the state of the base of your orchid's stem, though. The picture might just be deceiving us.