My orchids roots are shriveling
My orchids roots are shriveled and it's leaves are very wrinkled. Looks like probably root rot to me. However it's leaves are still green. Is there any saving it?:(
2
Best Answer
Those roots look a bit worse for wear but still viable to me. Shriveling doesn't necessarily mean rot but that they haven't seen enough water for a while. Shriveled roots can happen and should be addressed but are not a death sentence. Otherwise healthy phals can even survive rootless for a while. The bigger issue is the state of the leaves, which solidify my theory: shriveled and limp leaves like this are concerning. Your orchid is dehydrated. You seem to belong to the small group of people who really dehydrate their orchids - probably out of an abundance of caution. In your case that might have been even for the best, seeing the medium is in: it looks like it has never been repotted? Maybe it's even the suffocating plug left by the nursery? This is what I would address first. Repot in good orchid medium - store bought or your own mix of good sphagnum and bark. Try not to hurt the roots, I really think they are still okay to a degree. Only if there are papery or mushy roots, cut them.
The use the fresh medium to repot, preferably in a very well aerated orchid pot. Water regularly and thoroughly when the roots are dry: they look silver like in your picture in that state. They should green up. Then wait an until they are turning silver again. That's the perfect time to water again.
Maybe to help the orchid's recovery along at first, raise the humidity around it (without getting water on the leaves). The leaves are great at taking in water, but are very prone to in our homes. That means no humidity domes, closed boxes or missing, but rather e.g. placing it in a somewhat deeper transparent box so that the humidity in it is raised around the leaves without restricting airflow. The leaves should plump right up after a while (they show damage late and recover slowly), especially if I'm correct and the roots still work. And even if I'm wrong I this setup it should start growing new roots soon.
Btw: is best to add hashtags for better visibility with questions like this. Try adding #orchidlovers and/ or #phalaenopsisorchid to your original post, if you want the right people to be able to access it better.
Good luck
The use the fresh medium to repot, preferably in a very well aerated orchid pot. Water regularly and thoroughly when the roots are dry: they look silver like in your picture in that state. They should green up. Then wait an until they are turning silver again. That's the perfect time to water again.
Maybe to help the orchid's recovery along at first, raise the humidity around it (without getting water on the leaves). The leaves are great at taking in water, but are very prone to in our homes. That means no humidity domes, closed boxes or missing, but rather e.g. placing it in a somewhat deeper transparent box so that the humidity in it is raised around the leaves without restricting airflow. The leaves should plump right up after a while (they show damage late and recover slowly), especially if I'm correct and the roots still work. And even if I'm wrong I this setup it should start growing new roots soon.
Btw: is best to add hashtags for better visibility with questions like this. Try adding #orchidlovers and/ or #phalaenopsisorchid to your original post, if you want the right people to be able to access it better.
Good luck
Thank you so much!!
