I should trim off all of these blackish roots right?..
Do I need to trim off all of these dark squishy roots except for the new little green ones sprouting? Will it survive that? 😭
The rest of the plant looks decent, though no flowers yet. I think I’ve had this for a year almost! The leaves aren’t as glossy and sturdy as they used to be though. I’m in the process of changing the potting medium to an orchid bark. #OrchidLovers #PhalaenopsisOrchid #MiniPhalaenopsisOrchid #help
The rest of the plant looks decent, though no flowers yet. I think I’ve had this for a year almost! The leaves aren’t as glossy and sturdy as they used to be though. I’m in the process of changing the potting medium to an orchid bark. #OrchidLovers #PhalaenopsisOrchid #MiniPhalaenopsisOrchid #help
8ft to light, indirect
3” pot without drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
9
Test the roots carefully by touching them. If they are mushy, cut them. But only the mushy part. And do not cut into the healthy part. The Orchid - of otherwise healthy - can survive a lot. Even the worst case scenario of being rootless, if, again, it is relatively healthy, and you know what you are doing. I would suggest you take a look at good YouTube tutorials, I have recently become a fan of missorchidgirl
The good news is it is already regrowing some roots. Be careful not to damage them (the very green ones on the stem) cut as much as needed, but leave what you can. Most phalaenopsis are quite hardy. But be prepared that the Orchid might go into shock afterwards, given that there are only a few roots left probably. That is okay. It can regenerate over time , but you might lose the bloom this year. It is not ideal to repot during our before bloom. But if the roots feel the way they look, it might have been the right call.
@MusicalRedmint thank you kind human!! I snipped off the worst ones, soaked in hydrogen peroxide and re potted it in a much better orchid bark, instead of this stupid sphagnum moss cork mix I was using. It was all fine until it wasn’t. This winter was so rough on all of my plants 😭
Hopefully this little guy recovers and will be much happier now. I might have to go buy some more and take care of the right from the get-go as redemption for my guilt. 😂
Hopefully this little guy recovers and will be much happier now. I might have to go buy some more and take care of the right from the get-go as redemption for my guilt. 😂
I am familiar with that feeling. And I've lost some orchids, but most of the time most phalaenopsis could be saved even from worse states as this.... and rescuing them and seeing them recover, and being creative in how to make it grow again is actually even more fun to me than just growing plants that are perfect. What can I say, I love a challenge. Fingers crossed for your little one, have fun shopping 😉
I had a similar rescue with a sphagnum moss CVS orchid - she did well with the move to bark. I heard limited watering can encourage root growth, so I am trying that myself after the large root trim (haven’t taken a peek to verify yet). I had previously thought orchids were delicate, but they are actually quite sturdy and willing to grow. Good luck to you!
@PoetCashew thanks! Good idea!! I’ll let it dry out a bit. Gotta love those grocery store orchid buys 😂
@Imissmydeaddog haha glad I’m not the only one too!! Hopefully it’s just in shock! What is your light source and what substrate are you using for it??