What to do if an orchid has rotted roots
Orchid is a delicate plant that requires proper care. If the roots of an orchid have rotted, you have to reanimate the flower in stages.
Orchid has rotted roots
Causes
The problem of root decay arises in winter, when the flower is in a poorly lit place. In a transparent container, it is possible to track how the roots change color, darken, and then rot.
The following conditions also affect the process of root decay:
- If the roots wither, dry out and turn black, the orchid suffers from drought.
- The roots die because the plant is flooded.
- An orchid at home disappears due to insufficient lighting, an excess or shortage of fertilizers, damage by pests and diseases.
- Too dense substrate is another common reason why orchid roots rot.
- Mechanical damage to the roots during reproduction or transplantation.
Defining the problem
It is possible to save an orchid with rotten roots at home if you catch yourself in time. A number of symptoms indicate the problem:
- aerial roots turn black, look soggy or dry;
- leaves wilted, became soft and less elastic, do not recover even after watering;
- the fact that the roots of an orchid are rotting is evidenced by a green bloom on the walls of the pot (traces of sporulation or algae);
- the release of a large amount of liquid when pressing the roots;
- a flower whose underground and aerial roots have rotted will dangle in the pot from side to side;
- blooming orchids have darkened, wilted or fallen buds;
- leaves dry or become lethargic, dark.
If any of the signs is found, the flower is removed from the pot and the root system is carefully examined. The roots, which have completely rotted away, are removed, after which the plant is resuscitated.
How to distinguish living roots from rotten ones
Living roots from those that have already begun to rot are distinguished by the following features:
- Living roots, despite their color, always have a dense and firm structure when pressed.
- The decayed root system is brown, sometimes it turns black.
- When pressed in places of decay, the roots are hollow and slimy. The top cover of such roots is always easily removed, they look like bare threads.
Recovering Partially Damaged Instances
If the roots of an orchid have only rotted, they grow on their own. To carry out the manipulation, a sterile cutting object is prepared: shears or scissors. First, remove the roots that rot or are already completely blackened. The roots, which have just begun to rot, are removed to a healthy green part, then sprinkled with charcoal. Also, the cut site is treated with cinnamon, sulfur or any good antiseptic that does not contain alcohol. The same is done with the roots that have been preserved.
Then the treated plant is planted in a new container with a diameter of 6-7 cm. It should contain a nutrient mixture.
Further, the orchid is given proper care to help it recover faster:
- provide 12-hour diffused lighting;
- set the temperature regime within 20-25 ° C;
- keep high humidity - 70-80%.
The usual watering of the substrate is replaced by irrigation. A container with a flower is placed on a pallet with damp pebbles or expanded clay to provide moisture from below.
A month later, under such conditions, the plant releases young roots.
Ways to restore a flower without roots
Restoring the flower
If all the roots of an orchid have rotted, the plant can be restored, although it is much easier to save an orchid with rotten roots than a completely rootless one.
The choice of recovery method depends on:
- the state of a flower that has begun to rot;
- the number and condition of leaves (they can be rotten, lethargic, contain black spots and fall off en masse);
- the number of formed root primordia at the base of the leaf rosette.
The rosette that dies has sluggish, drooping leaves, does not bloom for a long time, and withers and turns black over time. Resuscitation requires a high-quality and nutritious substrate with a good structure. Chopped sphagnum moss is suitable for this purpose.
In the process of growing, watering the plants is minimized, it is produced only if the earthen coma has completely dried out. With excessive watering, the roots that remain will rot again. The flower is watered in the morning, and only with warm, settled water.
Greenhouse method
In the presence of a window greenhouse with high air humidity and a consistently high temperature regime, it is realistic to reanimate even a specimen whose roots have completely rotted.
The plant is treated in a special container. 2-3 cm of expanded clay are poured at the bottom of the container. Moistened and crushed sphagnum moss is placed on top of expanded clay.
From above, the moss is thoroughly irrigated from a spray bottle, then a leaf rosette without roots is placed in this environment. The plant is kept under such conditions until it releases roots 4-5 cm long.
Germination conditions
In order for resuscitation to be successful, the plant is provided with optimal conditions for keeping:
- temperature regime within 22-28 ° С;
- almost 100% air humidity through frequent irrigation;
- bright, diffused 12-hour lighting.
To stimulate and accelerate the process of rooting in an orchid, the greenhouse is ventilated daily at night.
In the process of resuscitation, the leaf outlet is regularly inspected for the appearance of rot.
Subject to all the rules, the result will not be long in coming: after 2 weeks the plant will release the first roots.
Without the use of a greenhouse
If the roots of an orchid have rotted, it is possible to save it in normal indoor conditions. The main thing is to provide the plant with a stable temperature regime within the range of 20-27 ° С. It also requires diffused daylight for 12 hours.
The treated outlet is placed in a transparent glass or plastic container. The socket is attached to the container so that only the root part is immersed in the water. The vessel is filled with boiled or distilled water. Water is poured to the level of the root collar.
To prevent the process of decay of the root zone, 1 tablet of activated carbon is placed in the water. After 10 hours, the socket is removed, dried and left in this state until the next morning. Then the flower is planted in a well-moistened sphagnum moss, the root part is daily irrigated with water from a spray bottle.
If the roots of an orchid rot, it is revived in a more efficient and faster way: sugar syrup or honey (1 tsp) is added to 1 liter of water. The root zone is dipped in a nutrient solution for a day. Then they are removed, dried and planted in crushed sphagnum moss. Such a flower is moistened daily from a spray bottle.
Outlet maintenance
At all stages of resuscitation, the plant requires careful care. The process will be successful provided:
- regular application of a weakly concentrated complex feeding;
- Fertilizing with iron to help the plant recover faster
- pouring once a month a root formation stimulant - Epin, Heteroauxin or Kornevin.
The orchid is removed to a warm place with bright diffused lighting.
Terms of resuscitation
Rotting of the underground part of the flower can begin at any time of the year. Plants recover especially well in the spring-summer period, during the active growing season.
In order to save an orchid with rotting roots in winter, it is important to provide optimal germination conditions for the roots that remain.
Conclusion
Reanimate a plant with rotten roots at home is real. The main thing is to notice the problem in time and provide the flower with comfortable conditions for recovery.