Cattleyas with NO ROOTS.... help.

[Singingirl96]

I take full blame on this. I tried to use slow release pellets orchid fertilizer, and I think I might have used too much and burned all the roots. These plants were strong and thriving. In fact they bloomed this year before this happened.

Is there a way to save these guys or are they beyond repair. I've been sphag n' baggin' the hell out of them, and it doesn't seem to be helping. I also soak them for hours once a week for the last 3 weeks.

One of them seems to be responding with 3 measly roots.

Any suggestions.

[dounoharm]

pot em up....pack them in tight with large bark....dont water them for a week then water them about every 5 days depending on you humidity....if you can keep the humidity up they have a better chance of survival...place a plastic bag over the pots will help...do not seal the bag, just place it over the top of the plant...gl....

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Singingirl96

I take full blame on this. I tried to use slow release pellets orchid fertilizer, and I think I might have used too much and burned all the roots. These plants were strong and thriving. In fact they bloomed this year before this happened.

Is there a way to save these guys or are they beyond repair. I've been sphag n' baggin' the hell out of them, and it doesn't seem to be helping. I also soak them for hours once a week for the last 3 weeks.

One of them seems to be responding with 3 measly roots.

Any suggestions.

Your first plant reminds of how my favorite Cattleya looked about 3 1/2 years ago. I didn't realize how sick it was until I removed it from it's pot. She still had leaves but her bulbs were all wrinkled. Every root had dried up, so I snipped them all away to the rhizome. Then I replanted the poor thing into a terracotta orchid pot using a mixture of fresh well soaked bark, pearlite, charcoal, and a little spagnum moss. I wired the rhizome into the pot to prevent it from toppling out and gave the whole pot a good 15 minute soak about every 5 days. Within a few weeks new pseudobulbs began to emerge and I began to lightly fertilize after the roots began appearing.

My cattleya's recovery was truly amazing. This particular plant had never bloomed but it doubled in size and produced 17 blooms by the following spring. She is now one of my most vigorous growing chids and has since been bumped from an 8" to a 13" to a 15" pot.

I think a lot of my success was due to perfect timing. I live in Florida and the rescue repot took place in April. It was Spring, the weather was warm, and it was the natural time of year for plants to put forth new growth.

This is the perfect time of year to repot, therefore, I think all of your plants have the potential to make a full recovery.

Wishing you the very best of luck.

This is what my baby looks like now. She blessed me with 34 blooms this year.

[Singingirl96]

holy $hit! That's a beautiful plant.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Singingirl96

holy $hit! That's a beautiful plant.

Thank you.

I think yours will do really well too.

[Singingirl96]

I sure hope so.

[wgama]

I bought a couple catts at the orchid show this year that had no roots (I know it sounds crazy but they were really cheap), I also bought some KLN rooting hormone becasue I heard it works pretty good...It did I soaked them at the reccomended streangth for about 18 hours and potted them up and after about 2 weeks they both sprouted about twenty roots and they are now healthy. If you can get your hands on some DYNA GRO KLN rooting concentrate (the liquid stuff) it is definatly worht the money. Either way I hope your chids make it!

[Singingirl96]

Ok, so this is what I did. I let them soak overnight. I used a powdered rooting hormone and sprinkled on the base of the plant. I potted them in chuncky bark mix (perlite, charcoal) that I also let soak overnight and put the pots on a tray with very wet sphagnum moss to increase the humidity... that will also tell me when I need to add more water to the tray. I had to put a piece of wood across the pot to hold the plant in place. It kept coming out of the pot because it has no roots... I covered the whole thing in plastic and added some holes for ventilation. I have them close to the window but not too close. I think this is all I can do... I guess we'll find out in time.
I'll keep you posted on what happens!
Thanks everyone.

[Orchid126]

That new root looks promising. It sounds like you did the right thing. It depends on the rooting hormone you used. The powdered variety they sell like Rootone does not work well for orchids. Try to get the Dyna-Gro KLN, or Superthrive, or Shultz's B1. All these products work for orchids, as will liquid seaweed and molasses.

It will also depend on how much light the orchid gets. You can't keep it in the dark and expect it to thrive. Even without roots it still needs light. Give the plants plenty of light,increasing gradually, but be sure to vent the plastic tent so that they won't cook.

Years ago I had bulb mites eating away at all the roots and part of the rhyzomes on all of my plants. After my problem was diagnosed and I used the proper miticide, the plants were all falling over because they had no roots. I held the rhyzomes in place with hairpins and shiskabob sticks. But I put the plants in good light. They all came back and eventually bloomed.

Also bear in mind that since the plants have no roots they can't take up fertilizer. Misting the plants often will help. Junebug's advice is spot-on.

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