help with roots

[jenny47]

I got this noid and some of its roots were broken and it didn't look in too great of shape. It has now been a couple months and all has been good (I though) until last week when the leaves started getting soft/withering looking and one turned yellow (I just removed it). I took it out of the bark today to look at the roots and they don't look good. I don't think it was drying out enough, so I think I was overwatering it I was watering once a week and I thought they looked like they needed it, but the bottom of this plant's pot was still wet after days :/ Here's a picture of the roots, I have dried them out as they were wet... what should I do? I'm hoping I haven't killed my first orchid. This is my first year with orchids, so obviously still learning... I will also add, this plant was in bloom when I got it and the two flowers are still doing good and it is growing something else at the tip above the highest flower.

Here's a picture of the roots right after I took the plant out of the bark - as you can see the roots are wet. They are dry now, but obviously don't look like healthy roots.


And here's a picture of one of the flowers...

[camille1585]

Color sometimes doesn't mean much, some perfectly healthy roots can be somewhat brownish from the tannins in the bark. How do the roots feel? Anything that is squishy and hollow is dead. Anything that is firm is good. You should start by removing all the dead roots, and depending on how many are left we'll take it from there. Sometimes there will be a segment of squishy root then a segment of healthy root. Those can be left on the plant especially if you're removing many other completely dead ones.

As for watering there are some easy ways to judge whether water is needed or not. One way it to put a wooden skewer in the pot. As long as it's wet or feels damp when you touch it to your cheek, don't water. If you are using clear pots, as easy way it to watch the root color. If they're green and you see moisture beads in the pot, the plant still has water available. Once all the roots turn silvery-white, you know it's time to water. I go by root color to water, and I have yet to overwater a phal. (and I'm also an underwaterer by nature!)

Nice blooms on the plant, I hope that the orchid will recover!

[jenny47]

thanks for the reply... I will start cutting off the roots that feel hollow and see where I am at after that. there are some that have substance and then are hollow, so I will definitely leave those because I'm afraid it won't have much in the way of roots when I'm done removing the hollow ones

I have a couple orchids that are in clear pots and those I do as you said, wait till the roots look silvery-white and then water and those are doing good. I have not been able to find clear pots at local stores, so maybe I will have to buy some online because I obviously do better with those. This orchid is in a green pot...I will probably go with the skewer idea and see how that goes for me until I decide if I will just buy clear pots online. thanks again...


ETA:
I cut off the hollow roots and to my surprise quite a few of the roots still have a little substance to them, so I am going to leave those. I haven't potted it again as I am drying out the bark since I don't want to put it back in when it was still wet. Is there more I should do before it goes back in the bark?

[FrankP999]

I rescued one earlier and I sprinkled the cut ends of leafs and roots with a small amount of cinnamon. That will help prevent rot.

Frank

[camille1585]

Be careful with cinnamon, only use it on the cut ends if you do and not on the rest of the roots. Cinnamon is a strong dessicant (ever put some on your tongue?) so will end up drawing water out of the roots, further dehydrating the plant. Another alternative is to spray listerine on the roots, straight from the bottle. It's antimicrobial, and does work on orchids.

[RosieC]

I agree, be carefull about using cinnamon on the roots, it's good used on leaves but dries out roots too much. Listerine is good on roots in my experiance.

Camille has given good advice, I will just add that it would be best to reduce the pot size if it's lost a lot of roots. You want a pot which will only just hold all the roots. Small pots help with drying, a large mass of the bark without any roots in it will dry very slowly and cause more problems.

I sometimes use upturned small food containers with holes punched in them. I put them inside the pot to reduce the volumn so that there is less bark inside. Sometimes I've cut down larger containers like old ice cream tubs to sheild off 1/2 or even 2/3 of the pot, so that the bark is only in the other 1/2 of 1/3.

[jenny47]

after I let the roots dry more, more of the roots that I thought had a little substance left to them, didn't really, so I have cut off a lot more of the roots. There are only a few roots left now - one that is longer and a couple really short ones. I thought about using some root stimulator to maybe help it grow new roots... I will repot it in a tiny pot. I think maybe that is where I went wrong. It looked very cramped in the pot it was in when I got it, so I repotted it in the next size up, but from the way the bark wasn't drying I think it was too much room and too much bark just sitting there. Thanks for all the input... Definitely a learning experience!

[RosieC]

With root stimulator be careful what you use. Most powder ones are too strong and will actually inhibit roots on orchids as a result.

KLN is often advised for orchids, and I think Superthrive is another one.

I've also found that watering with luke warm water (especailly in the code weather) is helpful for getting new roots, and others here have advised a seedling heat pad under the plant as a way of prompting roots.

[jenny47]

I've got superthrive, so I'll use that. I've repotted it now in a tiny pot, so my fingers are crossed...

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by jenny47

I've got superthrive, so I'll use that. I've repotted it now in a tiny pot, so my fingers are crossed...

Try to keep it somewhat warm as well, and as Rosie suggested, watering with lukewarm water helps a bit with root growth.