Are these roots beyond hope? - Orchid Board

OrchidJoe · #1 10-14-2012, 11:14 PM

Hi everyone, very new to orchids still and have been learning lots reading these boards. I made the classic mistake of overwatering the first few weeks I had my orchids but am hoping to remedy them. One of my phals has a couple of roots that appear to be shriveled and hard and blackish but on the other side they look ok I think? Are the roots on it salvageable? I also just rescued a Cymbidium? from walmart and the roots on it look horrible. There is a green nub on the bottom that I'm trying to decide if it's a new root which would give me hope for the plant or is it a new spike? Thanks for the help everyone!

silken · #2 10-14-2012, 11:26 PM

Welcome. The Phal roots on top look a bit dry. You could mist those ones to keep them a bit hydrated without adding extra moisture to the centre of the pot. I can't tell how large of pot it is in, but it should only be large enough for the roots to fit. This helps the pot dry out faster and prevent root rot.

The 3rd photo is not a Cymbidium. It looks like a cattleya with a small root starting on the newest growth. Are all of the other roots hollow or mushy? If so, they are dead so you can cut them away. Anything firm will likely be alive. Most of them don't look too good tho. I would soak it in some KLN solution (rooting hormone) or some seaweed (kelp) solution which will encourage root growth. Then secure it in a small pot of well soaked bark chunks. Roots grow much better when the plant is secure and not moving around. You may want to mist the leaves and that little root till it grows more. Make sure no water stands in crowns or crevices of the leaves as rot could happen. Let it pretty much dry out between watering. When watering I would continue to use the seaweed or KLN until some good roots develop. Placing it on a heat mat would help stimulate root growth also. Good luck!

OrchidJoe · #3 10-14-2012, 11:36 PM

Silken- Thanks for the tips! Yes all the other roots are hollow and dead looking. I'm going to try and find some KLN tomorrow to help save it. As for the phal I will mist it and see if that will bring them back. I was hesitant to do that after reading so much about overwatering that I thought I would wait for assistance since I wasn't sure.

silken · #4 10-14-2012, 11:45 PM

If you can't find KLN, go for some kelp as I can't believe the results I am seeing in roots since I have been using it. Especially on cattleyas. I soak them in it before re-potting and then for ailing ones, I soak the pot each time I water them. Make sure it dries out well tho as that will make the new root go searching for water. And root rot likely kills more orchids than anything else.

For the Phal, you want to let it get nearly dry but not quite as dry as the other one. The reason I suggest misting the top roots is so that those roots can help support the plant until it gets re-established. You can also mist the leaves if there aren't enough roots to take moisture. Just make sure water never sits in the crown of the leaves or crown rot can develop. I normally don't mist my orchids, but they need to get moisture from somewhere so if there are no roots, you don't have much choice. Try and have some gentle moving air too so that the leaves aren't wet for a long time.

I like to use bamboo kebab skewers in my pots to help determine how dry they are. I place them fairly deep and near the centre of the pot and leave them there. before watering pull it out and see how wet or dry it is. This will tell you if it is time to water or not. Replace it in the same spot since you don't want to be stabbing roots each time you replace it.

OrchidJoe · #5 10-15-2012, 12:22 AM

I had been using tap water but just recently got the zerowater water filtration pitcher and started using that. Could that make a difference as well?

silken · #6 10-15-2012, 12:33 AM

I don't know anything about that filtration system. It depends on the minerals and what the pH of your tap water is like. I find Phals and even Catts are not too picky about that although proper pH (around 6.5 or 7) and nutrients likely enhances growth. Never use softened water where softening salt is used. I wouldn't use much fertilizer right now either as the plants need roots to take it up and with few roots it may just build up in the media and burn the roots.

Brenda Aarts · #7 10-15-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silken

If you can't find KLN, go for some kelp as I can't believe the results I am seeing in roots since I have been using it. Especially on cattleyas. .

Silken where do you get kelp? Could you explain the process a bit? Thanks.

tucker85 · #8 10-15-2012, 11:40 AM

Silken has given you a lot of good advice here. I like to mist new roots also, for several reasons. It encourages the roots to keep growing because they detect the moisture. It keeps the orchid hydrated because the new roots are healthy and efficiently move water to the plant. And it gives the media a chance to dry out without dehydrating the orchid. That prevents fungus developing in the media.

RosieC · #9 10-15-2012, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tucker85

It encourages the roots to keep growing because they detect the moisture.

I always used to assume this, but I had a conversation with someone (probably either Gin or WhiteRabbit) a while back and she said she had found the opposite. I've experimented a bit with some of mine and found the same as her. She found this with keiki roots on a Dendrobium they stopped growing when they FOUND water, so misting tended to stop them. If they were dry they kept growing in search of water. I experimented with two Den kingianum keikis and seemed to find the same thing. Not a scientific test, but I'm undecided at the moment about whether misting new roots keeps them growing. I dp mist new roots on the surface or in the air, but only occasionally if they look like they are really dry.

RosieC · #10 10-15-2012, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrchidJoe

Hi everyone, very new to orchids still and have been learning lots reading these boards. I made the classic mistake of overwatering the first few weeks I had my orchids but am hoping to remedy them. One of my phals has a couple of roots that appear to be shriveled and hard and blackish but on the other side they look ok I think? Are the roots on it salvageable? I also just rescued a Cymbidium? from walmart and the roots on it look horrible. There is a green nub on the bottom that I'm trying to decide if it's a new root which would give me hope for the plant or is it a new spike? Thanks for the help everyone!

To be honest the roots on your phal don't look like they would recover to me. HOWEVER misting/watering them could still be giving the plant moisture at this point and hopefully that will be enough to keep it alive until new roots grow.

It looks like a new root in the third picture and I agree with the advice above.