Noob needs help. Help me revive my baby plant

[orchid_infant]

Hi everyone!!

I am Ron from India. I am new here and an absolute beginner in growing orchids. I need some help identifying this orchid species and reviving it to full health.

Picture attached

I got this as a gift from someone around 3 years back. It came in a pot (with lots of holes) and filled with blocks of charcoal. He said that it was an orchid and all we had to do is water it once in a while.

After that we pretty much forgot about this plant. It remained in a corner of our roof garden, without any protection and the only watering it got was from the monsoon rains

Few days back when I was cleaning the garden, I saw this plant again. It was still green and about the same size it was when we got it.

After some googling I found out that it was actually an orchid species and the foliage somewhat resembled the species Rhyncostylists retusa which is quite common in the wild where I live. Another species that's seen here is Aerides odoratum.


So someone please help me ID the plant and throw in some inputs about how to grow it. I have started watering the plant and put it in a place of partial shade as it looked severely dehydrated.

[WhiteRabbit]

Without blooms, it's not possible to give a specific i.d., tho, some other members will likely be able to give you some general care advice.

[orchid_infant]

Thanks for the reply..do I need to change the potting? Its presently only charcoal blocks

[WhiteRabbit]

If it's been growing well potted this way, I'd stick with it.

[Optimist]

are you getting any new growth? Since orchid leaves act as photosynthasis factories as well as storage areas for the sugars that photosynthasis creates, new leaves that are cared for with a little more water may be all you need. It is usually not possible to puff up leaves that have been neglected like this. The plant has been feedlng from its store of food and little is left.

Sphag and bag is an option.

[Wathepleela]

I grow my rhys in slat baskets . When I bought them, they had moldy icky styrofoam for potting but I guess more to stabilize the plants than doing anything else. I replaced the foam with coco husks. When I saw the new baby roots struggling to make their way through the potting, I emptied out the basket and secured the plants with wire into the basket. So now it’s only plants, baskets and wire. NO potting.

I dunk them in water ( mixed with liquid fertilizer) basin one or twice a day, often overnight too. Then the roots start proliferating and it’s fun to see them crawling through the slats like snakes. Take extra care with the whitish tip of the roots, it’s their “eye” so to speak.


Your plant has managed on its own for years, that speaks to the resiliency of the plant and also the climate where you live. It can do better and will thrive given some care. First thing is to put it in a large slat basket and secure it with stake, wire, whatever. Then get a big bucket, some mild fertilizer and you go from there. The leaves look like they can plum back up so give them the overnight bath at the beginning.

I’m still a newbie myself, all my orchids have no ids, and really that doesn’t matter much to me.. If you’re sure that your plant is a rhys then try my method and I think it will prosper and you’ll have fun in the process. (Whether my method will encourage my rhys to produce any spike this year that’s another story.) It’s a lucky happenstance that you (and I) already live IN a greenhouse. Other growers have to build their own. When monsoon season come, we plant owners can go take a vacation in the Alps...
Wishing you the best of luck.

ps - and oh, no direct sun.

[orchid_infant]

First signs of growth!!

It seems the roots are starting to grow, today I could see reddish brown colored tips breaking out from different parts of the old root!!!!

Thanks for all the replies

@ Wathepleela

I'll try to follow your method as both of us live in a similar climate zone. And we do live in a Green house, the humidity never drops below 60% (any time of the year)

BTW, how old are those plants, they look so healthy

I am not sure if mine are R. retusa, now that I have read a bit about these plants, I think its leaves look more like an Aerides species.

[Wathepleela]

My bet is that you’ll also get some baby leaves soon… as I said, watch out for those root tips, don’t let them butthead with anything, that’ll spare you good amount of heartache later on. On closer look I think you’re right: maybe yours – stem a bit stout and leaves not eagle-spreading out - is not a rhys so I don’t know whether you should grow them medium-less like I do mine. Try this, look into the charcoal medium and see if any baby roots are struggling (you’ll know what I mean when you see them “struggle”). If they are then it’s a good sign that they don’t want to be potted.

Btw, I bought most of my rhys when they were in bloom, with several old spikes still sticking out, so I know they’ve been through a blooming season or two. My assumption is that yours hasn’t bloomed yet, so maybe there’s still some years to go before maturity. In the meantime, you can always get something blooming to get your mind off the waiting.

[orchid_infant]

recently, I saw my potting media (charcoal) is infested with Pill Bugs, any idea how to control / eradicate them

[orchid_infant]

Finally its in bud !! After an year of intensive care

Species id: Aerides odorata

Update: I am officially hooked to this crazy hobby! Proud owner of a number of plants from different genera and hybrids