thin roots and has not rebloomed

[jennanotar]

My orchid's roots are shriveled greenish grey and there are only 2 leaves. The orchid mulch does not cover the top of the roots because when I had the soil cover to the top of the pot I thought it was suffocating the plant, but maybe I was using the wrong mulch.

I've had this orchid since 2012 approx and it has never bloomed after it first went dormant, it just stays in this terrible state of 2 leaves and thin roots. Please help me revive it? (pics attached)

Thank you!!!

[rbarata]

The problem of your plant is that it is dehydrated.
You should get a smaller pot (at least half of that one) fill it with bark (that size is ok) and water it. I don't know your temps and humidity values but once/week might be ok.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I agree, much smaller pot, one which just fits all of the roots. You can use the very coarse bark you have in the lower 2/3 of the pot, I would want to place somewhat smaller bark in the top 1/3, to just below the base of the plant (maybe an inch or less of visible roots).

Try watering a couple times a week. You can water more or less depending on what you think the plant needs.

If you can, if you have a forecast of 50 degrees or warmer with a prolonged rain, leave your plant out in that rain. Long rain does wonders for re-hydrating a plant because the plant is receiving fresh water over a very long time.

[jennanotar]

Okay, thank you. Could you tell me the name of a bark brand/type you recommend? Many thanks!

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by jennanotar

Okay, thank you. Could you tell me the name of a bark brand/type you recommend? Many thanks!

Go to any Lowes store, look for Better Gro brand orchid bark. I don't use their "Special Orchid Mix", or anyone else's mix, preferring either just the straight bark, or blending in my own additions.

You can buy more expensive bark (IMO anything from Repotme is wildly over-priced), but this bark functions well, and stays in good condition for 3 years or more.

[jennanotar]

Hi Neil - OKay, sounds good. I'll try this. thank you!

[camille1585]

If you keep it in a transparent pot you can go by root color to know when to water. When the roots are damp or wet they are green colored, but turn silvery when dry. As long as they are green there is no need to water, and once silver you can water.

To help the plant rehydrate it would be good to soak the pot for 15-30min each time. It will help the new bark to open up and hold some water, and the roots will get properly hydrated. Don't worry about letting it soak longer, you can forget a soaking plant overnight or even a whole day and it won't harm them (though not recommended!)

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by jennanotar

Hi Neil - OKay, sounds good. I'll try this. thank you!

psst - I'm not Neil! I just quoted him. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an amazing science communicator and astrophysicist. Worth looking up.

[Dollythehun]

I second the above information. However, be sure to rinse your bark throughly to remove dust and fines. You can even soak it overnight.
Btw, OW...repotme.com does it better than what we can get around here.

[jennanotar]

ah yes. i think i remember reading a bit about him, but i skipped the quote and the name did not register. thanks!

---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------

Great, thank you!

---------- Post added at 10:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:07 PM ----------

Good to know, thank you for the tips!