Rootless Brassavola Nodosa - Orchid Board

Franco24 · #1 12-29-2011, 03:46 PM

Hey everyone! I haven't been posting here on the OB that often, but my orchid collection has been rapidly growing (ask Rolando!

). I'm rapidly approaching the big 100!!

But, nothing is more disheartening when one goes to repot a newly acquired orchid than it is to find a rotted mess lying within the pot.

I've had this little Brassavola nodosa 'Pat's' x self for about 2 weeks. I've been tied up with schoolwork before winter break and applying to colleges ... so the little guy was just placed on the shelf. I've watered it maybe ONCE in the time I've had it ... and something didn't seem right. It had two new growth shoots the day I had received it though they haven't moved an inch. And one leaf had yellowed and fell off.

I decided to lift it out of it's pot to find a mess of rotted roots with decomposed bark (almost looked like regular ol' potting soil). There are very few somewhat viable roots left on either of the two individual plants that were in the pot. I've let the guy dry out and potted it up with fresh medium ...

My question now is: Is it just a waiting game at this point? Anything else I should do?

I was so frustrated I almost tossed it and ordered a new plant from a more reliable eBay seller. Figured I'd give it a few weeks and ask your guys' opinions before I went that route.

---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:15 PM ----------

Cavs n' Orchids · #2 12-29-2011, 04:10 PM

They look like they should bounce back. I would try putting one in a teeny pot with sphag and treat it with KLN or Superthrive every time it dries out, and as an experiment, try putting the other one in "Water Culture". I saw a post on here over a year ago about someone who grows some of their orchids with their roots and growing points submerged in water, and swears by it for bringing rootless orchids back from the dead. I admit I was skeptical, but this fall found myself with a rootless, declining C. violacea that wouldnt respond to sphag and bag, so I thought, what the heck, I have nothing to lose, and put in it a glass with water and submerged all the dormant eyes. 4 days later, two of the eyes burst open and started growing! Its fun to try new and sometimes unusual experiments with growing! Good luck!!

silken · #3 12-29-2011, 04:14 PM

That's a shame when that happens. If you have some K-L-N rooting hormone, I would have soaked it in that for a while. You could still get some and use it when watering. The other thing I find really starts new roots is a seedling heat mat. If you don't have that you could maybe set it on top of a TV that gets warm or the fridge or something like that. The plants looks nice and green and plump so they may have enough reserves to survive until they grow more roots.

Franco24 · #4 12-29-2011, 04:22 PM

Thanks for the quick replies and tips! I was thinking about potting in a smaller pot with sphag or even water culture, but from what I understood brassavolas like to dry out (?) ... and I wasn't sure how it'd respond to constant moisture.

The plants are still slightly moist; had fertilized everything with Gro-More 20-20-20 last week (prior to noticing what was going on with this little guy). What do you guys think about leaving it be for a week or two and letting dry out and see if anything changes? If to no avail, I might just toss one in a glass of water and cross my fingers. I'm a bit uneasy to do it so suddenly especially since it was just cleaned off from a mushy rotten mess.

Cavs n' Orchids · #5 12-29-2011, 05:25 PM

My B. nodosa likes to be super dry, almost like a succulent, but with water culture there is something about it being submerged that makes it want to grow fast, and prevents it from rotting. My cattleya still had dead rotten roots on it and I just tossed it right in and havent had any rot yet! If you dont do water culture though, I would let it go quite dry to entice it to grow new roots, and definitely use KLN! Maybe a light misting now and then to keep humidity up so it doesnt get too stressed. And you may want to under pot it so it dries faster. Mine loves being root bound.

Daethen · #6 12-29-2011, 05:32 PM

Just give it some time. You have a couple of new growths there and they will start producing new roots soon. That's what mine has done. I had a small one that had few roots and I mounted it. It dries out pretty well before it gets watered and now after a few months it has about 6 new fat green roots.

Bud · #7 12-29-2011, 05:57 PM

You need not worry. I see that there are new growths and the roots are not that messed up. That size pot is fine because in my experience with that plant...once they start to grow roots and leaves it will try to get out of that pot...let them dry a bit and then water...its winter so a once a week watering is fine with twice a month fertilizer...but in the summer every other day watering regimen can be fine and fertilizing it weakly weekly

* on the picture: note the roots and the new growths and compare it to your picture...so I think you dont have a problem at all...just research on the culture and find a watering regimen

got ants · #8 12-30-2011, 01:05 AM

My B. nodosas are esy growers. It is one of those orchids he for me, I cannot give them too much love. Ideally they would be watered every day. The trick, mount them. I have some on tree fern totems, and others on wood mounts (teak/cypress/ buttonwood)

I had one in a pot, and she perished in a blink of the eye. I think the medium didn't dry out fast enough.

FairyInTheFlowers · #9 01-03-2012, 11:36 AM

I think they are fine, you should start seeing new roots pretty soon, as they root before the lead is fully mature.

Oscarman · #10 01-03-2012, 11:40 AM

Looks like not too much live roots there. I'd throw it in a plastic bag with a small amount of damp NZ moss and close if loosely. Mist with KLN solution as needed to maintain dampness. Keep it warm and under medium bright light until it pushes new roots. Your plant looks really healthy - it will be back on top in no time!

BUD - your greenhouse growing space looks fantastic!