Cymbidium root rot

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Discus

No, I've never used it - I imagine it's pretty horrendous. I hate it when I get aquatic plants that have been grown in it - cue glass splinters in your fingers trying to get the roots out and then into your aquarium...!

I believe it is pretty hard to re-wet if you let it dry out.

Are you removing it for an aesthetic reason? Because if not, I couldn't see rock wool causing much an issue in such circumstances

My only experience with it, is using it for a rooting plug, but i was never much issue to rewet. In fact, it was always more of a concern that it would get too wet

[Discus]

Generally, people suggest you remove aquatic plants from their tiny nursery pots and then put them direct in your aquarium substrate (mine is Seachem Flourite). Seachem. Flourite

These are fully submersed aquatic plants, so they're quite different to orchids.

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Discus

Generally, people suggest you remove aquatic plants from their tiny nursery pots and then put them direct in your aquarium substrate (mine is Seachem Flourite). Seachem. Flourite

These are fully submersed aquatic plants, so they're quite different to orchids.

fully understandable. It's just the only real issue with rockwool, that I have ever heard of, was that it can stay too wet. Which doesn't really strike me as an issue in an aquarium.

[arando]

thank you very very much for the help - the stuff just looked to me like cotton wool, maybe it is rockwool, but it does stay wet and muschi for a long time, do you think i should repot the other orchids which has the same material in the growing season?

[Discus]

arando - that depends on your orchids and growing conditions

I'd personally be pretty wary of something that stays very wet for a long time.

[arando]

hi Discus i only have a cymbidium dorothy stockstill forgotten fruit and a cymbidium ensifolium in the same wooly material, and i stay in bronkhorstspruit. i just have to say the dorothy stockstill (also in the woolly material) is growing like mad, since i bought it end last year its really made alot of new shoots and really looks healthy, but no blooms yet. i also keep them outside in about 50 - 55% sun , and will keep them indoors for the winter

[rodrigo]

I've found over the years that the only way to cure a plant with black rot (specifically Phytophthora fungi infestation has been my torture ) is to remove all substrate, remove all contaminated parts, remove all roots (even if they look healthy), soak in a heavy fungicide solution for 4-6 hours, and plant in NEW sterile substrate.

I know these are drastic measures, sometimes I just end up with a couple of good bulbs... and the original plant is gone.
The other option is just to throw the plant away.

But if you do this right, eventually new shoots with new roots will eventually grow again and the plant will have a new chance to live and recover.... and bloom again in a couple of years.

Keep the recovering plant away from your other cyms. as much as possible.

Black root rot is a nasty and contagious disease, and can spread to other plants easily.

I learned all this the hard way



Rodrigo

[orchids3]

Interesting thread. Have been away from home a lot and missed it till now. First is a comment about Rock wool (which looks a lot like cotton). There are two types 1. Water retaining 2. Water repelling. People who use it (I dont) sometimes mix it to get the water retaining properties they want.

I check my cymbidiums daily to see that leaves are remaining healthy. Many dead or browing roots on a plant are a sure indicator of root problems. If plants are loose in the pot that is a second indicator of bad potting media and dead roots.

The remedies that have been suggested in this thread all seem ok to me. It best to check plants often and detect problems before they get bad - rather than wait till a lot of 'Doctoring' is required.
I usually check all my plants daily and keep dead or browing leaves removed. The plants seem to do best and have the least root problems with a pH of 7 or close. Lower pH often indicates rotten potting media. By the way the stalite gravel I pot in here in wet Florida - does not rot.