Cymbidium root rot!

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by Jjspm

Ok, so what should I do now, remove the orchid and wash with water? How do you make fish emulsion?

I buy fish emulsion and seaweed extract from Rona and Canadian Tire. Mind you not every store has it, so it's a foot trip or a phone call in order.

You can also order these from Veseys
Veseys

I prefer seaweed to fish emulsion as it's much less smelly.

K-L-N is available from Bustan in Toronto
Bustan - Toronto Hydroponics Grow Lights Nutrients Hydroponic Supplies Canada

And Paramount
SUPPLIES

But, of course, shipping prices are always dissapointing.

Good luck!
Lilia

[WhiteRabbit]

I don't think a dilute bleach solution should harm anything

I do agree about not using ground/powdered cinnamon on healthy roots.

Cyms are tough buggers - (your photo link didn't work for me, so can't comment on yours specifically) - but if there are any roots at all, you probably don't need to worry, and even NO roots would not necessarily be a catastrophe. As James said, new roots will come in time on the new growth.

[Jjspm]

Thank you everybody, if the loss of roots isn't a huge deal, then would it be possible to get my cymbidium to bloom soon? Because I bought it out of bloom. The lady at the store said it had been out of bloom for a few months, and I heard cymbidiums are very free flowering. How would I go about promoting a spike if its even possible at this point?

[WhiteRabbit]

Most Cyms spike in fall to bloom in winter or spring. There are some that may spike other times. The loss of roots isn't a huge deal in that the plant will most likely survive and recover, but may delay blooming.

[james mickelso]

Cyms are two year plants. That means a pbulb starts growing and usually takes a year to grow to completion and then put on lots of starches and sugars to enable it to sustain a spike and blooms. This takes another year. So a pbulb starts growing in the spring, grows till the next winter putting on fat, grows through the next summer spiking in the fall to bloom in winter or early spring.

[Jjspm]

So it could or couldn't start blooming, it just depends on what variety it is? Are there any culture requirements different than normal that could encourage spike formation if it was going to happen?

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Jjspm

So it could or couldn't start blooming, it just depends on what variety it is? Are there any culture requirements different than normal that could encourage spike formation if it was going to happen?

"Warmth tolerant" types will bloom when they are at the proper stage, if they have had proper culture. Good light, fertilized. If roots are poor, it might need time to recover and grow roots before blooming again.

True cool growers are more likely to be seasonal, spiking in autumn after receiving a period of several weeks of cool night temps.

If this were my plant, I would just try to grow it well - lots of light, regular fert and water during spring and summer especially - and it should spike when it's ready / able

[Jjspm]

Ok thanks

[Cym Ladye]

OMG - you have gotten more advice than fleas on a dog! Some of it is well meaning but some of it questionable.

First of all, never use Clorox of any dilution on an orchid! Use it to sterilize pots and potting tools. Cinnamon is in fact a dessicant and is fine for your purpose, but so is just letting the roots air outside the pot for a couple of days. I cannot see the photo, so I do not know how many bulbs you are dealing with here or how large the plant is.

Since I came into this discussion late, I can only suggest you might consider sending me an email address where I can send you the Repotting Procedure my club uses here in California for our Annual Hands on Potting Workshop. I have sent it to many members of this Forum and they have all found it very helpful.

Until then, keep your plant on the dry side and hope for the best. Start fertilizing lightly in the spring when the weather starts to warm up. I doubt it will bloom this year as it has been going downhill with no roots for a while and the plant will have to build up strength in the most mature bulbs before they are strong enough to send out a spike.

Good Luck,

Cym Ladye

[Orchidreamer]

Hydrogen peroxide should be available at any convenience or grocery store. It can help clean up the bad stuff; just let it fizzle and do its job.

As said above, never sprinkle and coat the entire root with cinnamon. I've dabbed the cut ends of roots with cinnamon and found no detrimental side effects.

Also wanted to add--cymbidiums are truly tough plants. You can even cut off a rootless backbulb (do not actually do this to your plant, because it needs all its bulbs to provide fuel for new growth)--and the bulb can grow into a nice new plant. I see your plant has multiple bulbs, meaning it is much stronger than one single back bulb, so it should be fine!