Vanilla orchid is not Doing well please help for advice

[sandra_meissnest]

Hi guys I'm new to this forum I got myself a vanilla orchid a few months ago its been growing nice but now all of the sudden I think I'm having root rot on the bottom and I'm scared that the plan is going to die I can take tomorrow a picture of it but it's turning yellowish and then brownish and it dies off can I do anything to prevent the rest of dying thank you so much for your help sometimes the plant is very wet and sometimes it is dry so I don't know what the problem is please help thanks again

[annak]

Without a picture, one cannot say what might be the problem, so it is best to post a photo of your plant and the experts will jump in for help

[sandra_meissnest]

Somehow it won't let me upload the picture can you help

[sandra_meissnest]

Here some picture of the vanilla orchid

[estación seca]

The growing medium is far too wet and your plant is rotting from too much water. It will die for sure if you leave it like that.

Vanilla is an epiphytic orchid. It climbs on trees. Its roots get wet when it rains, then quickly dry out. In a constantly-wet mossy container it will rot, like what is happening to your plant.

Take it out of the pot and take off all the wet moss. Cut off the parts of the plant that are brown and soft. You might end up with a few pieces. Treat the cut ends with powdered cinnamon or a fungicide. Let the cut pieces dry in the shade for a day or two.

The plant can make new roots from the stem at the base of each leaf. Get some medium orchid bark for potting. Soak it overnight in water while the cut pieces dry out. If you have some kelp extract, add that to the water.

Set the pieces upright in the new medium so just the bottom inch of the stem is below the surface. Wet the bark. Put it someplace very humid. Don't water again until the bark is mostly dry.

The most important thing is high humidity and not keeping the medium in the pot wet.

[wintergirl]

I agree it looks wet, change your medium. Don't put any cinnamon on the roots, it will hurt them . Cinnamon only goes on the plant if needed.

[sandra_meissnest]

Thanks guys I will do that right away tomorrow just one more question to make sure if I cut it off does the rest of the plant still live because I thought everything is connected to their I will add another picture tomorrow when I take it out to make sure where to cut it also I live in South Florida so it is very humid
here
Thanks again for your help I really appreciate it

[estación seca]

Vanilla grows as a vine that roots along the stem as it grows up into trees. The older part of the stem can die back or be cut off, and the newer part can continue to grow and make new roots. If you cut off the rotting part into good tissue, the plant should survive.

I forgot to add - between each cut of the stem, sterilize your scissors or knife by dipping in rubbing alcohol (isopropanol 70% or 90%) or a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution. This will prevent moving harmful microorganisms from the rotten part to the clean part of the stem.

[lepetitmartien]

Most of Vanilla are hemi-epiphytic, part terrestrial, part epiphyte. If you try to treat it like an epiphyte only it'll be miserable. It works so-so in GH. It's better to keep it terrestrial with a medium with enough air and nutrients to keep the Vanilla happy.

What happens here is what happens usually to plants coming in, the change of conditions with a mix not adapted and it's rot almost guaranteed. It happens to me too.

Here the mix is way too closed and wet. Cut everything that is rotten, up to the next knot at least. If the liana has changed of color, cut until you find back the normal color for it.

Move to sphagnum in a plastic bottle. Cut the top of the bottle, add about 3 rows of LECA at the bottom, then sphagnum just wet. Put the Vanilla on top of it (if you can spare some leaves, cut 2 or 3, let the vanilla dry a day or two then lay on the sphag, and add a little sphag on the part without leaves). Keep it just wet and warm, with light but no direct sun. If the area is dry, you can enclose the plant into the bottle, eventually by extending the bottle (large part of bottle 1 for the bottom, large part of bottle 2 for the top), you can keep the bottle open. it'll keep the air wet, but the sphag will keep just wet not more. After some time (depends of the conditions, force of the plant, length of the liana) roots will appear and you'll see them in the LECA.

Once you have roots, you can move to a pot with a mix that can dry and with air.

What's the mix used here? It seems very compact.

Watch out for the rot, at any sign of it coming back, cut higher fast.

[samfish]

It looks like the medium it is in is too soggy, and does not allow any aeration for the roots of the plant.

It is best to cut out the infected area, let the cut area of the plant harden, and then try to get the base of the plant to re-root in a medium that aerates better than what it is in now... This rooted portion of the plant will grow like a terrestrial, as long as the medium is well aerated.

The remainder of the plant will grow as an epiphyte. The top of the plant likes full sun, to stimulate flowering.

Vanilla is pretty hardy, and re-grows well from cuttings, so you have a very good opportunity to save this plant!!!