Help save my Catteya from root rot

[Ruby_House]

Hi,

I got this orchid a few weeks ago but since it was flowering I didn't check the roots like a usually do when I get new plants. Today I couldn't take it anymore and unsurprisingly due to the old potting media it has root rot.

So, I took it out of its media and i think i found one root that looks okay... not great though.Since then, I've been looking up ways to bring it back from this and one method I read up on is the sphag. and bag method. I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for this orchid and not setting it back further...

The first thing I'm planning on doing is working out which roots are goners and which one i should keep on the plant and remove all the media still stuck to the plant.

After that I've seen people add a big of cinnamon to help with bacteria. Would that be a good idea? I've also heard of people using rooting hormone and honey but i"m not sure how they did it...

Next, I'm gonna probably have to cut the flower off due to the bag.

Then place the orchid in a plastic bag with some wet sphagnum moss in the corner, close the bag but still allow for some air to enter and place it somewhere where it still get light and some heat to induce growth..

So yeah I just want to know if this seems like a good plan and what your experiences with this method have been. If there's a different method that's worked for you with Cattleyas I'd love to hear it!

Thank you!

[OrchideeNormus]

I don't know much about cattleyas so I can't really advise you on the roots. I am fairly new to growing orchids in general, but I will say a couple things.
Cinnamon is great for drying out open wounds on plants and it does have antibacterial qualities. However, because it is so drying I wouldn't recommend it for roots at all. I could be wrong here, but I just don't see that being too great for the roots. When I do have to cut roots away I try to cut into the portions that have already dried out so I don't leave an open wound on the roots. You do want to remove as much of the dead portions as possible, but I think it's okay to leave a bit of the dried part at the end to prevent infections.
Sphag and bag method, I've personally never had any good success with it. It may be my environment but it tends to grow mold like crazy. I know it's a very popular method, I'm just not a fan. Personally I have one phal that just didn't do well when I tried to pot it in LECA and it lost almost all of its roots. I simply planted it in a self watering pot (the kind that has a wic) with sphagnum moss very lightly packed in. It seems to be doing much better and is growing some new roots now.
Wish I could help you more, I'm still new to this myself so the best I can do is share my own trials and tribulations lol.

[Ruby_House]

I've asked around and other people are telling me to place it in a small pot with bark mix instead.

[aliceinwl]

I don’t have much Cattleya experience so hopefully experts will chime in too.

Don’t put cinnamon or peroxide on the roots. Leave any chunks of media adhering to the roots alone. If the root is alive, you risk damaging it. Pot it up in a medium grade bark substrate and give normal care. If you notice leaf wilting or wrinkling you can put it in a bag or in some type of enclosure to increase humidity.

There seems to be mixed opinions on spagnum. If you keep the roots too moist you risk rotting them. Given the state of the media, you probably had to repot, but I think Cattleyas are known to sulk or suffer setbacks when the roots are disturbed when not in active growth.

[Roberta]

No sphagnum for Catts. They need to dry out between waterings. If the plant has few roots, it has no way of taking in moisture, so it will stay far too wet. Fortunately, Catts have pseudobulbs that have reserves so that they can continue to grow and live until they can grow some new roots. So maintaining humidity to reduce moisture loss from the leaves (plastic bag, mini-greenhouse) may help if your humidity is very low. But bark is the medium of choice. It gives you lots of air in the root zone, with enough surface area to put moisture into that air. Of the old roots, even if the velamin (the spongy outside) is rotted - if so you can easily pull it off with your fingers, the core of the root is still capable of hydrating the plant (think "wet string") and if nothing else, will help to anchor the plant in the pot - it must be firmly in place because when new roots emerge, the tips are very fragile and any abrasion from the plant wobbling will damage them.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I mostly grow Cattleyas.

When I get an orchid with root problems, I usually do the following.
1. Remove bad media, but if pieces of bark are really stuck to the roots, leave those pieces alone.

2. Don't be too quick to trim roots. Some that you feel may be bad may still be able to take in water.

3. Rather than traditional "sphag and bag", get a clean, empty terracotta pot, deep and large enough to hold the roots and keep the plant from tipping over. When you water, wet the roots and the terracotta pot. The terracotta absorbs water and keeps humidity up around the roots. The roots should still be allowed to dry between watering. If your air is really dry, loosely tent a plastic bag over the plant and pot; this not intended to keep the roots wet, just reduces dehydration of the plant.

4. You can add a rooting hormone product to your water, although I mostly don't do this. When you water, thoroughly wet the roots, wet the pot, let the roots dry in between.

This treatment will usually allow a plant to continue on until new growth occurs. New growth will bring new roots.

Don't use peroxide.or cinnamon on roots.

It is too cold where you are now, but if this happens when the weather is warmer, nothing rehydrates a plant like sitting outside in a prolonged slow rain.

[Ben_in_North_FLA]

I second what the whisperer says, plus gently spray roots to wash off what can be removed easily so you can see clearly if any issues with roots and wait until you see new growth to repot it..

[Ray]

I generally agree with OW, and will add that under-pot heating accelerates root growth as well. A simple seedling heat mat works great.

Also, go to ccorchids.ca and buy some KelpMax. It'll help a great deal.