Is this root rot or a bacterial infection or bugs or all three? - Page 10 - Orchid Board

elaerna · #91 08-04-2020, 10:09 PM

Sigh. The browning area has doubled since this morning. Orchids deteriorate so quickly.

Where would I get an automatic mister? I don't mind misting manually except for if I have to leave again.

SouthPark · #92 08-04-2020, 11:19 PM

Elaerna - for indoors orchid growing - like a regular potted orchid sitting on a table or on a shelf in the home, it may be infeasible to use automatic misting machines.

I think that if we can get away with not needing to do any misting, then that will be great.

Lots of plants can deteriorate quickly. A lot of orchids - including the one you have can actually recover nicely once the cause(s) of the issue is dealt with, and provided that the orchid is still in a recoverable state.

For the phalaenopsis, and lots of other orchids, adequate humidity in the air and gentle moving air may be enough for the orchid's water requirements.

But for home environments and also environments that haven't got that sort of condition ------ the orchids may need a helping hand, such as making the media moist (not soggy, soppy, etc --- just moist or damp), which can allow the region inside the pot to be humid - so the roots can tap into the water on the media surface and maybe the moist air inside the pot.

Some gentle air-flow helps with moving oxygenated water around within the pot, and into the plant.

Sometimes - occasional temporary dry-outs of the media can (maybe) help cut down on certain unwanted growth or activity within the pot and media ---- eg. certain kinds of bacterial and/or fungal activity ------ maybe.

There are a variety of ways that people use to get a system to work nicely - like an orchid - which is a system. A nice approach is to just know the suitability of conditions in the growing area for supporting the orchid ---- humidity, temperature, temperature range, light level, lighting duration, air-flow etc. And know that regular roots of orchids can drown if the water in and on the roots becomes low in oxygen.

So for regular roots - if the media is initially super wet due to heavy watering, then make sure to set up the medium and pot so that the media and the roots don't remain super-wet/soggy for long periods of time. Eg. choose an airy-enough media and excellent draining pot to start with.

Also - the method of watering toward the sides of the pot (and less water toward the centre) has certain simple technical things involved. In any case, the general idea associated with it is the same as usual ---- to not get certain regions too soppy wet for long periods of time.

For plants with roots that haven't extended out and filled up the entire pot, one can imagine that watering toward the sides should prevent the bulk of the roots (toward the centre of the pot) from getting too soppy for long amounts of time. That's the general rule-of-thumb.

However - when the roots do eventually grow out and reach the sides of the pot - where it may be really wet, then the roots may have had enough time to adapt to those wetter conditions - and will be able to cope with those conditions. Adapted roots.

And even if the roots are not adapted - such as for cases where smaller pots are used - then watering down the sides results in wetter region on the outter part, but a dryer (ie. much less wet) region on the inner part --- which may be an advantage in terms of water movement. A gradient from wet to not-as-wet.

That's how I grow my orchids, or most of them - without issues. Each grower has their own general methods - especially the pro/nursery growers. The big nursery growers tend to have nice conditions and even industrial type electric fans etc. And maybe even have automatic misting systems, where the fans help with nice air-movement.

SouthPark · #93 08-05-2020, 01:27 AM

Elaerna - I forgot to mention ------ if your orchid appeared to be making some nice progress already before your trip, then just continue with whatever you were doing to get that nice progress. If progress was actually made - then that's a great sign. It means what you were doing is workable.

I'm just assuming that the orchid just took a down-turn in health during your 3 day trip, and assuming that the orchid was recovering (getting better) just before your trip.

elaerna · #94 08-06-2020, 12:03 PM

I don't know if it was getting better it just didn't seem to be getting worse.

I watered it a little more than usual since it seemed dehydrated. Should I stop that? I don't know if I can make up for the dehydration by watering it more.

08.06.2020 - Album on Imgur

This is what it looks like today. I would have expected the leaf to go yellow but it's very papery thin and sort of darkened? I don't think it's a disease but I don't know.

Dollythehun · #95 08-06-2020, 12:08 PM

My dear, if it were me, I'd throw it out and start over. This is torture. When you water, water thoroughly, feel how heavy the plant is. Lift each day until it feels light, then drench again. IMHO

elaerna · #96 08-06-2020, 02:55 PM

The only reason I am learning about orchids is to save this plant. There is no reason to start over if I throw it out - which I would never do. Also I have 6 other orchids that are doing fine.

Roberta · #97 08-06-2020, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elaerna

I don't know if it was getting better it just didn't seem to be getting worse.

I watered it a little more than usual since it seemed dehydrated. Should I stop that? I don't know if I can make up for the dehydration by watering it more.

08.06.2020 - Album on Imgur

This is what it looks like today. I would have expected the leaf to go yellow but it's very papery thin and sort of darkened? I don't think it's a disease but I don't know.

It's just severely dehydrated... but the cure depends on the cause. If there are no good roots in the medium, more watering could just lead to more rot. (With no roots, the plant can't take up water, the damp, not soggy, medium will just give it some humidity while it's working on new ones) I recall you had basically one good root, which was an aerial one... misting that several times a day may help. But orchids don't perk up like most plants... the improvement from getting better conditions will be reflected in new growth (from the center) and new roots. If it plumps up at all, it's going to take awhile (measured in weeks at least, nothing will happen in a day or two...) to see much progress. New growth is measured in months. So water to keep the medium damp but not soggy - no standing water! And mist the aerial root. And be patient (the hardest part).

elaerna · #98 08-06-2020, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

It's just severely dehydrated... but the cure depends on the cause. If there are no good roots in the medium, more watering could just lead to more rot. (With no roots, the plant can't take up water, the damp, not soggy, medium will just give it some humidity while it's working on new ones) I recall you had basically one good root, which was an aerial one... misting that several times a day may help. But orchids don't perk up like most plants... the improvement from getting better conditions will be reflected in new growth (from the center) and new roots. If it plumps up at all, it's going to take awhile (measured in weeks at least, nothing will happen in a day or two...) to see much progress. New growth is measured in months. So water to keep the medium damp but not soggy - no standing water! And mist the aerial root. And be patient (the hardest part).

Do you recommend taking the plant out of the medium to check the roots? I don't think there were many good roots in the medium - they were all dark but not squishy when i last repotted a couple months ago. There are maybe 3 or 4 green ones most of them aerial.

Roberta · #99 08-06-2020, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elaerna

Do you recommend taking the plant out of the medium to check the roots? I don't think there were many good roots in the medium - they were all dark but not squishy when i last repotted a couple months ago. There are maybe 3 or 4 green ones most of them aerial.

No, leave it in the pot... you don't want to disturb it again. If there were some green roots, great... just keeping the medium damp will let they keep the plant going. Just keep on doing what you are doing. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

elaerna · #**100** 08-06-2020, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

No, leave it in the pot... you don't want to disturb it again. If there were some green roots, great... just keeping the medium damp will let them keep the plant going. Just keep on doing what you are doing. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

I will, thank you.