If there are dried plant parts on an orchid, this is no reason to throw in the towel straight away. With a little luck and these tips, you can breathe floral life back into your elegant houseplant.
How do you save a dried up orchid?
To save a dried orchid, first remove all dried parts of the plant. Dip the roots in room temperature, lime-free water and cut off any silvery-green aerial roots. Pot the orchid in fresh substrate and increase the humidity by misting daily.
Drought does not always mean a death sentence
In contrast to waterlogging, an orchid can tolerate drought over a long period of time if regular watering is neglected. Thanks to its aerial roots, the plant supplies itself with a minimum amount of water as long as there is sufficiently high humidity in the room. In the fight for survival, the plagued plant withdraws its flowers, individual leaves and shoots. As long as plump aerial roots or green parts of the plant can still be discovered, the orchid is not dead.
Rescue plan for a dried up orchid
If the orchid signals its will to survive with silvery-green aerial roots or a single leaf, give the plant a floral hand with this strategy:
- Cut off dried leaves, shoots and pseudobulbs with a sharp knife
- Pour room temperature, lime-free water into a bucket
- Dip the roots in it until no more air bubbles rise
- Unpot the orchid and cut off any aerial roots that are no longer silvery-green
The root bath reveals all living aerial roots by turning them green or creamy white. As long as the troubled orchid has at least 2 to 3 vital strands to fall back on, there is still hope. Remove the dried out substrate and pot the plant in fresh orchid soil (€7.00 at Amazon). Since high humidity is now essential for survival, spray the entire orchid daily with soft water.
Remove flower stems with a heavy heart
If a dried orchid tries to sprout a flower stalk or a pseudobulb after the water bath, this process should be consistently prevented. The focus now is on the growth of young aerial roots. So that the plant invests all of its energy reserves in it, cut off unnecessary flower stalks during this phase with a heavy heart.
Tip
The symptoms of waterlogging and dryness are confusingly similar. Since the roots rot in the permanently wet substrate, the supply of water to the leaves, flowers and shoots comes to a complete standstill. Therefore, before taking appropriate measures, check the moisture content of the orchid soil.
