Don't underestimate the will to survive of orchids. The magnificent flowers from the rainforest look back on more than 60 million years of evolution and do not give up easily. Find out how to save an orchid with root rot and leaf drop here.
How to save an orchid with root rot and leaf drop?
To save an orchid with root rot and leaf drop, remove dead roots, immerse living roots in filtered rainwater, place the plant in a bright, warm location, and fertilize regularly. Give the orchid time to recover and grow new roots and leaves.
Saving a Phalaenopsis with rotten roots - How to do it
Regulating the water balance is the biggest challenge in the care of orchids. This also applies to the Phalaenopsis orchid, which can be purchased at discounters and hardware stores. Well-meaning beginners tend to water the epiphytic exotic so extensively that the roots rot. The leaves then dry out because they are no longer supplied with water. How to save the floral jewel:
- Unpot the orchid and shake or rinse off the wet substrate completely
- Cut off all dead roots with a disinfected knife
- Aerial roots and leaves that are still green must not be cut off
- Fill a glass jar with filtered rainwater
- Insert the orchid so that the tip of the trunk or root ends lightly touch the water level
- Renew the water at least once a week
In a bright, warm location with temperatures of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius, you can now watch the new roots sprout. Then place the orchid in a transparent pot with a mixture of sphagnum and fine-grained orchid soil. Only when a new, strong system of aerial roots has developed do you pot the rescued orchid in normal pine bark substrate. Until then, of course, several months to a year will pass.
Saving orchids without leaves – this is how the plan works
If an orchid loses all of its leaves in the middle of the season, the hopes of another blooming season are gone. If you can rule out that this is a natural vegetation cycle - various types of orchids regularly shed all their leaves - we recommend the following rescue measures:
- As long as there are still one or two aerial roots left, there is hope
- Cut off any flower stems because they require too much energy
- Place the leafless orchid in a bright, warm window seat
- Spray daily with soft water and water very sparingly
- Fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks with liquid orchid fertilizer
Give the orchid a few weeks and months to gather fresh strength. If it doesn't have the power to produce new leaves, it will at least produce an offshoot. The child thrives close to the trunk. If the offspring has at least 2 of its own aerial roots and leaves, it can be separated and nurtured in its own pot.
Tip
Anyone who is familiar with the rescue plan for orchids can get hold of the expensive exotics at a bargain price in the supermarket. Phalaenopsis, Miltonia or Dendrobium that have been cultivated to the brink of ruin by untrained staff are sometimes offered at ridiculous prices. With a little skill and these first aid measures, you can breathe new life into a dying orchid.
