We save the phalaenopsis orchid. We inspect the root system

It is probably completely obvious that the absence of a root system in a flower is serious problem for anxiety. And even more than serious, because this is actually the final countdown - either you will have time to save the orchid without roots, or not.

As you know, Phalaenopsis is one of the most unpretentious orchid species. If you are at home at least occasionally, remember where you have a tap with water and sometimes ventilate the room, then, in principle, your flower will live. Practice, unfortunately, shows that most often the minimum care is not enough and the flower is seriously tested, sometimes it even dies.

The last mistake that a florist can make in relation to his pet may be indifference - seeing a flower dying and letting it die. Largely because of this, and then you need to save orchids without roots.

Orchids naturally exist in warm, humid climates. Even in the dry season, there is no problem for the roots to obtain moisture for the flower organism. High humidity the environment lets them do it. That is, plants such as orchids do not need abundant watering. Roots tend to retain moisture for a period of time because they are covered with a multi-layer fabric. This is the reason that the roots should dry thoroughly between waterings. Waterlogging is unacceptable. The roots, due to being constantly in a wet state, can simply die.

Velamen is a protective tissue covering the roots. When exposed to negative environmental factors, it can begin to rot. Over time, this leads to the fact that the root system completely rots and dies off.

So we come to part of the discussion on how to save an orchid without roots.

Rootless orchid resuscitation method

Try growing the roots from the neck of the plant in a container of water. This will help you boiled water, a root former (any will do), activated charcoal and a neatly cut top of the reanimated plant. Make sure that the cut point is slightly tightened, in a warm place this will happen rather quickly.

Further actions for resuscitation of an orchid without roots:

Dissolve the growth stimulator in water and lower a part of the plant into it (with a tightened cut)
Pour boiled water into a container, throw an activated carbon tablet there.
We move the plant from the first container to the second (the best external conditions: room temperature 23-25 degrees, constant good air circulation).
Periodically wipe the flower leaves with a sponge dipped in a sugar solution.
Make sure that the moisture in the container is always at the same level, that is, periodically add water there.
After 2 months, watch the emergence of new roots! With their length of 5-6 cm, you can safely transplant the orchid into the substrate!

A flower that has recently lost and regained its roots requires special conditions.

Soil for a cured flower: sphagnum could (for the first few months). This is a kind of moss fit best way, because it is breathable, lightweight and, by the way, very cheap.

Over time, you can even collect other components of the substrate yourself or use fertilizer. But note: this can be done only after the plant has fully adapted.

You have learned how to save your rootless orchid. We hope you won't have similar problems in the future.

The orchid has recently become the most popular indoor flower... This is a wonderful gift that any woman will be happy with. Despite the ease of care, often the orchid, once it gets into room conditions after the greenhouse, begins to fade and wither. To save the orchid from death, it is necessary to urgently take action as soon as the first signs of a change in appearance are noticed.

Let's take a difficult case right away: the orchid is frozen or dried up. Resuscitation of a flower begins with an examination of the roots.

How to save orchid roots

The orchid is carefully removed from the pot and the roots are cleaned of the substrate. First, remove the soil from the roots, and then thoroughly wash out the rest of the substrate with a jet warm water... Having dried the roots of the orchid, we proceed to study their condition. Normal living orchid roots are dense in structure. Healthy roots range in color from whitish, green to light brown. Rotten roots are slippery and soft and have a dark brown color
All dead, rotten and dry parts of the root system are cut out with a sharp knife and sprinkled with ground cinnamon or activated carbon powder for disinfection. Further measures to save the orchid depend on the percentage of healthy roots remaining. Even if 15% of the roots remain healthy, the orchid can be saved. If the orchid is left completely without roots, do not despair. There is still a chance to restore it. How - we'll talk about this a little later.

Now let's look at ways to resuscitate a diseased orchid.

Method 1 - how to save an orchid that still has enough roots

After the prevention and cleaning of the roots, the orchid is planted in the usual way in a ready-made soil substrate and gentle conditions for adaptation are created:

Placed in a well-lit place, but shaded from the direct sun
Given that damaged roots do not absorb moisture well, the soil from above is often sprayed from a spray bottle
Well proven bottom watering for weakened orchids
If it is not possible to spray and water a sick orchid several times a day, build a mini greenhouse for it (just cover with a bag with holes for ventilation)
Since there are not many roots left, the orchid is fixed in the soil: they stick a stick between the roots and attach the orchid to it

Method 2 - how to save an orchid if there are no roots at all

In this case, a mini greenhouse comes to the rescue. Expanded clay is poured into a spacious pot, purchased moss not infected with pests is placed on top. A damaged orchid is placed on the moss. Everything is well moistened with a spray bottle and covered with a transparent cap. With constant humidity and constant warm temperature, after 2 weeks, the rudiments of roots should appear in the damaged orchid. As soon as the roots grow 4-5 cm, the orchid can be planted in the usual way.

The orchid is considered a rather finicky houseplant. Because of this, some beginners have a lot of problems in the care of a tropical flower. First, the balance of metabolism is disturbed, which is invisible to the naked eye, and then leaves wilt and the root system dies. But often this problem can be solved if you take everything under your own close control in time.

In this article, we will tell you how to reanimate an orchid that has started putrefactive processes on the roots.

It is scientifically difficult to give a detailed botanical description of flowers from the Orchidaceae family.

It also takes a lot of time. Here are 4 main features that are simultaneously found only in representatives of this family:

flowers have mirror-type symmetry;
in the natural growing area, orchid seeds can germinate only when interacting with symbiont fungi;
pollen grains are collected in special sticky structures called pollinia;
the inside of the seeds does not contain nutrients.

Did you know? Some orchid species are capable of continuing their life cycle for 100 years.

In the wild, orchids grow in tropical forests with high air humidity. Most often they are found on the African continent, namely, in its northern part.

The rosette structure of the plant has wide dense leaves that are collected in a basal rosette. The size of the buds is quite variable (from 1 to 30 cm), and the flowers resemble a butterfly.

Depending on the type of Orchid, the number of flowers on a peduncle will differ (some species have more than 100 flowers on one peduncle).

The root system of decorative orchids that grow in indoor conditions our climatic region may differ from the root system of wild flowers of the Orchid family.

Among indoor orchids there are so-called lithophytes and epiphytes. The roots of the former are adapted to growing in rocky terrain (some of them are in the air), while the roots of the latter are "airy" and do not require soil (epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants).

If your orchid grows from soil and has lithophytic root system then it is important to know that all useful material together with moisture, the plant receives from the ground. Some orchid species have a root system that appearance resembles tubers.
These "tubers" actively absorb all the nutrients into winter period when most tropical plants in our climatic zone go through a dormant period.

Important! If, during the resuscitation of the orchid, the temperature in the room or in the greenhouse is less than 20 ° C or more than 30 ° C, then root growth will slow down significantly. In addition, such conditions will be favorable for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora.

The root system of epiphytes consists of the main element - velamen, which tries to extract moisture from drops of rain, fog or dew. Velamen consists of a thick layer of dead cells that protect the plant from overheating.

Moreover, epiphytic orchids tolerate a lack of moisture well enough, as they are prepared for dry periods by evolution itself. It is believed that in a normal healthy state, velamen should be bright white (greenish or silver tint is allowed).

Orchid roots, as moisture is drawn out of them, can shrivel and dry out, but this fact does not mean that velamens die. Their color can be green, white, silver.
But a healthy root, when placed in moisture, will immediately swell and expand, as it is saturated with moisture.

Dead roots will not react in any way to a humid environment.

It should be noted that the earlier it is possible to recognize the onset of the disease in an orchid, the more chances of success there will be in the resuscitation process. The first signs of the disease are as follows:

If the flower grows in a transparent pot, then you will notice a distinctly visible plaque of spores or algae.
The leaves begin to wither, become softer and more brittle (due to insufficient moisture and nutrients that come from the roots).
The orchid begins to wobble in the pot, as the rotten roots are no longer able to create optimal density and keep the plant in a limited volume.
Roots that take moisture from the air, wither, change in color (darken), begin to publish bad smell(sometimes it is weak, so you can't catch it right away).

If you find at least one of the indicated signs of the disease in your tropical flower, then the plant must be removed from the pot and the root system must be carefully examined.
The main symptoms of the onset of putrefactive processes in the roots are:

the appearance of weeping areas;
rhizome tissue decomposes into separate structural units;
the root system becomes dark brown or light black;
when you click on the velamen, a viscous liquid appears dark color with an unpleasant odor.

After the diagnosis is established, it is necessary to urgently switch to resuscitation therapy, because in this case, the account goes not for days, but for hours.

Putrefactive processes in the root system begin due to improper care or after damage by pests and diseases. The main causes of pathological processes are:

Did you know? Some species of the Orchid family can reach a height of 20 m.

It is necessary to grow roots in those cases when it is no longer possible to revive the old ones. Let's talk about the method of growing roots above water.

Rotten roots are cut so as not to injure living tissue. The cut points must be treated with activated carbon or powdery fungicide. It is important to understand that wilted, but not yet dried leaves should not be removed.

The fact is that in the future they will be reanimated, and in the process of growing roots they will play a necessary role for survival.

Next, you should choose the right container for the orchid. This can be the most common disposable cup, but with such parameters that the plant placed in it does not come into contact with water.
The container with the flower should be placed in a well-lit place.

If you are growing roots during the winter, then you should create long-term artificial lighting for the tropical guest.

Water is poured to the bottom in a small layer, preferably sweetened. Every day (for 60–90 minutes) the plant is immersed in water with glucose.

An important step in the process of growing roots is the regular rubbing of the leaves with an aqueous solution of succinic acid.

For wiping, you can use a regular cotton pad.
The solution is prepared as follows: half a tablet of succinic acid is dissolved in half a glass of warm water. It is necessary to wipe it every morning at the same time.

Important! After pruning the roots, the growth area of the flower should be treated with a growth stimulant. This procedure will increase the plant's immunity and speed up the rooting process.

It should be understood that the temperature during root growth should be within + 23 ... + 26 ° С.

Top dressing is carried out no more than 1 time per week. Almost the entire period of building up the root system of the orchid should be suspended.

How to save an orchid

To resuscitate an orchid, you should use the following step-by-step actions:

Get the "sufferer" out of the pot, remove the rest of the soil and visually assess the scale of the disaster.
Rinse the roots clean water room temperature.
Completely remove all rotten tissue by first disinfecting the trimming tool.
Cover the sections with activated carbon or powder.
If mold was found during inspection, then it is necessary to carefully treat the plant with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate.
Plant the plant in a small-diameter pot (6–8 cm), but only on condition that there are still several living roots left on the orchid. The soil should not be dense enough (you can make a mixture of humus, expanded clay, moss and coconut fiber).
Provide lighting for at least 12 hours a day. At the same time, maintain a constant temperature within + 22 ... + 26 ° С.
Maintain high humidity in the room. For this, you can purchase a special installation that creates fog.
Watering is very rare and only if the soil is completely dry.

Video: how to revive an orchid Fresh roots will appear in 20-25 days. In some cases, this process is accelerated, but only under the condition of proper care and special feeding, which we will discuss below.

Did you know? The most expensive orchid in the world was sold in the United States in 1952 for $ 4,500,000.

Foliar dressing is performed with special liquid preparations that deliver many substances useful for the flower through the absorption capacity of the leaves.

Top dressing allows all orchid systems to function normally during a period when the root system is unable to supply nutrients.
It is important to note that the soil should be slightly moistened before foliar application. The procedure is best done in the early morning or late evening, as in the daytime the sun's rays in combination with feeding can cause chemical burns in the orchid.

It should also be noted that dressing should not fall on flowers and buds.

In this case, it is necessary to grow roots for the plant, and only then transplant it into the prepared substrate. To do this, you need to perform the following step-by-step actions:

V water solution a growth stimulator to lower the plant separated from the rotten roots with a growing point.
Put an activated carbon tablet in a container with boiled water.
Move the plant to a container with coal (the water should cool down to a temperature of +25 ° C).
During the period of root growth, the room should be high humidity and air circulation.
Periodically, you should wipe the leaves with a solution of succinic acid or a sugar solution.
When you notice that some of the water has evaporated, you need to add liquid to the required level, while the temperature difference should not exceed 3 ° C.

After about 2 months, the roots will grow back and reach a length of 6-7 cm. Only then can the orchid be transplanted into the substrate.

If there are no roots and leaves

In this case, it will be much more difficult to save the orchid, but still with proper care the chances of success exist. For resuscitation, the plant should be treated in the same way as in the previous case, the conditions of detention remain the same.

But it is necessary to plant an orchid in the moss. Watering is carried out occasionally (for 1 watering, use no more than 1 tablespoon of water). Moss promotes moisture retention and structured distribution. After the first roots appear, the orchid should be transplanted into the soil.

Algae on the roots of an orchid can appear due to excess minerals or natural light... It is important to understand that green algae impair the aeration of the substrate, change it chemical composition and release some toxic substances. Therefore, when green algae appears on the roots of an orchid, appropriate measures should be taken immediately to save the flower. These measures will consist of the following actions:

It is necessary to rinse the roots 2-3 times exotic flower in 0.1% potassium permanganate solution.
For orchid species whose root system does not need regular lighting, a trick can be used: wrap a transparent pot with foil. In this case, the light will cease to flow to the roots and algae, as a result of which the latter will eventually die.
In case of severe damage, rinsing the roots in a bleach solution is recommended.

In greenhouse conditions

If you have a window greenhouse where you can constantly maintain optimal temperature and humidity, then the chances of reviving a weakened orchid will increase several times.

At the bottom of the greenhouse, expanded clay should be laid, and on top of it - carefully steamed sphagnum moss. A leaf rosette is placed in such a substrate. Until the orchid grows roots 4–5 cm long, the following conditions should be maintained in the greenhouse:

humidity within 75 ... 95%;
the temperature should not go beyond + 23 ... + 27 ° С;
bright lighting should be maintained for 12-14 hours a day.

Important! If you are rooting an orchid in the soil, then do not forget about its regular replacement. Otherwise, the compaction of the substrate will occur and the plant will die.

The success rate of resuscitation in the greenhouse is 80%. Such a high figure takes place due to careful maintenance: regular airing at night, watering as the substrate dries, maintaining an optimal microclimate.

In this case, you can follow the information provided in the "If there are no roots" section. However, there is a way to speed up the rooting process and increase the chances of success.
Regular feeding should be carried out:

complex mineral fertilizers dissolve in water (concentration should not exceed 1%);
regularly feed the ferum minerals;
treat with growth regulators every 2-3 weeks.

Finally, we note that the process of resuscitation of an orchid can take a long time (sometimes more than 2 months). But the speed of resuscitation and the likelihood of a successful outcome will depend only on the grower, who must follow the rules described in this article. It is necessary to remember about the microclimate, feeding, proper removal of old roots and treatment of wounds.

How to save a plant with excessive watering

Rescue a plant without roots

Bad light

Rescue a flower without leaves

The orchid dies - what to do? Inexperienced indoor plant growers may encounter such a problem. You can completely despair and abandon the idea of saving your favorite flower, but there is also a more optimistic scenario. You just need to use the advice of professionals that will help you take the right measures and ensure the plant has many years of life.

Often the cause of the death of an orchid is watering, which is carried out incorrectly. Caring flower owners try to take care of their ward as carefully as possible, so they pour too much water into the pot. This procedure leads to the fact that the roots of the plant begin to rot. Especially if such watering is carried out systematically.

Frequent watering can lead to rotting of the plant roots; watering is necessary only when the bark in the pot dries out.

It is recommended to act in such a situation immediately. The first reanimation measures are to free the root system of damp or even moldy soil. It is necessary to get the plant out of the pot smoothly and carefully, without harming its parts. For convenience, you can make a small dig with the help of an improvised tool at a distance of 6-7 cm from the root.

The root system must be placed under running water and rinse it properly. This event will provide an opportunity to determine the state of the roots. All rotten parts must be removed. Garden shears (or ordinary, but very sharp) shears will come to the rescue here. Partial rot lesions can be found in certain areas of the root system. They should not be completely cut, but only partially (in the most affected areas).

To prevent further infection, all trimmed parts of the system must be treated with some substance that can have an antiseptic effect on the roots. These antiseptics include ground cinnamon or activated carbon crushed to a powdery state.

All rotten parts of the root should be carefully and thoroughly cleaned and then rinsed to protect the plant from further damage.

All previously trimmed areas should be exposed to the air for a certain period of time. A small crust should appear on the roots. This procedure should take about 24 hours. At the same time, it is in no case necessary to place the plant in water; it is recommended to leave it in any glass container with a neck to protect the plant from damage.

Before replanting a reanimated plant, new soil must be prepared for it. It must be chosen carefully in order to provide the most favorable conditions for further growth. It is better to buy land in a specialized store. Moreover, the consultant needs to be informed what exactly the soil is needed for.

After the specified period, the orchid must be re-planted. It is recommended to do this carefully. The most common planting technique is used. The only feature is that when landing in new soil a plant dying from excessive watering does not need water for about 7 days. The report should be started from the second day after landing.

If the orchid has lost its roots, then it will be possible to build up the root system of the orchid from the neck of the plant in a vessel with water. For resuscitation, it is important to correctly carry out the process of preparing the necessary fluid, in which and

root growth will occur. To save the flower, you will need a root growth stimulator, the upper part of the orchid, on which there is a growth point, water, activated carbon. The water must be boiled. After that, it must be cooled to room temperature.

Having carried out a cut of the upper part of the plant, it is required to wait so that the place of damage has time to tighten. This process will take about 2 hours. For a quicker result, the orchid should be placed in a warm room. The place must be protected from sunlight.

Then the flower is placed in a growth stimulator for 20 minutes. After a specified period of time, it must be immersed in water in which 1 tablet of activated carbon is dissolved. A container with water should be located in a place where the air temperature is at least 25 degrees. Diffused lighting in the room is desirable.

When carrying out resuscitation measures at home, it should be borne in mind that the liquid from the container quickly evaporates. It should be refilled periodically into the vessel. In this case, the stem does not have to touch the water. It can be freely positioned above it at a height of 1-2 cm.

Revitalization of the root system using the described method is performed for 2 months. As soon as the roots reach 5-6 cm, the orchid can be planted in the substrate.

The soil for the flower, the restoration of the roots of which was carried out, needs a special one. The most suitable moss is sphagnum. It is often used in the preparation of various mixtures for planting orchids. It should be chosen because of a number of its advantages. Sphagnum moss allows a sufficient amount of air to pass through, it is light. Plus it's cheap. You can even prepare it yourself. It is an environmentally friendly product. After the resuscitation procedure, when the roots have grown long enough, the flower is transplanted into the pine bark.

Quite often, the plant dies due to the fact that it was not provided with the necessary lighting. Often, such a problem has to be faced in autumn and winter, when sunlight is not enough for all living organisms. But this does not apply to all orchids. There are also species that cannot tolerate direct sunlight. They prefer twilight.

There is a limit to the amount of light a plant needs to feel most comfortable. If this limit is violated, then the orchid begins to fade, all its life processes go astray.

Leaves begin to fade due to the fact that the water supply to them is not properly ensured. And here it does not matter how well the watering of the plant is carried out. After the next make-up, the liquid flows through the root system only to upper layers that contain dead cells. They also do not allow water to penetrate into deeper layers and carry out nutrition correctly.

In order for the process to stabilize, certain regulatory processes must take place in the flower itself, capable of ensuring the normalization of water absorption during watering. Leaves that get enough sunlight send certain signals to the root system. For the rehabilitation of each type of orchid, there is a light threshold, which must be provided properly.

Orchids need to be fed once every 2 weeks. This procedure will require a special fertilizer.

There are many ways to bring an orchid back to life without leaves. Yellowing and dropping of old leaves is considered a natural process. Under normal conditions, the leaves live for 8 weeks and then die off. The orchid may be dormant. At this time, its leaves fall off quickly enough. For example, this is typical for a species called Kalanta. However, after the onset of a new phase life cycle a large number of new leaves are formed in the flower.

Do not worry when phalaenopsis has two drops. lower leaves as this is a natural process. Some types of flower can shed their leaves annually. The leaves of the dendrobium live for a short time (about one and a half years), then they fall off.

What to do if you have problems with foliage? It all depends on the reason, which is important to determine. Falling off is often related to the condition of the root system. The roots stop transferring enough moisture to other parts of the flower. In the absence of moisture for a long period of time, the substrate in the pot becomes dry. In order to prevent the death of the plant, it is required to immediately spray the leaves with water, and lower the roots into water for 10-12 minutes.

When the cause is excessive moisture in the roots, the action should be drastically different. If you notice a problem with leaves, you need to remove the orchid from the container and carefully examine the roots. If the root is alive, then after it is immersed in water, it will turn green and acquire a certain hardness. Roots that do not have the required color are trimmed with garden or ordinary shears. To get a quick formation of a new and healthy root system, experts recommend using a drug called Kornevin.

After processing, the leaves must be sprinkled with water. The orchid should be placed in a container with a transparent lid. A small aquarium is suitable and must be covered with a plastic bag or plastic wrap. A self-made greenhouse will allow you to cure a flower in a short period of time. For photosynthesis to proceed without interruption, the container needs to be placed in a location where there is sufficient heat and light. An important condition periodic spraying of leaves with water and airing of the room 1 time in 2 days acts.

Another way to save an orchid is foliar feeding... It should be done once every 2 weeks. This procedure will require a special fertilizer. It must be diluted at a concentration 10 times less than for root feeding. The solution is used for spraying. In this case, you need to monitor the condition of the moss. It must be moist. After 8-9 weeks, the orchid can be transplanted into a substrate with bark. Full recovery of the plant is observed after 1 year.

Orchid is very beautiful indoor plant, which must be properly looked after, observing all the requirements. It is necessary to take into account the type of flower. If the plant is on the verge of death, then you will have to spend a lot of time and make every effort to restore the dying flower. But all worries will be fully rewarded.

They are faced with the fact that until recently, a flower bursting with health begins to wither and die right before our eyes. What to do in such a situation, is it possible to save the orchid from death and how to do it if it has dried up, our article will tell.

An orchid dies - how to save?

So, we have a rotten, frozen or dried orchid in stock - how can we save it? Whatever attack has overcome our beauty, it is possible and necessary to try to save her. In any case, resuscitation work should be started with a careful examination and assessment of the state of the main organ of the orchid - its root system. It is on how it is preserved that all further actions taken will depend.

Step 1 - examining the root system

To inspect the roots, you need to carefully remove the orchid from the pot and clean the roots from the substrate by rinsing them under a stream of warm water. After drying the roots after bathing, and it will take from 30 minutes in the summer to 2-3 hours in the winter, you can proceed to assessing their condition. The living roots of the orchid are dense and firm to the touch. Living roots range in color from off-white to light brown. Rotten roots are dark brown in color and soft to the touch.

Step 2 - removing rotten and dry roots

The next step is to remove all the dead parts of the root system. They need to be cut with a well-sharpened knife, after which the sections should be sprinkled with ground cinnamon or crushed activated carbon tablets. Depending on what percentage of the roots remained after cleaning, the further rescue strategy will differ. Even 15% of the surviving roots of an orchid is enough to safely recover and develop normally further. But even if there are no roots left at all, then it is quite possible to save the orchid.

Step 3 - resuscitation measures

There are several ways to revive an orchid:

by planting in the usual way;
without a greenhouse;
in a mini greenhouse.

In addition to the condition of the roots, the amount of free time with the grower will also be a fundamental factor in choosing a method for saving an orchid. For example, will he be able to change the water in the container with the orchid several times during the day or ventilate the greenhouse.

How to save an orchid - method 1

If the orchid has enough living roots, then after cleaning the root system, it can be planted in a small pot full. Since the weakened roots will not allow the orchid to gain a foothold in the pot, for the first time it needs to be additionally strengthened. Like all patients, the affected orchid needs to be sparing conditions: place it in a well-lit place, but protected from direct sunlight, and ensure the correct drinking regime. It should be remembered that weakened roots will not be able to fully absorb moisture from the substrate, so you need to water the orchid very carefully, slightly moistening the substrate from the spray bottle. Excellent results in restoring the root system are obtained by bottom watering of the orchid, when water is poured into a saucer in which the pot stands.

How to save an orchid - method 2

How to save an orchid - method 3

You can reanimate the orchid with plain water... To do this, it is placed in a container with water in such a way that only the very tip of its lower part touches the water. After 12 hours, the water is drained, and after another 12 hours, it is poured again. At the same time, the air temperature should be at least + 25 ° C. The appearance of roots with this method should be expected after 6-10 weeks, but sometimes this period can stretch up to six months.