--- title: "HELP!!! I tried the Dr. planta and it said it couldn’t help but…" description: "HELP!!! I tried the Dr. planta and it said it couldn’t help but what’s wrong with my orchids??? I was reading that the leather look is from dehydration but…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ/6500ce277608e91e2721f49a" community: "The Orchid Oasis" author: "Jade" published: "2023-09-12T20:46:31.354Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/iXdzFgzEmJR3cJcJbNoyq4NwGx2cPFcrNviVFps4KAM/5cff0fd99ad347c588461c883f261d90.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [The Orchid Oasis](https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ.md) # HELP!!! I tried the Dr. planta and it said it couldn’t help but… _Posted by Jade on 2023-09-12_ HELP!!! I tried the Dr. planta and it said it couldn’t help but what’s wrong with my orchids??? I was reading that the leather look is from dehydration but from my understanding my roots look pretty hydrated. I don’t want to over water it and kill my roots. Is that even possible?? It’s in a pot with no medium, I was thinking about putting it in a mason jar with water maybe, would that help? ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/iXdzFgzEmJR3cJcJbNoyq4NwGx2cPFcrNviVFps4KAM/5cff0fd99ad347c588461c883f261d90.webp?size=large) ## 9 comments ### Jen commented on 2023-09-12 Your roots and leaves are severely dehydrated. Your roots should not be wrinkly and shriveled, they should look plump and full/firm. How have you been watering them? I’ve only ever seen vandas in a open air basket like that. The color of your leaf is also a big concern. I hesitate to give advice without knowing the environment that you live in. If it’s hot and dry, or cool and humid, I would give different watering advice, but either way I would increase the frequency of your watering immediately. #### Jen replied on 2023-09-12 Has the dark almost purple color on the stem and leaves always been there, or is that new? #### Jade replied on 2023-09-12 It’s always been a little purple but never this much #### MeasomerPi replied on 2023-09-13 Four hours of Florida sun is too much. The purple is sun stress. And the wrinkled, floppy leaves and wrinkled roots are a sign of dehydration. Typically phals are not kept in bare root baskets. They generally want more water than that. The light and lack of media are working against one another. If it were my plant, I would move it to bright indirect light and let it stabilize to the new light levels. I would also water daily, possibly multiple times a day to help it rehydrate. Wait for the roots to turn silver before watering again. After a couple of weeks, I would put it in an orchid pot with bark. Keep it snug. Soak the pot for 10-15 min when watering. Hopefully your plant is strong enough to make the transition. ### Jade commented on 2023-09-12 I’ve been putting in a bowl with water for a day then back in the basket. I live in florida so hot and humid. It only gets sun in the morning four hours max of direct sunlight #### Andrew replied on 2023-09-13 I’m still learning orchids myself but my understanding is orchids shouldn’t get direct sun. #### Jen replied on 2023-09-13 You’re right, generally. Phalaenopsis rarely tolerate full sun. Even those types that ARE more tolerant of direct full light need to be sort of acclimated to it slowly. ### Jade commented on 2023-09-20 These are my leaves and roots now, the app says to water it. Should I? Or should I snooze it? I also potted it with orchid bark ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/iXdzFgzEmJR3cJcJbNoyq4NwGx2cPFcrNviVFps4KAM/ede4cbe757644438881f7accd5057882.webp?size=large) #### Jade replied on 2023-09-20 ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/iXdzFgzEmJR3cJcJbNoyq4NwGx2cPFcrNviVFps4KAM/03a42d8b74024fc4b2527025a9c6e661.webp?size=large) --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_