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My sister was given this orchid and it doesn’t look to be in too good… | The Orchid Oasis | Planta-Community

Anita

My sister was given this orchid and it doesn’t look to be in too good of shape. The roots seem to be rotten and the leaves are wrinkly and turning yellow. I am not sure where to start in helping this orchid out. Please help.

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  1. MeasomerPi

    I would start by cutting the inflorescence back to the base of the plant once the final bloom drops. There is a way to try for a second bloom but in the following year flowers tend to be fewer in number and sometimes smaller. Flowering is very taxing process for the plants and yours will benefit on focusing on root and leaf development. When you get ready to repot, I would first give it a good soak as things are easier when hydrated. Take the orchid out of the pot and gently remove the media from the roots. Try get it all, but it’s fine if you have to leave some so you don’t damage the roots. And don’t worry if you damage some roots. It isn’t great but it happens. Just try to minimize as much as possible. Examine the roots for health and pests. Trim off any dead or dying roots. Dead roots are papery or mushy, black or brown. Healthy roots are firm and green when wet, silvery when dry. Deeper into the media you may encounter pale yellow roots. It just means they haven’t been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled roots as long as they are firm. Based on the mount of roots in the photos, I would reuse the pot it’s in. You can add holes to help the roots dry out. I would repot using a mix of 50% sphagnum 50% bark. That will allow moisture to hang around long enough for the roots to take in what they want without cutting off air circulation. If you are a heavy waterer you can reduce the amount of sphagnum in your mix. My preference is straight bark. The key is a loose airy mix that will allow the roots to dry between waterings. Regardless of what mix you use, gently work it around the roots. I use an old chopstick for the job. The goal is to firmly seat the plant in the pot without packing the media. You want an airy mix that allows the roots to grab the water they want and then dry out. Orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. When I water, I soak the pot for 10-15 minutes. Wait until the media dries out (look for silver roots) before watering again. For my setup, that works out to roughly once a week. Each time I water, I use fertilizer at 1/4 strength. Once a month flush with pure water to reduce salt buildup (this is especially important if you are using synthetic fertilizer). Put your plant in in bright but indirect light. Direct sun will burn a phal pretty quickly. Too low and you won’t get blooms. I have mine an a west window that is shaded by landscaping. They get absolutely no direct sun. If the edges of the leaves turn reddish you know you are at the max limit of sun for your plant. The best tip for orchids is learn. Read up on their care if you are so inclined. There are several channels on YouTube with information on orchid care, like Miss Orchid Girl, Here.. but Not, and Hello Plant Lovers. Podcasts like Plant Daddy and On the Ledge are useful. The American Orchid Society is another handy resource. I especially like their monthly to do lists. If you really want to dive into the rabbit hole, you can look for orchid societies in your area; nothing can replace interacting directly with growers that have been doing it for years. Good luck!

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  2. Beth

    It may be too far gone. That moss looks like the media they have it in at the grocery stores, which is great for presentation I store, but not so great for at home long term care. It definitely needs to get quite the haircut (those roots look papery and mushy)

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  3. Jen

    It’ll definitely be set back, but this is totally save-able. You have some decent looking roots there. If you take the steps outlined above, and practice some patience, she’ll bounce back.

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  4. Elapse

    Yes my mom got one of these from the grocery store and I was put in the exact same spot as you. I replanted mine a few weeks ago and it hasn’t grown at all but I’m hoping the roots are loving the new soil and pot behind the scenes.

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