---
title: "I know she’s an orchid. I bought her about 5 plus years ago. Today, I…"
description: "I know she’s an orchid. I bought her about 5 plus years ago. Today, I finally got her some new soil (orchid soil) and cut the dead roots off. She has many firm…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/JmTUi1iSQr6-tX35luAMXQ/GihXrL7UvaChuwXlvofdBM"
community: "The Orchid Oasis"
author: "Brandy213122"
published: "2025-06-01T16:34:31.486927Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/em6SGOzDMzTNMcUB8xbQzRl2EvqCcnELZStyV8ZTYKI/k4Ux3SUaRGahUVQU3v6I-Q.webp?size=large"
---

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# I know she’s an orchid. I bought her about 5 plus years ago. Today, I…

_Posted by Brandy213122 on 2025-06-01_

I know she’s an orchid. I bought her about 5 plus years ago. Today, I finally got her some new soil (orchid soil) and cut the dead roots off. She has many firm ones but many dead ones. I would LOVE to see if I can get her to bloom again. Any ideas? I have a concentrated orchid food. Should I use it now? I try to collect rain water when we have it for her. A caterpillar got to her leaves a few years ago, which is why they look like that. Any suggestions not that I don’t think she’s pretty without the blooms.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/em6SGOzDMzTNMcUB8xbQzRl2EvqCcnELZStyV8ZTYKI/k4Ux3SUaRGahUVQU3v6I-Q.webp?size=large)

## 5 comments

### Honestorchid commented on 2025-06-01

FERTILIZER also did it not grow more leaves

#### Brandy213122 replied on 2025-06-01

It has. That’s the one thing it has grown.

#### Honestorchid replied on 2025-06-01

They love direct sunlight if u can or get it a grow light

### Waspinator commented on 2025-06-02

Getting orchids can be tricky. They need specific humidity and temperature on a day-night cycle to do it. I have had one successfully rebloom, and I'm pretty sure that one was convinced to flower because it was in a spot that wasn't heated or cooled very well, so it got natural fluctuations during late winter/early spring

### Adrian commented on 2025-06-12

Did you treat the dead roots with hydrogen peroxide if any of the roots were rotted? If not, spraying the roots with peroxide will not only kill any lingering bacteria from rot on the roots, but bring some extra oxygen to the roots.

If you’re taking the plant out of the soil to add peroxide to the roots (and if you see rot is still spreading, remove the plant completely from the soil and soak the roots in hydrogen peroxide for 20-30 minutes, then cut any other remaining rotted roots off), then pat the roots dry about 10-20 minutes after spraying the roots with peroxide, and sprinkling a fair amount of Bonide’s rooting powder to the roots will speed up the root development process to help the orchid recover faster, and if the root system is repaired and healthy, it will make the orchid more likely of blooming in the future. Hope this helps.

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