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Help with my struggling orchid :( Hi! I’m pretty new to taking care… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta-fellesskap

Iyana

Help with my struggling orchid :( Hi! I’m pretty new to taking care of plants and could use some advice with my moth orchid. I’ve had her for a while, but she hasn’t been doing very well for the past month or two. A few of her leaves have fallen off, and the remaining leaves are pretty droopy/wrinkled and have some discoloration. I’ve been watering her and she’s been getting plenty of sun but I know she definitely needs to be repotted soon. I’m not super familiar with orchids yet, so I’m not sure if the issue is the roots, watering, old potting medium, or a combination of things. I added pictures of the leaves, roots, and current potting mix. Does anyone know what might be going on and what I should do when I repot her? I’d really like to save her if I can! 🥲🌱

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1 like 8 kommentarer

8 kommentarer

  1. 🌷Anna🌷

    I’ve never been able to keep an orchid alive in the mix they normally put it in. I’ve been nursing my orchid (that was just one or two healthy leaves left) back to health; I started by removing it from the pot and all of its contents, cutting off any leaves that looked too wrinkly and dehydrated to bounce back, washing the roots off and snipping any mushy/dead ones, and then placing just a portion of the roots in water. It will help encourage the roots to grow more without fully submerging and rotting them in the process. I’ve seen videos on different ways to grow orchids, and none of them are ever with the original pine chips/sphagnum moss/cage thing that they sell it to you in! I hope that helps you get started on your orchid’s road to recovery :-)

    3 likes
    • Iyana

      Thank you so much!! This is really helpful 🫶🏽 I’m definitely going to take her out and check/clean up the roots when I repot her. I only have 3 leaves left and 2 of them are pretty wrinkled though. Would you recommend leaving those on for now since they’re still green, or do you think they’re too far gone?

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  2. Diana

    I leave mine on until they dry off enough to fall off on their own. It will like separate itself from the plant. I’m definitely not an expert but maybe since you don’t have a lot of healthier leaves left I’d leave those on to help the plant still. Just what I would do—probably both ways are fine!

    3 likes
    • Iyana

      Thank you!! 🥹 I think I’m definitely going to leave the leaves on and let her decide when she’s done with them lol. I was so nervous to cut them since she only has 3 left 😭 I really appreciate the advice!! 🫶🏽

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  3. Waspinator

    She is dehydrated. The light level looks fine. To help her recover, repot (soak her roots in room-temperature water for 20 minutes to an hour to help make them flexible. Use the same pot and orchid bark. You can remove the peat pellet she's currently hanging onto.) When you repot, check root health and trim away any dead ones (healthy roots are firm if you press on them, and either green, pale yellow, or white. You can expect some dry dead roots that are shriveled, tan to brown, and hollow.) For ongoing care, water directly on the roots, use room temperature water, and water about once a week. Do not get water in the crown (where all the leaves meet) and dry it if you splash it.

    2 likes
    • Waspinator

      Also if you can, peel/trim off the dry sheaths from those leaves that dropped off; new roots come in under those, so removing the dry material can make it easier for fresh roots to come out. This is optional, if they come off easily, great, if not you can leave them as-is

      2 likes
    • Iyana

      Omg thank you so much!! 😭🫶🏽 This is seriously so helpful, especially what to look for with the roots because I was scared I’d accidentally cut healthy ones lol. I’m going to get some fresh orchid bark and repot her ASAP! I’ll try removing the dry sheaths too if they come off easily. Thank you again!! 🥹

      2 likes
  4. Darlene

    For some strange reason I have great luck with moth orchids. I have one that is 10 years old. I plant them in a mixture of orchid bark, perlite and potting soil, loosely packed. I cut off any brown or shriveled roots. I let it completely dry and then wait a few more days. Water until it comes out the bottom of the pot, make sure it's done dripping. I then put it back in it's place on my dishwasher by the window. It's in bloom more than not, andI hardly ever have a leaf die on me. I also have them in orchid pots so they get a lot of air to the roots. I hope you find this helpful. Good luck!

    1 like