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this orchid was thriving in water culture up until about a week ago.… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

Jade

this orchid was thriving in water culture up until about a week ago. I removed the potting medium immediately after purchase and put it in here (water refilled as it evaporated spray fertilizer every 1.5 weeks) and its bloom lasted for 2 months. yesterday the top half of the stem turned yellow and the remaining blooms fell, now a couple of the roots don’t feel mushy but they feel hollow. What can I do about this so it will be able to re-bloom (I cut back the stem to the first closed eye)

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  1. Waspinator

    First, assess root health. Sterilize some trimmers and cut away any dead roots (anything that feels hollow. If you pull on a dead root, the outer layer will come off and reveal a tiny string-like bit inside. That's a sure sign that it's dead.) Live roots should be firm if you press on them, but having been in water so long, yours may be a bit squishier than normal. With the roots cleaned up, pot it in orchid bark. Add a little bit of sphagnum moss near but not touching the roots. Since yours has few healthy roots, you may want to stake it to help keep it stable. For care going forward, water it directly on its roots and wet the medium (the sphag in there will help increase humidity where it's needed) but make sure it drains thouroughly. Orchids are epiphytes (they cling to trees in the wild), so their roots need a lot of air around them. If they don't dry between waterings, they're very prone to rot. (That's why chunky bark mixes are used; they allow a lot of air near the roots). Water about once a week. Do not get water in the crown (where the leaves all meet) and dry that area if you splash there

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