EMERGENCY!! I cut my orchid base with a razor.

neworchidlover · #1 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 01:37 PM

Well my orchid was doing better. All of its blooms fell off and it turned yellow....and I brought back home and gave it water. Everything that everyone suggested.

I left a little bit of the stem still there. So I finally went back to cut the rest of it off. In the process of cutting the stem, the razor went right into about half of the base of the plant. The base of the plant that's below all of the leaves but above the roots. There is a thin line. I can lift-up the plant and it's about half still attached.

The leaves are still standing up on the plant just fine.

Is there any hope of the plantre repairing itself?? Or will it be detached in that place forever?? Will it die???

I'm so upset.

mayres · #2 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 01:53 PM

Are we talking a phalaenopsis here? If so, assuming your blade was sterile or otherwise not contaminated with disease organisms, my guess is that the plant will not repair itself, but will not die either. It may stall somewhat in its growth as it works overtime to bring up nourishment through half the vascular system designed to give it life, but eventually will grow beyond the injured section to where it will not be an issue at all. You might spinkle a little cinnamon on the area as a preventative measure.

neworchidlover · #3 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 01:57 PM

Yes it is a phalaenopsis. I am so upset!!!! How could I have done that?? It was doing so much better and everyone gave me such great advice. I had the blade in one of the pockets of my wallet. I had used it before a week ago to cut the stem originally....

Where should I put the cinnamon. Inside the plant where it was cut? On the roots? Or just on the outside of where the cut is? Should I use some duct tape, or different tape around the area where the cut is? Just to give it some more stability??

My poor plant

How will it ever grow beyond the injured section if the base of the plant will always be half-attached?? Don't the leaves grow from the top??

**articuno75** · #4 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 02:20 PM

You can make a seal to repair it. Use Elmer's glue and powder cinnamon, mix it together and place the concoction over the cut. This will bind the two halves and hold it together, plus prevent fungus and bacterial infection.

patlee · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 02:59 PM

Don't be sad...it was an accident! Did you read the post about the screw driver? As horrific as it sounds, some people actually stab their plants in the crown to induce basal keikis. Jenny's idea sounds great and maybe the orchid god will send you a new baby...Let us know what happens...

mayres · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 02:59 PM

Yes, it will eventually grow beyond the cut section - in a few years. These plants grow from the top/crown and just keep growing taller and taller as the bottom leaves are dying - and the bottom of the plant can eventually be removed.

neworchidlover · #7 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 03:18 PM

But how will the top grow if the bottom will always be injured and cut. The bottom is the base of the plant and if it's unstable... how will the top grow? This is just terrible, terrible.

Thank you for the Elmer's glue and cinnamon suggestion. What ratio of glue to cinnamon should I use? Should the entire coating be brown (ie lots of cinnamon) or just a little cinnamon and most of it glue? Have you done this before with good results?

**articuno75** · #8 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 03:49 PM

The ratio should be 75/25.
25 being cinnamon. You want to keep the glue to the point that it's pliable and not make the mix too doughy. It should hold well and won't hurt the plant.

neworchidlover · #9 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 04:53 PM

Hi Jenny. OK I just completed her surgery...!!!! I hope she does OK. Geez my poor poor plant. She's been through so much in the past week! How long do you think it will take for me to tell how she's doing? For example, if like 3 or 4 days pass and she seems to be doing OK. Would you say she is in the clear?

Thanks for your help Jenny!!

**articuno75** · #10 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 05:47 PM

The glue can hold up to a couple of months.

As for the predicting on how well she's going to do? That even I wouldn't know, but usually within a week you can tell. Can you post a pic???

neworchidlover · #11 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 08:36 PM

Well she looks OK right now....the leaves are still looking pretty happy and green. Though it's only been 7 hours or so since the big accident/surgery....I will bring my camera into work tomorrow (she sits on my desk) and put up a picture for you!! Send positive healing thoughts to my orchid everyone!!! Thanks to everyone for their Emergency help!

**articuno75** · #12 (**permalink**) 06-01-2008, 10:40 PM

The prayers to the orchid gods are on the way!!!

neworchidlover · #13 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 03:37 PM

Hello Jenny and everyone....sorry I have not posted a picture though I was gone in Europe for a week and then have been forgetting to bring in my camera to work where my plant sits.

Well the leaves of my plant still look good. They are perky and green and still standing up straight. The only odd thing is that some part of the base of the plant are starting to turn yellow. For example at the very bottom where the bottom leaf touches the roof, the place where the leaf connects to the root is very dry and almost a pale white and looks to be disconnecting from the root. Though this is only like for one centimeter.

Also the glue is coming undone and no longer is sticking to that area of the plant. And it is lifting up. The section where it was is a very pale brown/yellow color and seems very dry as well. It seems like the areas where the leaves connect to the base of the plant are turning dry and almost disconnecting from the plant.

Though the actual leaves themselves are big, green, and are standing upright. It's been almost 4 weeks since the accident and the leaves have been OK. Could it take over 4 weeks for the plant to start to deteriorate?

I will try and post a picture of what I am talking about later tonight

neworchidlover · #14 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:19 AM

Hello everyone!!

Here are some pictures of my orchid plant.

As you can see the area at the bottom of the base by the roots has turned white and is starting to peel off...The area where the cut was has also turned white and is starting to peel. I thought maybe it was the glue wearing away though what is odd is that this is occurring at higher points where the leaves actually attach to the plant...which makes me think that this is fungal.

For most of the plant the area that is white and peeling off is just a centimeter or so long. And in the photos its really just the white dry/beige spots. For the photo where the base of the orchid is brown...the brown part is just the cinnamon and glue mixture. It's the white part to the right of the darker brown part that is the portion which is drying up and detaching from the plant. There is some root rot at the bottom, so perhaps maybe that is contributing?

I'm not sure what to do!!! I don't want it to get sick

neworchidlover · #15 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:45 AM

Hello Everyone:

As some of you may or may not remember I had an unfortunate accident with my Orchid plant...I was trimming the dried stem with a razor blade...and the razor blade went too far and cut about half of the plant stem.

I used the cinnamon/elmers glue that Jenny suggested and it seemed to work really well. Jenny sent her prayers to the Orchid gods and it seemed to be doing OK. Then I left for Europe and came back one of the leaves was yellow. It dried up and fell off, though this was the leaf that was closest to the bottom and it always had problems anyways.

The part of the plant where the cut was, has dried up and is peeling off away from the plant. Though what is odd is that the edges where the leaves meet the center/base of the plant are also drying up to be white and detaching from the plant as well.

For most of the plant the area that is white and peeling off is just a centimeter or so long. And in the photos its really just the white dry/beige spots. For the photo where the base of the orchid is brown...the brown part is just the cinnamon and glue mixture. It's the white part to the right of the darker brown part that is the portion which is drying up and detaching from the plant.

I thought that the drying/peeling/detaching was due to the glue/cut. Though if you look, this is happening everywhere on the plant. On the sides of leaves and at higher points where the leaves actually attach to the plant...which makes me think that this is some sort of fungus?

There is some root rot at the bottom, so perhaps maybe that is contributing? I’m not sure what to do

It’s a miracle the plant made it out alive after the terrible cut it had…and I want to do the best that I can to protect it and makes sure it stays happy and healthy!! Thank you!!

**brookn** · #16 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:46 AM

It's fine as far as I can tell. I have a couple of Phals that have drying and browning on those edges, and the one on the leaf is probably a rub mark (mechanical damage). I put a pic of a very healthy Phal. seedling that I have, and you can see the browning on it. I am not concerned with it in the least. It does look like it could use a repot though, and some of those dead roots trimmed. It looks nice and healthy otherwise. I say water it when it needs it, and ignore it for a while lol.

**brookn** · #17 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:48 AM

Hee hee, their fine, it looks good. Check your original post.

neworchidlover · #18 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 01:58 PM

Hello! Thank you for your message. I don't know...The places that are white are literally peeling away and detaching from the plant. If you look at the first picture posted on the far, far left. See the brown part with all the cinnamon on it. That entire thing, which is about an inch long, is totally detached from the actual plant. I don't think that the leaves are supposed to try and start detaching from the base of the plant. What should I do about that big part that is detached? Should I cut it off?? Or just leave it be? Put cinnamon on it?

The other question I had is how does on repot? Do I just buy a new pot? A bigger pot? Or can I just rinse out the old pot with water and that makes it like new?

tizzycat · #19 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 03:54 PM

I agree with Brook, apart from watering and a repot forget about it. It really doesn't look bad at all.

Is that Sphagnum moss around the roots?? Personally I use bark, but this is purely down to personal preference, and yes you can clean and re-use the old pot - once you have trimmed any dead roots and teezed out the old potting medium it should fit nicely.

Try the following tried and tested method of watering:

Skewer use for watering of orchids

Also look in the index for "repotting phals" for a pictorial guide of how to repot:

Easy Orchid

The Following User Says Thank You to articuno75 For This Useful Post:
Rishad Kalarikkal (10-18-2008)