How do I nurse bad roots back to good health?

[whalloper]

Hi all,

I have been repotting a lot the past few weeks as I've been talking about in other posts. Some plants have had few mushy roots and pretty healthy roots otherwise. There have been a few with horrible roots...like 80 maybe even 90% dead. It doesnt seem like the growers ever really repotted, they just added new moss around the old rootball. Will I lose these plants most likely? What is the best thing(s) I can do to encourage good root growth so I can get a bloom next year?

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by whalloper

How do I nurse bad roots back to good health?

The short answer is: you don't. Plant tissues can not regenerate or "heal" like human and animal tissues can. If a leaf is broken or a root is mushy it will not repair itself.

Originally Posted by whalloper

It doesnt seem like the growers ever really repotted, they just added new moss around the old rootball. Will I lose these plants most likely? What is the best thing(s) I can do to encourage good root growth so I can get a bloom next year?

It's a sad reality but the grower probably didn't ever repot it. Some growers (not necessarily saying this is the case with your grower) would rather get the plant sold and off their bench and then it becomes your problem than take the time and spend the resources necessary to repot 4 or 5 or even 600 phals.

What I'd recommend is to remove all previous potting mix, moss, bark everything, remove all dead, mushy roots, even if that means you're left with only a few, and repot in a pot just big enough to comfortably hold the roots.

This and good culture (get a phal culture sheet from AOS | Members Only Area or from the forum here) will help the plant to get reestablished and grow some new roots. Given the root loss and thereby the shock to the plant, I wold not expect it to flower next year. Just give it excellent culture. It should start growing new roots then a new leaf or two and I tink there's a good chance the plant will survive. We've certainly heard stories about phals that sounded far worse than yours pull through and eventually flower.

Some of the phal experts should be along before too long to add their advice.

[Zsophia]

I am no expert but this is what I do. I make sure to remove all the bad roots, than I sprinke a little cinnamon to evey cut end, even it was no damage made to the root. Than I repot them and spray them throughly with a root hormone. Than I just keep a close eye on them. I saved some Phals and I have 2 very dryed out roots vandas, I just bought in Lowes and they are already doing better.

One of the local orchid grower also told me to get the Superthrive and treat it with that in the first few weeks. I did not have a chance to try that, but I am sure it works.

There is no guarantee for rebloom next year. Good luck.

[whalloper]

Originally Posted by Zsophia

One of the local orchid grower also told me to get the Superthrive and treat it with that in the first few weeks. I did not have a chance to try that, but I am sure it works.

There is no guarantee for rebloom next year. Good luck.

I use dilluted superthrive when I water along with GrowMore 20-10-20 (green). The Superthrive bottle is so confusing, how much should I use per gallon to help new root growth?

Also, I have rooting hormore, how should I treat the roots with it???

[mehitabel]

I'll second what Zsophia said about spraying the leaves with root hormone. I would do this every day for two or three days. A soak in water with 2Tbsp sugar and about 1/2 tsp superthrive seems to help mine perk up.

I either put them into a humidity dome (if small enough), or put baggies over the leaves, one baggie on each side, fastened with butterfly clips. This helps keep the area around the leaves humid and staves off the evil day of the leaf dying, sometimes forever. This has made 100% of the difference for mine. I leave them bagged up for at least 6 weeks or til I can see new roots starting.

Growers have to keep their costs down to sell orchids as cheaply as people want them. Orchids are definitely discretionary spending, and have to compete with all the other possible uses for our extra $$-- shoes, lipsticks, eating out. Repotting is at least semi-skilled labor, so no, they can't find the help to do it, and can't afford it if they are going to sell cheap. That's why most of us repot as soon as we get a new orchid.

Good luck.