How to grow new roots

[prorchid]

I have an orchid (I think it's an Epidendrum) that was looking dyhydrated. When I checked to repot it I found that the roots where all rotten.

I cut all the roots up close to the orchid. I then put the orchid in a fungiside.

I then let them dry. I'am watering the leaves to help in rehydration until the roots regrow.

Now I would like advice on how to stimulate root growth. I plan on using hormones (Superthrive).

Any advice is welcomed.

Thank you.

[kine671]

Seaweed extract. My plants go crazy growing new roots with since I started using it in conjunction with my normal fertilizer. I would skip the fertilizer for now though. Let's see what the other more experienced growers have to say. You have any pics of your plant to share?

[prorchid]

I can post some pictures.

[RebelCowgirl]

I use KLN rooting hormone and it works well for me.

[orchids4me]

Yes, please do post more pics

[Puddy1]

Originally Posted by kine671

Seaweed extract. My plants go crazy growing new roots with since I started using it in conjunction with my normal fertilizer. I would skip the fertilizer for now though. Let's see what the other more experienced growers have to say. You have any pics of your plant to share?

I would go to the seaweed juice as well. I swear by that stuff. I soak my bark it it for any potting I do. Although I don't know about a plant with no roots at all. I will defer to someone more experienced...

[prorchid]

Here are the pictures of my rootless orchid.

[prorchid]

I posted the pictures

[Filb]

I've tried two different approaches.
The first is to soak the whole plant in a rooting hormone (either KLN or seaweed extract) and very dilute fertilizer for 12 hours and hang to dry. How often you do this will depend on your environment (humidity, temperature etc.).
That worked very well for my Phalaenopsis.

I also tried mounting a rootless plant. Many of the people on the forum swear by this technique. Nothing has happened so far. I mounted it two weeks ago and haven't seen any progress yet.

I think increasing humidity (while still maintaining good airflow) is one of the key factors in reviving rootless plants. If there is more humidity, the plant will be robbed of less moisture from the air, therefore allowing it to respire and hopefully produce new tissues.

But man, I really feel for you. I am so tired of rootless plants! I wish you the best of luck!

[Mira-Claude]

When no roots are present I usually put the plant on wet sphag (24/7 wet) with superthrive 1 drop per litter.
So far none have perished, but rehabilitation takes a while.
I also make sure there is a fan oscillating in it's general direction 24/7.
I also tend to give them lower light so as to make sure the leaves don't burn also. Because no roots is a problem, no roots and no leaves is a dead plant!
But that is me!
Good luck!

[larryt]

Seaweed extract works well for me but I never had one that was totaly rootless.

Good luck.

[RebelCowgirl]

I have a Catt that looked just like that, I mixed KLN and Superthrive as directed and soak it in the mixture for about 1 hr. once a week. I have it in moss and coir, and its in a tent where the humidity stays around 75-80. I am just starting to see some growth.

[prorchid]

Thank you all.

I'm going to dip the roots in superthrive for al least an hour, then I'm going to take it out of dip and then put it in a plastic container covered so that it can stay humid. I will check from time to time to see any progress.

Again thank you all.

[jerrymeola]

By the way you have a Cattleya hybrid predominately Bassovola.

[Milagros220]

Hello all. This is my first post. I have an orchid that was given to me about 2 years ago. They told me it has not bloomed in the past 5 years! So that makes it a total of 7 years that this plant has not bloomed. But to top it off, every winter it hates to be watered and looses many of it's leaves. I RARELY water it because of this. I wait until it's dry which take a while. With that being said, its roots have somehow all rotted. I still consider myself new to orchids. I'm not even sure what kind of an orchid this is. I believe it has a ki-ki (spelling?) on the top. The KiKi is growing on a stalk that I think has rotted on the bottom. So I guess my questions are 1- Will the KiKi survive? 2- Is there a way to save the entire plant? Any advice will help. Thanks in advance!

[bearded orchid]

You have a Dendrobium there and that is indeed a keiki. It looks to be shooting out roots so I would keep it on the cane for now. Since the cane is shooting out a baby, it will most lokely die after a while. Keep the baby attached so it can absorb nutrients from the can and then look at potting it up in some orchid bark mix. Give it good waterings but then let it dry out almost completely between waterings. Once the keiki gets a little bigger, snip it off the cane a little below where it is attached. It can takes almost Cattleya grade light but would be a little less while it is young.

Now regarding the op, I've been working to revive a Phalaenopsis speciosa C1 with little if any roots. I've been keeping it in a dish of damp sphagum in a large partly opened ziplock bag for humidity and will give it a 12 hour soak in quarter strength fertilizer and KLN rooting hormone once a week. It doesn't get much light and I have it resting on top of my t5 bank of lights sort of like a heat mat. It has plumped back up again but the roots are still slow to do anything yet.

[PaulB]

Good advice, Phil-
I had a similar situation with some keikis a friend brought over from Hawaii last summer. I did pretty much what you said above and with a bit of patience, have keikis that are growing. It was a bit dicey at first, because he cut them off the mother canes a bit too early and the roots were pretty weak. Still, patience and care is what growing orchids is all about.

[Leafmite]

My phal-type dendrobiums do well in large lava rock and net pots. In the winter, they do tend to prefer being on the dry side if conditions are cooler. When you eventually remove the kiki, I'd advise including part of the stem on both sides where it is attached to help avoid harm. Good luck,
leafmite

[Micky]

Originally Posted by Filb

I've tried two different approaches.
The first is to soak the whole plant in a rooting hormone (either KLN or seaweed extract) and very dilute fertilizer for 12 hours and hang to dry. How often you do this will depend on your environment (humidity, temperature etc.).
That worked very well for my Phalaenopsis.

I also tried mounting a rootless plant. Many of the people on the forum swear by this technique. Nothing has happened so far. I mounted it two weeks ago and haven't seen any progress yet.

I think increasing humidity (while still maintaining good airflow) is one of the key factors in reviving rootless plants. If there is more humidity, the plant will be robbed of less moisture from the air, therefore allowing it to respire and hopefully produce new tissues.

But man, I really feel for you. I am so tired of rootless plants! I wish you the best of luck!

I think I'm going to have to try this on some of my orchids.... Thanks

[Risalegre]

Prorchid,
About your bag technique I have some questions:
-Did you get good results so far by soaking the plant+roots in Superthrive solution and then putting it on a closed bag?
-Is the bag fully closed or there is a small opening open for aireation?
-How often do you soak it in Superthrive? Weekly?
-Is the plant alone inside the bag or there some peatmoss/sphagn with it?

I'm trying to rescue one of my Phals without good viable roots and I wanted to know how this technique was working to give it a try.

Thanks,

Alex

[Dane]

I have heard that vitamin b1 is good for root growth and that you must soak your plant in it for half an hour, most of the main orchid nuraries do that.
And the nice thing is it is easly obtained by a pharmacy!

[Mamarazzi]

Originally Posted by kine671

Seaweed extract. My plants go crazy growing new roots with since I started using it in conjunction with my normal fertilizer. I would skip the fertilizer for now though. Let's see what the other more experienced growers have to say. You have any pics of your plant to share?

Do you order this online? I live in a rural community and I wouldn't know where to go even when I do go into the closest city.

Thanks a lot!

Lisa

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

My phal-type dendrobiums do well in large lava rock and net pots. In the winter, they do tend to prefer being on the dry side if conditions are cooler. When you eventually remove the kiki, I'd advise including part of the stem on both sides where it is attached to help avoid harm. Good luck,
leafmite

When they are in lava rock, how do you tell how often to water them? Do you just water them every day or 2? I had an epi in lava rock and was unsure, so I switched it to lava rock s/h

[Mamarazzi]

Originally Posted by Mamarazzi

Do you order this online? I live in a rural community and I wouldn't know where to go even when I do go into the closest city.

Thanks a lot!

Lisa

I ordered KLN, Superthrive and seaweed. I've been mixing and alternating with fantastic results! I have a small orchid that was down to one root about 1.5" long and now have a root coming from the base about 1/2" long!

I hope yours is doing better, thanks for posting and thanks for all the replies that helped me, too!

Lisa