The main causes of root loss
The orchid family is quite extensive. It contains both terrestrial and epiphytic species. Therefore, they will differ in the varieties of the root system. Their roots can receive nutrition both from the air environment and directly from the substrate. But they all have one thing in common, they are easily damaged and die if the rules of care are violated.
The most common causes of root loss are:
- non-compliance with the watering regime, flooding or overdrying can very quickly destroy even the healthiest roots;
- inappropriate temperature conditions, systematic hypothermia or overheating also do not contribute to the health of the root system;
- pests.
But there are also a number of other reasons. Despite this, do not immediately throw out the damaged plant. In most cases, its roots can be successfully grown. For this, a wide variety of methods can be used.
Reasons for the loss of orchid leaves
Sometimes the leaf plates of the plant begin to die quickly and the bush quickly loses its foliage. As a result, the orchid itself dies. This happens for various reasons, here are the most common ones.
The end of the flowering period
Sometimes, after a lush flowering, the plant loses some of its leaves. If these are 1-2 leaf plates, then this should not worry the grower. It is bad when the bush remains completely without leaves. If this happened, then it is worth finding the reason.
The loss of a few leaves after flowering is a natural process.
Natural process
For an adult bush, the loss of one leaf per year is a normal condition, if at the same time it grows new leaves. This is a natural aging process of the lower leaves. And this should not cause concern for the grower.
Poor root condition due to over-watering
When watering is carried out with an enviable frequency and a large amount of water, moisture from the soil does not have time to evaporate; under these conditions, the root system of the plant may begin to rot.
A small number of roots will not be able to feed many leaves and the extra ones will begin to die off. In this case, it is urgent to start growing new roots so that the flower does not completely throw off its foliage.
IMPORTANT! It is necessary to organize the correct mode of irrigation with soft water.
Chemical burn of the root system with fertilizers
If the plant was fed on dry roots, this causes a burn of the root system and it begins to dry out. With a decrease in the number of roots, the amount of leaf mass decreases.
The flower is fertilized only after watering on a wet root system.
Chemical burn of roots.
Overdrying the plant
With rare watering, the orchid dries up part of its roots, since they do not get the moisture in the required amount. Further, as usual: no roots - no foliage. We urgently need to reanimate the flower and build up its root system.
How to save a plant without leaves? We will answer further.
Revitalization features
Each individual case of resuscitation of the phalaenopsis orchid has its own characteristics, you cannot revive all plants with one method:
for a stem without leaves, germination is suitable only in a greenhouse, it is important to provide the required amount of light
But direct sunlight can finally kill the plant;
no growth point an orchid can also survive, for this it is reanimated in an ordinary pot, which is selected under the rhizome
Particular attention should be paid to watering, it is carried out by spraying and very carefully so that only the roots are moistened;
in case of decay of roots, the stem can be restored without using a substrate
After trimming all affected roots and treating with fungicide, the plant can be simply attached to a solid piece of foam and simply hung in partial shade;
the allowed drying out of the soil will also affect the roots, only the effect will be directly opposite to decay
The roots will simply dry out. To restore them after a preliminary preparatory process, the stem is restored in a greenhouse, or new roots are germinated above water;
Advice! A good effect will be from pre-soaking the orchid in a stimulant preparation.
- With hypothermia, each case is studied separately, because the damage can be completely different. If you grabbed leaves and peduncles, then after a long rehabilitation, the stem will survive. The same will happen with frozen roots. If the growth point has suffered, namely, it has become transparent and watery, then no resuscitation will help here;
- Sunburns do not heal, the plant can simply be protected from this. You just need to move the pot to another window or build a small shelter. Affected leaves are usually cut and discarded;
Sunburn.
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The peduncles of the phalaenopsis orchid dry up in two cases (depending on the reason and choose a recovery method):
- from lack of moisture;
- from an excess of feeding.
- Rot on the neck of the plant will require urgent intervention, and the rehabilitation process will be lengthy. First, decay is removed to live tissues, the sections must be processed. In the future, they monitor the recovery process under natural conditions, only after watering and spraying all moisture from the leaves and stem is soaked. A warm shower in the near future is categorically contraindicated for this orchid;
- The damaged crown will bring the least harm to the stem, it is enough just to cut off all the damaged leaves and process the clipping point. Further, regular watering and feeding will do the trick, the plant will quickly grow.
How to grow a new root system
For successful resuscitation of an orchid, it is important to choose the right method. A plant that has lost no more than 60% of its roots will need 30 days to recover
If more than 90% is lost, it will take 8-12 months for new roots to grow. When choosing a suitable method, take into account:
- the number and condition of the remaining leaves;
- the presence of root primordia on the outlet;
- conditions that a florist can provide.
In greenhouse conditions
Greenhouse resuscitation is the most effective method. For a plant in it, you can create an optimal combination of temperature and humidity on a constant basis.
The process consists of the following steps:
- The container is filled with drainage, and sphagnum steamed moss on top.
- A leaf rosette is placed in the moss and installed in a greenhouse.
- During the process, a humidity of 70-90% and a temperature of 22-28 degrees are maintained inside the greenhouse. Temperatures below 20 degrees and above 30 degrees will stop growth and cause the development of fungal diseases. Daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.
The method is suitable even for those cases where the roots are completely lost. The first shoots appear in 14-15 days. In normal conditions, the orchid is placed when they reach a length of 3-4 cm, on average this happens within a month.
Without using a greenhouse
Reanimation without a greenhouse is carried out by watering and drying. A deep glass vessel is required for the procedure. The procedure is as follows:
- A cut orchid rosette is lowered into a vessel, fixed in a suspended state, and water is poured to such a level that it touches the lower part, but does not touch the leaves.
- The plant is left in water for 6 hours. Then it is drained and left to dry overnight.
- The procedure is repeated daily until the roots hatch on the bottom of the outlet.
Advice! To speed up the process, honey (1 tsp) or glucose (1 tbsp) is added to the water.
Withering plant care and further prevention
What if an orchid has rotted roots? Do rhizomes reanimate? Yes, this can be done by caring for the plant that is in the greenhouse. To do this, you need to water the soil from time to time and monitor the ventilation, which is best done in the dark. Oxygen begins to be saturated with carbon dioxide, which in turn has a beneficial effect on the reproduction of the root system. In two weeks, the first roots will appear, and when they reach 3-4 cm, the reanimated orchid can be transplanted into the usual conditions.
After finding out all the possible reasons why the roots of an orchid rot and because of what it has lost a lot of leaves, you need to find out about preventive measures that will not allow orchid resuscitation to be required so often. To do this, you need to monitor good lighting, air temperature and sufficient watering so that the roots do not rot due to waterlogging. If the orchid was damaged during the first breeding, root extension also poses a problem for the entire development, which is undesirable to repeat.
To use one of the preventive methods, first you need to find out the cause of the infection or other damage. There are several ways of varying degrees of exposure so that such problems do not appear:
Every person's medicine cabinet contains common antibiotics that can be used on flowers as well, but they must be used very carefully. If only the leaves have rotted and they were cut off, then the flower feeds on the stem
You can get rid of the flower, but not the entire peduncle. After being saturated with nutrients, it will dry out, and the orchid will get rid of it by itself. But if the peduncle does not look the best from the very beginning, then it is better to remove it immediately. The planting container should be equipped with holes and well ventilated, and the soil should not be made too dense so that nothing interferes with air circulation. You need to water the plant not according to the schedule, but according to the color of the root system. It is necessary to take into account the illumination, especially in autumn and winter. During this period, it is desirable to reduce fertilization.
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1 Reasons for wilting orchids
Phalaenopsis orchid is a tropical plant that is adapted to grow and bloom in warmth. Therefore, in summer, it does not require additional lighting, heating and air humidification. With the onset of winter, the flower begins to consume less moisture and nutrients, which slows down its growth.
If you incorrectly react to the change of season and refuse to adjust the care of the flower, then root rotting begins.
The main reason for the wilting of an orchid is improper care of it. If 2-3 leaves of a flower have withered from below, then this is considered a normal condition. After a while, they will disappear, and the plant will continue to grow.
If all the leaves of Phalaenopsis have withered, then he needs urgent resuscitation.
There are several reasons for the wilting of the plant:
- Incorrect temperature conditions.
- Lack or excess of moisture.
- Incorrect feeding.
- Unsuitable soil.
- Unsuitable substrate.
- Illiterate transplant.
