I can’t even count how many times I’ve come across with people panicking about their dying orchid, asking what they can do to save it.
And of course, I’ve had orchids too, that have shown signs of distress and approaching death. I’ve brought home several dying orchids from the clearance table, wanting to nurture them back to life.
So if you have a dying orchid in your hands, and you have come here for help, you’re in the right place. In most cases, with the proper care and immediate action, the orchid can be saved.
Depending on the issue, the orchid can be saved by re-potting, trimming off all the dead roots, cutting out leaves with spreading bacterial infection, relocating the plant, or by stimulating root growth.
Below, we’ll go through different common scenarios in more detail. To save your orchid, the first step is to diagnose what’s killing it.
Orchid with Root rot
One of the most common problems with orchids is root rot. This is mainly caused by overwatering the plant. Maybe it was left standing in water for long periods of time, which is a sure way to kill an orchid.
Root rot can also be caused by decomposing media because it turns acidic and therefore starts to damage the roots. Also, potting media that is too compact will suffocate the roots.
The way to diagnose root rot is by merely pulling out the plant from its pot. Remove all the media and inspect the roots; if they look mushy and dark in color, the diagnoses is indeed root rot.
All the bad roots need removing – you want to get rid of the dead weight! Cut with sterilized scissors or pruners, and spray with Hydrogen peroxide 3%. Repot in fresh orchid media.
From here on, make sure not to over-water your orchid. It must dry in-between waterings to avoid root rot from happening again.
You can read my article “How to water your orchid” for more instructions.
Dehydration
Another common problem with orchids is underwatering. Even though the orchid media needs to dry out in-between waterings, the plant doesn’t like to be dry for many days on a row. It will start to suffer quickly.
Therefore, you should never neglect your orchid for long periods of time.
During summer the media will dry out faster. Depending on your climate, the type of potting media you use, and even on the orchid itself, the watering needs can vary drastically.
Just because it was enough to water the orchid every three weeks during winter time, doesn’t mean that’s enough during spring and summer.
Alternatively, perhaps you did water often enough, but the method of watering wasn’t sufficient, causing the roots to dry out slowly.
Sometimes you can even bring home a brand new orchid that is already showing signs of dehydration.
Immediate visible signs of dehydration are wrinkly floppy leaves and very dry media (bark/moss). If the pot is clear plastic, you can detect dry roots even before taking the plant out of its pot.
Here’s how to deal with dehydrated orchids; After removing the old media, soak the roots in water or rinse under a running tap – always use lukewarm water, and don’t get the plant itself wet. Moistening the roots will help you see which roots are still alive and salvageable, and which to cut off.
With sterilized scissors or pruners, cut off all the dead-looking roots.
- Spray with Hydrogen peroxide 3%.
- Let air-dry for a moment and repot in fresh media.
- Water the orchid and put aside.
In an extreme case of dehydration, until the orchid starts to show signs of rehydration, you can use the container/plastic bag trick explained below under the section “How to save an orchid without roots?”.
From here on, make sure your orchid is watered as needed, to avoid dehydration from happening again in the future. See my article How to water your orchid for more information.
Crown Rot
Crown rot is one of the more severe problems affecting orchids. It occurs when water has gone inside the crown, which leads to rotting over time.
In nature, as orchids grow in the air, they grow sideways or ‘upside-down’ – this way, the crown can’t collect water, and therefore crown rot can’t occur.
As houseplants, we grow orchids upright, exposing the crown – if any water goes inside of it, which can quickly happen if not careful with watering, this can soon lead to crown rot.
If you ever get water in the crown, take some paper towel and put the corner of it inside the crown; keep it there until as much water as possible has been absorbed.
How to know your orchid is suffering from crown rot?
The crown has turned black, and some of the leaves might be falling off. Remaining leaves can be yellow by the crown.
The chances to save an orchid from crown rot aren’t the best, but you can still go ahead and try.
Unpot the orchid and remove the old media; remove all the mushy or dead roots, and spray the whole plant with Hydrogen peroxide 3%.
Let air-dry for a moment, and then wipe off any excess water left behind. Repot the orchid in a clean pot using fresh potting media. Make sure not to pot the orchid too deep in the media, as we want the crown to stay dry.
Next, apply ground cinnamon in the crown – this limits the fungal infection and prevents it from spreading.
Now all you can do is wait and hope for the best. Water your orchid as required.
How to save an orchid without roots?
It’s not unheard of to have an orchid without roots – maybe it lost them due to dehydration or root rot. Either way, there’s still a chance you can save your orchid.
Start by cutting off all the ‘dead weight’ with sterilized scissors or pruners. Spray with Hydrogen peroxide 3% to eliminate any fungus or rot. Repot using fresh potting media.
Next, place the plant inside a see-through plastic container with a lid on. This creates a humid environment for your orchid. Due to being left with very few to none roots, it needs additional humidity to survive.
This can be absorbed from the humid air through the leaves. So as a temporary aid, you can place your orchid inside a plastic container – even a plastic bag will do. Give it fresh air daily, or every few days.
Sunburn
Overheating can occur when the orchid is placed in direct sunlight during hot temperatures. Sunburn causes the leaves to turn yellow, so it’s quite easy to diagnose.
The first thing you need to do is to immediately relocate your orchid. Find a place in your orchid room where the plant can still get plenty of bright light – somewhere near the window, but far enough out of direct sunlight.
If you live in a cooler climate, it’s fine to keep your orchids on the windowsill, but move them further in the room once the warm season starts.
The sunburned leaves will fall off naturally, but you can also cut them off.
Over-fertilizing
If you have exceeded the dosage recommendations on the fertilizer bottle, there’s a good chance you’ve over-fertilized your orchid causing root burn.
What you can do with a mild case of root burn, is to flush out the excess fertilizer from the media and roots, by soaking it.
Repeat once or twice to ensure you’ve flushed out as much of the fertilizer as possible.
With an extreme case of root burn, it’s better to repot the orchid. Cut out all the dead roots with sterilized scissors/pruners, rinse or soak with clean water, and repot in fresh potting media.
When using fertilizer, it’s important not to over-fertilize. The safest way to go is to give only half of the recommended dosage.
Many orchid growers swear by “Weakly, weekly.” However, it’s up to you if you want to use fertilizers all the time, only occasionally, or never.
Drastic temperature changes
Orchids are sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Too cold causes ‘cold stress’, and too hot ‘heat stress.’
In both cases, you need to relocate your orchid into a spot that is neither too hot nor too cold.
Cut out any affected leaves, sealing the cut mark with powdered cinnamon. Check the roots.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you detect what’s wrong with your orchid, and how you can save it.
It’s best to make a habit to check your orchids regularly; inspect for any changes. The sooner you detect a problem, the better chance you have to save a sick orchid!
Pests, rotting, sunburns, dehydration – so many problems can arise. Luckily with the right care, most orchids can be saved.
Thank you for reading, and good luck with saving your orchid!
Until next time, orchid friends!
If you have no roots on your orchid but want to try and save it, here is a helpful trick that I learned while at Duke Farms Orchid Range.
A twist tie. Twist the tie around the bottom of the orchid and let the remaining twist tie to hang down. Use the twist tie as artificial roots to help anchor the orchid to the growing medium until the roots start to regrow.
The extra humidity of enclosing the orchid (which is on this site) is also helpful.
Hi Deborah
That’s a really good tip – thank you so much! I will definitely try it next time I have a rootless orchid!
(Might even post photos of it here, and will mention your name)
Once again; thank you!
Best wishes, Irene
Hi there, I have been reviving orchids for years, but this year I bought some home and they all died and now my older orchids are now displaying the same things, I don’t over water or over feed, they have good light and air. Never had this problem before. I have now lost over 10 plants. It’s the same signs as stated above, they are still flowering and dying at the same time. Flowers healthy, then leaves go limp, then look dehydrated, then go a brown and die. I have repotted, re mossed the pots, roots green though.
Never seen anything like this before.
No flys, no black spots just dying very slowly. I have always used a mix of bark in the bottom of my pots and moss around the orchid. I have over 30 plants still alive at the moment. Lost a quarter already. Help …
Hi Sarah
Oh my goodness, what a nightmare! I’m so sorry.
It’s hard for me to say what could be the cause, but when you checked for pests, did you do so with a magnifying glass or bare eye? If you have a False spider mite infestation you’d need a magnifying glass to see them! However you can see other marks with bare eye, like missing plant cells (looks like track marks) or rusty-colored matter (wipe the leaves with a moist cotton pad; see if any rusty color rubs on it). I lost my whole orchid collection to an infestation like that, so definitely check the plants with a magnifying glass! (At least to rule it out)
Other than that.. Hmm, what about the quality of the water you water with? Could there be something in it? And lastly, I’m thinking some virus.
Keep the healthy plants separate from the suffering ones, and always wash hands in-between handling the orchids (so you don’t accidentally spread anything from plant to plant). Other than that, start by inspecting the orchids with a magnifying glass if you haven’t done that yet! (Pay attention on cavities and tight places – also the potting mix, all hiding places)
Good luck! Please let me know if you found anything, and we’ll go from there.
/Irene
Hi, my orchid plant has one dying baby leaf and no roots. I have not been very careful and have neglected it since few months as it was dying even after so much effort and trials to save it. I was also busy looking after some other plants requiring attention.
Now I’m trying your plastic box method from today. I have kept it in the bathroom with 3 Regular LED lights from the top and a little heating on to keep the environment warm. I also have the white artificial light used for fast growth of plants. Should I use that instead?
I live in Northern Germany. Any tips specific this location? It’s summer here and all other plants are thriving.
Can you tell me how long should I leave it in fresh air while keeping it in the box rest of the time?
Hello Anjali! Thank you for your comment. Sorry to hear about your struggling orchid! Does it have any good leaves, or only that one dying baby leaf? And no roots at all, not even small ones?
Good you’re doing the plastic box method! I would air it out 1-2 times a day. You can open the lid even just for 15 minutes at a time. This, of course, is only a suggestion – keep an eye on it! The environment (temperature, humidity) have a big influence. (Northern Germany isn’t too humid but then again, it’s summer now!)
You can use the extra lights if there is no natural daylight in the bathroom. Just make sure the lights don’t raise the temperatures inside the box! You can stick your hand in there to test it – if it’s OK for you, it’s OK for the orchid. And vice versa!
Both lights are fine, LED and Growth.
If white mold appears inside the box too fast/often, then just rinse the orchid (and spray with Hydrogen Peroxide 3% if you have any). The box trick can work wonders, but sometimes depending on the environment it can result to white mold too fast! If you’re forced to abandon this method, then please leave another comment and I’ll get back to you!
GOOD LUCK! 🙂
/Irene
My orchid had two large leaf’s but dropped both within a week of moving to outside sheltered area. The weather has been upper 60s at night a lower 90s in day with high humidity. It still has healthy looking roots. What to do?
Hi Gail
Hmm, has the orchid gotten direct sunlight? It’s a shame it dropped its leaves..
Of course sometimes there can be other issues too, like stem rot, that caused it.
Leafless orchid still has a chance of survival – I’d just keep it watered, or even put it in water-only.
And maybe take it out of the shade house, *if* it gets too hot there.
The night temp is okay, but the lower 90s is on the higher side! I’d say max 85F… and never in direct sunlight!
/Irene
Hi, I have a Vanda orchid that has very limp leaves. I keep it outside under a tree , but not in direct sun. It looks like it is dying, what can I do to save it?
Hello Sherri
Sorry to hear about your Vanda! Do you think it has maybe not gotten enough water? Or the temperature has risen too high?
It needs some TLC right now – I’d at least water it more, soak the roots well. And if the temps are too high right now (even in shade), then could you relocate it? Maybe even bring it indoors?
I repotted my orchid and now the base of the stem and the very end of the stem are turning yellow/brown. I soaked the new media before potting so I don’t think it is dehydrated but it doesn’t seem over water either as the leaf is still green. Is it dying? Should I cut the stem? Please help!
Hello Emily
Hmm, could it be stem rot? See some examples of stem/crown rot HERE .
If that’s the case with yours, there are instructions for what to do.
Yes, the stem can be trimmed if it’s long and no roots are growing from it – with sterilized scissors.. Clean up the affected area and let air dry a bit.
The plant isn’t necessarily dying – this issue can be fixed more often than not. In some cases it might not be possible, but don’t give up without trying!
Good luck! And, just ask again if you have more questions.
/Irene
This is my first orchid what does media mean?
Hello there!
Congrats on your very first orchid, Amanda! How exciting!
‘Media’ simply means the potting ‘soil’. The word ‘soil’ is not used with orchids, because orchids can’t grow in normal potting SOIL. So words like potting media, potting medium, and even potting mix are used! (This can be anything; bark, moss, coconut husk etc – or a mix of several of those things!)
I hope this answered your questions? 😊
/Irene
Hi! I went away for the weekend and came back and my plant is near death!! 🙁 the bottom is still very vibrant and red but top towards the leaves is yellow and all my leaves are wilted and some are brown. One already fell off. The roots look nice and green still and are not mushy. I’m not sure what to do 🙁 it’s my first orchid
Hi Mackenzie
Oh no, I’m so sorry about your orchid! What a shame.
One weekend isn’t that long, so I’m assuming the orchid has gotten a sunburn? They need sunlight, but can’t handle heat! So you should always keep the orchid(s) out of reach of direct sun!
You can’t reverse heat damage. Put the orchid in a place where direct sun can’t reach it, and then water as normal. Hopefully it will grow new leaves! It’ll take patience though.
You can read these two articles – there are other causes than sunburn being mentioned;
Why has my orchid lost all its leaves
Orchid leaves turning yellow
Good luck! And if you have more questions, feel free to ask!
/Irene
How can I save a beautiful healthy leaf I knocked off while transporting? Even the attachment edge is healthy. So far I have the end lightly wrapped in a damp paper towel. Will this beauty survive? Thank you
Hi Sherrie
Sorry to hear about the leaf! What a shame.
If a leaf breaks off there’s nothing you can do to reattach it.
But thankfully, an orchid can handle losing a leaf so the plant will be fine!
Hi there! My orchid was in full bloom when I received it a year ago. The flowers dropped over a period of months and I snipped back to above the first node on both stalks, at an angle. Now it has been at least 6 months and i have not been able to grow anything back. I live in NZ and I’m hoping it’s just the winter? But neither the stem nor any growth whatsoever has occurred. Stems still pinky brown and leaves thick and healthy. Please help if you have any ideas!!
Hi Nicole
Sometimes it can look like nothing’s happening. I have a few like that too with trimmed spikes for several months now, and no ‘movement’ anywhere! Of course there might be new roots growing inside the pot..
That said, make sure your orchid gets enough daylight. And that you’re watering it correctly. As long as the leaves are green and perky, your orchid is mostly like just fine! Changing temperatures should prompt the orchid to do ‘something’ sooner or later! Another thing you could do is to repot your orchid – that way you could inspect the roots! Repotting can also give a boost, and even mild orchid fertilizer?
Good luck! Here for you if you need more help. 💚
My orchids have brown spots on the underside of the leaves, they wipe off with warm water, however the orchids are also sticky as is the shelving which they sit on. The leaves eventually die off but new leaves are still constantly growing and the plants flower every year without any problems. Can you advise me please what you think it is and how I should treat it.
Hi Katherine
Are you sure those brown spots are not rusty-colored?
I hope you don’t have False red spider mites… They’re really hard to get rid of! And they ultimately kill the orchid, one by one..
So to start with, I’d recommend you to inspect the plants with a magnifying glass – try to see if there’s any movement? You can’t see the live pests with bare eye, they’re so tiny..
The brown color that can be wiped off (and the leaving falling off) makes me suspect False red spider mites – hopefully I’m wrong!
Do let me know, okay? We’ll go from there. Good luck!
/Irene
It looks as you though you are right, on closer inspection it looks to be a rusty red colour, and I have spotted it all the way up the stalk where the flower grows. It is full of them. Is this what causes the stickiness as well? I couldn’t actually see movement but it definitely looks to be like a mite. Is there any cure or have I got to get rid of all my orchids as it appears to be on all of them.
Hi Katherine
Good you checked. I was hoping it’s not the case, but looks like it’s confirmed now. (Yes they also cause stickiness!)
I lost my whole collection to these mites a year ago. They spread fast from one orchid to another, and once you see visible signs the infestation is already advanced. They’re hard to get rid of! I tried several treatments, but the mites kept coming back..
So you have two options; Take on the battle to get rid of them.
Or; Eliminate all your orchids, and start your collection over.
It’s really up to you what you want to do, there’s no right or wrong!
There are pesticides and miticides to treat False red spider mites with, so you could try those. The products should be suitable also for orchids, and the treatments need to be repeated regularly.
Thank you for your help, it has been a long time to get this answer, I now have your blog firmly in my list! I am talking years here. I am going down the route of clearing them all out and starting again, a shame but if I am honest, it is something I should have done a long time ago. Everytime I got a new orchid it wasn’t long before it also started signs. I know what brought this problem into being, i.e. , where I bought the plant which caused this, I was convinced it was white fly and have been treating it as such. Needless to say I won’t make that mistake again. It’s a shame but luckily I only have seven orchids at the moment! Again many thanks for your advice and thank you for having this wonderful blog.
You’re very welcome, Katherine! Of course I wish I could’ve delivered some better news to you, but hey – at least you know now! As hard as it is to throw them out, you’re saving yourself a lot of time and sanity! It’s a nightmare to try to get rid of them, and even then there’s a good chance you lose the battle anyway. Do disinfect all the surfaces once you’ve removed the orchids. (Bless their little hearts! But the pests are literally eating them alive so they’re suffering as it is)
THAT SAID, these hiccups teach us! In the future, check all new orchids you bring home. Maybe even isolate them for a few weeks or a month before putting together with the others. Or get yourself a magnifying glass, so you can immediately check every new orchid you bring home! (That’s what I do now) Keep an eye on your orchids – if one starts to show unusual symptoms, quarantine it immediately.
Thank you for your positive words regarding this blog! I’m so glad you found it! 💚
Hi, I have a problem with phalaenopsis. When I repot from the compacted nursery moss to bark, my plants die off. The roots just shrivel, even though I am watering them when they look silver. Phals in moss are even worse. They root rot in segments. I have tried using distilled water, weaker fertilizer, etc. Nothing is helping me. I would appreciate your input. None of my other orchids have this issue, only phals. I would appreciate your input. Thanks!
Hello Joan
Thanks for your comment. Firstly; when the roots shrivel do the leaves remain looking normal? Sometimes when an orchid is transferred to a new growing medium, the old roots die and new ones grow out. This is because the roots need to adapt to the new growing environment. In these cases you need to keep an eye on the orchids’ leaves – as long as they’re firm to touch (well hydrated), then the plant is doing fine!
With bark, what’s your watering method? Let the pieces soak well when watering. Just leave the pot standing in water for 15-30 minutes – enough time for the bark pieces to soak up enough water, so they can keep the roots hydrated for longer at a time.
Moss-only is a rather harsh (suffocating) potting medium! I would recommend it only for smaller orchids and pots when more moisture is needed. When used in bigger quantities, it quickly makes all the roots to rot! Here’s some info about different potting mixes.
With bark; as long as the leaves are firm to touch just allow the transition to new growing medium happen. But if also the leaves become floppy, then please let me know and we’ll go from there. 😊
/Irene
What can I use as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide solution?
Can I use cinnamon on the cut root?
Hi Amal
Hydrogen peroxide 3% is optional to use. So if you don’t have any, you can just skip it. Cinnamon is antibacterial but it’s also dehydrating, so don’t use it on roots. Just trim off all rotten roots. If they’re only partly rotten, then remove the rotten part gently with your fingers, and rinse with lukewarm water.
Scissors to cut roots with can be disinfected with any disinfectant you have on hand.
Hope this helped!
Hi, my daughter received an orchid as a gift but it had snow mould. We used hydrogen peroxide on it, sterilized container and put it in new medium after removing all roots as they were all rotten. However, the orchid is still dying. It now hhas only one leaf which is beginning to yellow and no roots. Can we save him, if so how?
Hi Colleen
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s orchid!
Is the middle section (stem) of the plant black? This would indicate “stem rot”, which can be hard to tackle.
I wonder what else could be the problem.. There could even be some hidden pests, like False spider mites.
But as the orchid has no roots now, it’s not getting enough moisture in the potting medium. You can put it in a bowl of water – let them stem hang just above the water line. But as it’s even losing its last remaining leaf, sounds concerning..
In order to prevent the disease, which I suspect to be Fusarium or other fungal, but never know before cutting the stem, and seeing the purple ring in the section, I treated all cuttings, that were performed by those who cared for the Vanda in other country, from where I bought it, with cinnamon; all roots with hydrogen peroxide 3%. But will that help? If my disease is the one that I guess, I will be literally helpless, but continue fighting over orchids life. If not, the orchids will look better; moreover, her leaves are firm and she ceased dropped them and either did other Vandas. This is a good sign. However, roots are not healthy and the steam does not look healthy. There might be infection within the plant. Time will tell.
Hi Sergei
Unfortunately I’m not familiar with vandas, and I’ve never dealt with Fusarium.
I wonder if an aspirin boost would help? It can be used for sick and weak orchids..
Please, see here for more details. (Scroll down to “Aspirin Boost”)
Good luck!
Would you be so kind as to apprise me of saving rootless Phalaenopsis orchids. My situation is as follows: My first orchid (gifted to me in summer of 2019) has suffered a lot: it was overwatered, crown rot and even sunburn. Recently, she had had two daughters, but lately lost one of them. Today, mother plants leaves dropped off — no crown rot anymore, because there was cinnamon, dehydrating the cells of crown. How to save her? I have miserable but somewhat successful experience with growing orchids on trees. Miserable because I put Phals onto tree without bark and moss (I was too stupid). Now there has been moss since the August. They do very well and absolutely adopted to the environment. So, I think that despite her having no or few roots, it would be better to stick her to the tree with bark and moss. I have problems with growing orchids in pots: when to water them, I just let Phals swim in 30-40 C water with Birch tar and lemon (citrus). They got more alive. So, what is problem? Mealybugs and other pests died of cinnamon (mealybugs cannot get back to the crown once cinnamon is there) + garlic water + garlic grows alongside orchids.
Hello Sergei
Oh, poor mother plant has gone through a lot! It’s worrisome it also dropped her leaves now, which leaves her with no roots AND no leaves? The only thing you can do is to keep her in moss and see if she’d start to grow new roots and leaves. But as it also dropped its leaves now, do prepare yourself for the worst (and hope for the best!).
Hmm, I wouldn’t put it outside as the transition is stressful as it is, and the poor orchid is already in critical condition. If you manage to make it grow new roots and gain some strength, you could then put it outside. But until then, I’d wait.
I understand the problem with watering orchids in pots. That’s why I often recommend clear plastic pots because it allows you to see exactly when to water again. Otherwise, you can learn the weight of the pot – they are much lighter when the medium is dry. Or, you can stick your finger in to feel how dry it is.
Hello, PLEASE HELP. I have an orchard that has grown a new stem that has about 25 buds on it, about 4 of the flowers have bloomed already, I accidentally snapped the stem off from the rest of the plant when trying to tie it up a bit tighter. is there any way to save the stem and all of the buds?
The rest of the plant is healthy and has more stems, but those do not have buds on them as yet. I’m devastated that I was so heavy-handed and broke it 🙁
Hi Denise
Oh no! I’m so sorry the stem broke, and it even has so many buds on it.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do.. If the stem was only partly broken, you could try to tape it up. But as it’s totally detached, then you can’t reattach it. The only thing you can do is to put it in a glass of water!
I’m so sorry you had this accident. Always handle flower spikes extra gently! (We’ve all been there!)
Hello. I have a westerly orchid whose flowers have fallen off and the stems have started dying from the top and spreading down. It has five very green and healthy leaves. The roots look healthy. Any suggestions ?
Hi Jodi
What’s happening is totally natural. The flower spikes don’t live forever, and the plant will grow new ones in the future. One thing you can do is to trim the flower spike – please, see HERE how to do it.
I have no roots and I am going to try and use your bag technique. My question is in the pics six months had passed before it had nice healthy roots, was it in the bag this whole time? Also do I give it water once in awhile in bag?
Hi Shelley. I’m trying to think back how long I kept the orchid in the plastic container.. It wasn’t the whole 6 months though. I’d say it was from a few weeks, up to a month or so. After that I kept it in moss-only, watered frequently. The box (/bag) trick was to raise the air humidity for the orchid, so it can absorb it through the leaves and stay hydrated even without roots.
Yes, you should still give water to the orchid. You can have it resting on a bowl of water, inside the bag. Let fresh air in once a day, or every few days – mold can start to form, so watch out for that. (Clean the mold off, if it appears) The clear plastic boxes are slightly handier than bags, but both work fine. Once you start to see new roots appear, plant it in moss-only. Good luck!
Hi there, I have an orchid that I accident over watered so I think it has root rot. The crown does not look happy either. I am nursing it very carefully and it still has two leave on it. Over the last few days it has been showing signs of new growth which I initially thought was a root but think it now a flower stem. Do I allow this flower stem to continue to grow or should I remove to allow the plant to invest its energy in making a new leaf or roots? I have had this orchid for years and very keen to save it! Thank you
Hi Stickers. Sorry to hear about your orchid. I salute you for considering to cut off the new flower spike, so the orchid can focus its energy on growing new roots and leaves instead! Most people can’t bring themselves to trim off flower spikes. But yes, that would be the best thing to do considering your orchid’s current state.
Before you do so, though, make sure it really is a spike and not a new root! Spike has a little “mitten” in the end, and root tips are just smooth and round.
Have you trimmed off all the rotten roots? Let the remaining roots “breath” now… I hope the crown is okay – if it’s black there’s crown rot, but let’s hope that’s not the case…
Good luck with your orchid! I hope you manage to save it. 💚
Thank you so much for your response. Really appreciate it.
The new growth has a slight split at the top and growing directly upwards. I think it a spike but might leave it a couple more days to make sure. The whole crown is brown and dried not black at all, I have never experienced crown rot does this sound like it?
I cut off the rotten roots and replanted it in fresh orchid planting matter, does this sound ok or should I take it out of the planting matter.
Thank you for your valuable advice.
“Slight split at the top” – yes, sounds like a flower spike! Aerial roots can grow upwards too, however roots tend to grow AWAY from the strongest light source, and spikes TOWARDS it. So you can see if the new growth is growing towards the light. (E.g. window or lamp)
You cut off the rotten roots & replanted in fresh orchid potting mix – great! Keep it there. Just water normally now – not too much, not too little. (Wait for the medium to dry in-between waterings) You can read more about watering HERE.
The crown is brown and dried – well it’s not necessarily rot. Some section can turn brown and dry. But do keep an eye on it!
Good luck! My pleasure to help. 😊
Hi there, love this article. I’m wondering if after replant you immediately water? I dried for one day, but cut off most of the dead roots, so those are fresh wounds, albeit dead wounds. I’m still hoping some are salvageable so I left a few. There is a new sprout of growth so not sure when the rot started but am hopeful. I have it in a box now and am wondering how I water it and prevent rot from coming back (antifungal?) and do i try and give it some light for this month in the box?
Hi Laurel. Yes, I always water immediately after repotting, just so the potting mix can “settle down” straight away.
Sorry to hear about the dead roots! It happens. The potting mix needs to dry in-between waterings, otherwise the roots start to rot.
Is it a clear box you have the orchid in? It gets enough light through the clear plastic. Allow some fresh air in the box every day.
Water as normal now; as soon as the potting mix looks dry, then it’s time to water again. That should keep the rot away.
Good luck!