Rotted roots in orchids. Resuscitation of orchids

Room orchids can be attributed to pretty capricious plants. This is due to the fact that at home it is problematic to recreate the conditions of the tropical jungle, in which these flowers also grow in nature. Improper care will immediately lead to problems. Of these, the most common among beginner florists are rotten roots in orchids. But do not despair and throw away the poor plant! Even the almost lost flower can be resuscitated.

Symptoms of problems

If something is wrong with the orchid, it will necessarily signal about it by its appearance. It is worth to beat the alarm and take action if you notice the following symptoms:

- Slow and poor growth.

- Leaves on the entire stem wither and dry. After that, they usually turn yellow quickly, and the flower itself dies. But do not worry if only the bottom leaves wilt. For an orchid, this is a normal process.

If these symptoms are not observed, then the plant is better not to bother once again. Otherwise, the natural development will be disrupted, and then the orchid resuscitation will be necessary.

Causes of wilting

Often the problem of rotting roots is covered in wrong care:

1. Poor or too intensive lighting. Orchid as a gentle creature loves only diffuse light, does not tolerate direct sunlight and high temperatures. From this, the plant loses water, and therefore dries. When overheating, the orchid is removed to a dark place for a couple of hours. With the shadow placement of the flower, additional phytolamps are hung.

2. Insufficient or excess watering. Although this plant is tropical, but it should not be filled with water. Before each watering, the ground in the pot must completely dry out. Otherwise, you will soon see the decayed roots of the orchid. A lack of moisture leads to the drying of the flower. On average, you need water once a week.

3. Over-saturation with fertilizers. It is always important to follow the instructions and add the product in the specified proportions. From an overabundance of microelements in the substrate, poisoning of the root system occurs. As a result, it rotates, leaves turn yellow, and the plant dies. If you timely cancel fertilizers and change the substrate, then there will be a chance to save the orchid.

4. Substandard substrate. In the untreated earth, all kinds of worms and bugs are very often found. In the case of tropical plants, pests are click beetles. They can cause the roots of orchids to rot. If these parasites are seen in a flower pot, then it is necessary to replace the old substrate immediately with a better one.

Extracting and examining the flower

To choose the right way to reanimate the plant, you need to check the state of the root system. To do this, carefully remove the orchid from the pot and remove the excess substrate by hand. If a piece of bark has grown to a plant, then in no case should one try to tear it away. Once the flower is released from the ground, the roots are gently washed with warm running water. This can be done under the shower or in the pelvis.

After washing, the orchid is left to dry on a newspaper. In the summer it will be enough to wait a few hours. But in winter, you'll have to wait longer. Long drying will not do any harm. The main thing - do not try to speed up the process by putting a gentle flower closer to the battery or fireplace. Otherwise, the whole reanimation of orchids will go wrong. Once the roots are completely dry, they begin to inspect. Their appearance is the main indicator of the health of the flower.

Differences of rotten roots from healthy

Young outgrowths always light white. They acquire a grassy shade when they get enough water. The sufficiently mature "adult" roots will be elastic and juicy-green in color. Older ones will be light-almond colored. Sore branches have a dark brown or even black tinge. However, color is not always an indicator of illness. The absence of greenery may result from insufficient lighting. And for some species it is generally normal to have brownish or yellowish shoots. Therefore, you should not rely on visual inspection alone.

In order not to make mistakes and reliably determine the decayed roots of an orchid, they should be thoroughly probed from the tip to the very bottom. Unhealthy specimens will be characterized by flabby and loose structure. How can this be verified for sure? Slide your fingers along the root surface without squeezing it. If it is soft, slippery or does break up at all, it is exactly rotten.

What to do with rotten roots?

Resuscitation of the flower first begins with the removal of the dead parts. Act immediately. Especially if in the process of inspection it was found that the plant rotted more than half of the root system. All damaged processes need to be removed with sharp scissors, a knife or a scalpel, slightly capturing a healthy part. If this is not done, then after the restoration procedure, rotted roots of the orchid will appear again.

After trimming, the sections must be disinfected. You can use special preparations for plants or folk methods. Damaged places are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon or cinnamon powder. You do not need to shake it off, the remedy is left on the tips.

After that, the remaining roots are recommended to be soaked in a strengthening solution (for example, in "Kornevin"). Orchids are kept in it for a day, and then planted in fresh substrate. The ground and the protruding parts are covered with moss. In this case, the plant should be located in a well-lit place.

Resuscitation of a flower without roots

On examination, it is sometimes found that the orchids have rotted all the roots. In such a seemingly hopeless case, you can also save a flower. The sequence of actions is exactly the same as described above. Only the plant is not planted immediately in the substrate. First it is placed in a container of water, which should never be touched by leaves. The water should be changed to fresh every day. It is desirable that it be filtered, boiled or bottled. And so, until the roots will not grow at least four centimeters. After this, the flower can be transplanted into the ground.

For rapid growth orchids use the "greenhouse" method. The plant is planted in a pot with drainage and wet sphagnum, and then placed in a transparent teplichku. It can be a pot, a glass jar or a box from a cake. The temperature should be about 30 degrees. Periodically, the greenhouse needs to be ventilated. Such resuscitation can last from a month to a year, depending on the extent of the lesion.

How to restore dry roots in orchids?

Incorrect care also often leads to drying, as to decay of roots. At the same time, not only the root system loses its moisture, but also the flower stem. What to do in this case? In principle, everything is the same. The withered processes need to be removed, since they are dead. To define them in appearance is not difficult - just look at the picture of such a dying orchid, and everything will become clear. Next, cut the slice and place the plant in a moist substrate.

Sometimes for the dried up tropical flowers after a trimming do baths. To do this, every day, the roots are lowered into warm water for a couple of hours. And so on until there are new sprouts. After the orchid provide the usual proper care.

Resuscitation with "escaping" processes

Beginners often ask themselves: is it necessary to do something if the roots of the orchid come out of the pot? Lack of knowledge leads to wrong conclusions and actions. Such roots are called airways and are not a disease. That is, it is the norm for tropical plants. Many make the mistake of cutting or trying to push back the appendages to the substrate. Should not be doing that. You just just so damage the plant, and the orchid will definitely need resuscitation.

If you are constantly watching a picture of how the newly emerged roots of the orchid emerged from the pot, then you need to reconsider the watering. The frequent appearance of air shoots signals an overabundance of moisture, which subsequently leads to rotting of the plant.

Preventive measures

To the orchid never hurted and pleased with its beautiful flowers, it is enough to follow the rules of care:

• Place the pot under a diffuse bright light, and not under direct rays.
• Protect the flower from frost, drafts and heaters.
• Water in accordance with the size of the root system and the period of activity of the orchid.
• Cancel fertilizing during periods of tranquility.
• Do not water re-planted plants.

Of course, this is only a basic knowledge in the care of an exotic flower. But even they can save the green pet and protect you from the hassle. In any case, it is always important to know how to revitalize the roots of an orchid, whether dried or waterlogged.