Caring For Rescue Orchids

Caring for Rescue Orchids and orchids that have little or no roots.

[@Fabyta67]

Great advise Wade. I have a twinkle oncidium that is struggling. I potted it up in clay pot with peat moss and fir bark. They seem to be doing ok. I just mist them when ever i feel it a bit dry. But I do like your method. I should try it out . You can actually see new and stronger roots. This give me new hope of rescuing my orchid.

[@PictureMaria1]

I loved this video and the way you rescue your orchids...and is the reason why they all are doing exceedingly well!!! Great job!!!

[@wadesorchids7219]

PictureMaria1 Thanks, Maria!

[@PictureMaria1]

:) ...you get 2 green thumbs up!!! :)

[@bettyco4372]

MY Orchid Adventures qqqq

[@hobbiesorchidgirl3272]

oncidium is my favorite collection and i am very thankful and very happy watching all your videos about oncidium on and on , thanks

[@Susana1024]

I'm a newbie orchid grower and I guess, we all start with rescuing an orchid. Well, that's how started anyway. A friend had a phal and she was killing it slowly so when she left our company, I found the phal on my desk. That was five months ago and I'm still trying to keep it alive. But, in the meantime, I've acquired many other hybrids. I have cattleyas, oncidiums, dendrobiums, paphiopedilums, and one vanda. Oh, I recently purchased three catasetum. Anyway, I was ready to give up on my first phal when I came across this video. I'm going to try it now. Thank you, Wade!!!

[@zafarahsan8885]

i am learning from your informative videos. Here you use that white marsmellow type substance. And named it but I was unable to grasp even after repeated listening. Further I have not seen this material being used in any other videos. Please tell more about it . Thank you very much.

[@wadesorchids7219]

Don't worry about the "marshmallow stuff". Just use small stones instead. The purpose is to make sure that any water that is not absorbed drains quickly.

[@zafarahsan8885]

+Wade's Orchids Thank you for prompt reply. And I appreciate your services for Orchid lovers. May God bless you, and you have a nice evening.

[@helenapeterson2261]

Thank you Wade for good tips.Great video!!

[@PhysicsRoxs]

Excellent video! I have been rescuing orchids for years, and I love seeing how different people do different things. Keep up the great work.

[@Bettym-hs6lc]

I like your videos as you show the how-to's that work best for you.

[@wadesorchids7219]

+Betty Monroe Thanks, Betty. Over 37 years of growing orchids I managed to make plenty of mistakes though. It's always a learning process. Remember to observe. Happy growing!

[@Paul-mn8ql]

Hey Wade, my daughter’s dog ate the top off my miltassia and all that’s left are one bulb and the roots. Should i do what you did with sphagnum moss or use bark or just banish the dog?

[@wadesorchids7219]

Pot the dog up to its neck and keep evenly moist. Ok, I had to get that out 🤪. If it is still in the pot and the roots are healthy just let it go and be very careful about watering. Otherwise a clay pot with sphagnum moss is a good choice. Good luck.... with the dog too!

[@Paul-mn8ql]

When you say be careful about watering do you mean don't over water or don't let it get dry? It's in a clay pot with sphagnum now and I put it in a medium light area that's nice and warm.

[@wadesorchids7219]

Paul actually both. Mostly though don’t overwater. Good luck!!!

[@Paul-mn8ql]

I don't know what it is about that orchid but that darn dog got whats left of it and ate the whole thing. Guess I don't have to worry about watering it now... I've elevated the rest of my 'chids out of reach and the dog is persona non grata. Thanks for all your help.

[@TheVictoriasworld]

Just MANY thanks!

[@mysticshining]

Very helpful, thanks Wade.

[@rmcandlelight]

Thanks so much! :)

[@susangage9140]

I buy clearance orchids at Lowe’s so far survival rate is good. It’s one way I can afford hobbie

[@tzofebe]

What are the odds to save a phal with 3 roots but no leaves..?

[@wadesorchids7219]

tzofebe I'm afraid the chances are not good but on the other hand, you don't have much to lose by trying. The problem with crown rot is 2 fold. First, it is a bacterial infection that spreads rapidly and the damage is done usually before you notice the problem. Secondly, the crown, or growing point, of the the plant is often destroyed and with Phals. there is usually little chance of a dormant growing point from which to provide a means for the plant to grow. The chances increase with an older plant. Sorry for the bad news.

[@tannermclain5785]

Yikes,,, a year or two....😳

[@Bettym-hs6lc]

Thank you for the information. I have mostly hybrid cattleya's . Blc. Slc. Epicats. I will watch the roots and move them to bark . Wish me luck.

[@zlibsworldoforchids4425]

Thanks for the video! Very educational. I have a bunch of rescue oncidiums that have recently come to me and they are in really sad shape. I find I've had a problem before with too much moisture being retained in the pots with pure sphagnum. The styrofoam peanuts seem like a good bet, but I don't have any. Maybe I could try some aquarium gravel?

[@andreasoilander5407]

Great video! Thanks for sharing your techniques!

[@susansprairieorchids2573]

Thanks Wade for a great video. I have a Vanda which I am trying to save. No roots left after be potted and over watered. Do you think the spag moss tied around the base where the roots should be, would work? This was my sisters plant and by the time she got it to me, it was almost beyond rescue.

[@wadesorchids7219]

Susan's prairie orchids Vandas are really tough. Monopodial orchids in general are just more difficult in recovery. Keep humidity close to 100% to avoid losing moisture. No guarantees, but you might try damp sphagnum like you said and then keep it in a clear bag with some openings. Remoisten the moss when needed (it will keep the humidity up) and keep it shaded. Sometimes we get lucky :),

[@Bettym-hs6lc]

This is great. I have an orchid with no roots and have been struggling with how best to care for it. Thank you for the information. I am going to use your method with spaghnum. Where do you get the moss you mention?

[@wadesorchids7219]

I order my moss over Ebay. Since I've done this video I have found that plants that normally like to get dry between waterings do best when moved into small pots with fine bark and perlite when the roots are about an inch long. If any roots are clinging to the moss don't remove it. (this is Cattleyas, Dendrobiums and the like)

[@marlinabasir]

Personally I find saving onci types the easiest. They are the only ones that survived and tried hard to live.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Excellent informative video. Thank you. How much success do you have with cattleyas, using this method?

[@wadesorchids7219]

Gardening at Douentza Cattleyas seem to do well. It seems to matter a bit more if the plant has at least 3 growths and that some of them have leaves. If I make a "back bulb" division I usually pot it up normally but my divisions usually are pretty strong and I cut and discard anything that will not benefit the plant. A 1 or 2 bulb division is always tough. Also, try not to use more than a 4" pot and for Cattleyas I'd go with a clay pot so it doesn't get too wet.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Wade's Orchids Okay, thank you very much.

[@chitrac7592]

thanks for sharing a good information video,I will try this to my hopeless plants,

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

love the Into music on your vids. I just found your channel to rescue my received plants form a nursery that are in a terrible state. snails and rot on a twinkle and a nelly isler. I put it in little seramis with a layer of spagnum moss but I feel I'm keeping them to wet. and I heard that the seramis can damage the tiny roots because it's so porous and sharp. but they have bin repotted by the nursery and by me in the week I got them (so twice in 1 week) should I repot them in spagnum in a clay pot ? would that be betyer or would that do more harm (a third repot in 2 weeks) not sure if you still follow this thread but if you can spare the time some advise would be amazing. ps I grown them in my house in Holland so not really hot and I keep them out of direct sunlight and in the coolest place in my house furdest away from my north west window in the living room it's max 24 celsius during summer. if any body else has tips what to do because all the sick plants I got gives me a tummy ache. since I started just 3 weeks ago and feel way to new to be able to save them. anyway I'm rambling sorry. thank you for the I formative vids. on music intro and theme of your channel alone i subscribed 😍

[@wadesorchids7219]

Sphagnum in clay is a very good method to encourage roots. Something that is very helpful is to keep the humidity as high as possible and also have air movement. In the states we have humidifiers that are called "cool mist" or ultrasonic". These are very good for orchids because the create a bit of air movement in addition to providing needed humidity. Good luck and thank you so much for following my channel!

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Wade's Orchids thanks you for the advice! and reply 👌 I ordered a digital humity meter and thermometer with a sensor stick on a cord (for terariums) and this summer a sprare room with south window wil be redone with shelves so I can put my orchids there! 😍❤ a humidifier I the living room is not going to make my family happy. but I'm going to use your pot in pot method for those in need of high humidity. I learn sooooo much from orchid channels like yours and Rogers about technical stuff and Dani and Rachel and a few others I have bin watching religiously in the past 3 weeks. thank you so much for all the efforts you put in to them. I look forward to new vids (but I have plenty to catch up on lol ) have an amazing weekend love from Holland ps if en when they survive my noob mistakes (and bat care frum nersery ) and it will bloom I will send you an foto some how 🙋❤

[@kevinacosta4220]

why for this music is very sad

[@wadesorchids7219]

Yes, it is a bit sad. I changed it on my newer videos.

[@pb9703]

why does that instrumental intro remind me of the show M.A.S.H.? LOL