Saving Phalaenopsis Orchid with Root Rot - Orchid Care for Beginners

[@MissOrchidGirl]

This video is sponsored by rePotme, check them out here go.missorchidgirl.com/repotme65 They also provided products like pots, clips, some of the stakes and fertilizer I used in this video. Check out our entire Orchid Care for Beginners Series! kzbin.info/aero/PLxo6tXzj__mZzIrS7nCGjI6NEwWCwvuya

[@MelissaSchulze]

I love their products.

[@davchow8124]

I just brought some orchid food from them. Do I fertilize my orchid twice a month when I am watering my orchid? Thanks for your help.🙏

[@MelissaSchulze]

@@davchow8124 You are going to need to research h and decide for yourself. I do weakly weekly, so I fertilize 3 x a month with a weaker solution and once a month I just use plain water. Some fertilize once a month. I've just started adding some diluted worm tea to my orchid fertilizer. Interested to see what happens.

[@davchow8124]

@@MelissaSchulze I will experiment and try your suggestion, it does make a lot of sense. I will adjust accordingly. Do you get many flowers with your method? I’ll just a greenhorn when it comes to orchids. 🪴 Thank you for responding to my question 🙋‍♂️ and “God Blessed.”🙏🙏

[@MelissaSchulze]

@@davchow8124 I'm not an expert. I have 2 mini phals and 4 regular and I adore them: Pippa, Madeleine, Silvie, Baby Bella and Harper. My newest is unnamed. Mine bloom every Spring, mostly 1 flower spike, with good foliage growth. Of course I would love 2+ flower spikes. It's dry here in SoCal so I put a layer of sphagnum moss as my top layer and I spritz that daily. It's really helped new roots and aerial roots form.

[@CrochetxStab]

I had an orchid that looked like this. When I got it, it actually had a bunch of water sitting in the pot. It was free, so I decided to try to save it. Thanks to your videos and some patience, it recently sprouted a bunch of new roots and a flower spike!

[@ivander1511]

How long did it take to grow new roots?

[@thevonhaffs]

That is great!!!

[@lunarseas6144]

I really appreciate this video. When I bought my orchid it was literally sitting up to it's neck (base of leaves) in water. I took it home and bare rooted it immediately, but was afraid to do anything more technical. Thanks to this video, I just pruned off the decaying roots and removed the peat pot that it had apparently been started in (I was afraid to pry that off sooner). There were moldy spots inside the peat. The main problem root was actually very healthy, but was rotting near the base of the plant. Thanks to your guidance, I felt confident enough to tear it off (I didn't cut until the end, because I wasn't entirely sure where the life was in it). I'm so glad I did all of this and I feel very happy now! This video helped me face my fear. 🙂 Thank you!

[@vikkirountoit497]

Thank you for all of your wonderful videos. One of my grocery markets put so many of their smaller phals onto a clearance table and marked them down several times to the current price of $2 and $4 each. They have dry flower stalks and some of the roots coming out are shriveled, but most roots seem firm and the leaves are still dark and most are not limp. The smaller $2 ones are rooted into a weird sponge-like thing. All will need repotted. Bought 7 for me and 12 for a friend. We are going to see if we can get them all healthy and blooming again. Reviewing a bunch of your videos before I start this project today! I think I've got all my supplies ready: pots, fir bark, sphagnum moss, rain water, light ferts, scissors, alcohol wipes, q tips, cinnamon, super glue, 3% hydrogen peroxide, aaaand a dust pan to collect all the debris I'm sure I'll drop on the floor:)

[@ashleycox3911]

Thank you for these videos. I bought one on the “save me” rack at lows and you videos helped me get buds on her again. I’m working on my second “save me” today and I hope to see good results again.

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

All my orchids are from the "save me table". All of them were reduced in price and about to be thrown out. All of them have already bloomed in my care. And I keep orchids for over 10 years now. I would always again go for clearance plants to save them.

[@davchow8124]

Hi Danny, because of your videos. People and friends are dropping off their sick and damaged orchids to me to seeing if I can resurrected them. I am one of your devoted disciples and have learn so much from your videos I decided to put that knowledge into good use. Unfortunately some of the orchids that were given to me were way beyond help. I had to break the bad news to them that their beloved orchid had die but they don’t have to suffer anymore. But when the orchids did survive they all shout “Hallelujah!” and everyone is rejoicing and I am telling myself how the hell did that happened? I am so thankful for your program and had learning so much from you. I’ll not a religious man but I can truly say “I can resurrect the dead orchid and bring it back to life again! Some of the time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Amen 🙏

[@abigaillabar8877]

Hi. I am a cacti & succulent lover. My boss gifted me my first phalaenopsis, my first orchid. I've been binging your channel, removed the moss, repotted in coconut fibres, mostly leca, orchid bark, charcoal, some sand and lava rock at the bottom. Put in a terracotta half dome after trimming root rot. Thank you Danny!!!

[@Melpy253]

Thank you for this updated video! I have seen your older ones but was worried if things have changed over time. It's been almost 1 month since I discovered severe root rot on my orchid. I wasn't sure if I was saving or sealing the fate of my orchid. I had 1 tiny root left. After following your instructions and being extremely patient I am seeing LESS leaf wrinkles today and now have hope that it will recover! Thank you for all your help!!!

[@Melpy253]

It sacrificed it's bottom-most leaf but it seems like the rest of the plant is looking healthier!

[@mistygeller3193]

Thank you so very much for all of the information that you take your time to share! I bought my first orchid a few months ago, looking good until about a week ago. I even grew another leaf! Yayyy for me…. However 😣… I started to see rotting on the smaller roots that weed visible in it’s from the big box store container, right there at the top of the crown. I was then faced with almost the exact example in this video! Uhhhg 😩 I binge watched many of your videos and now feel like I am off to a good start of saving my once lovely little plant! 😃

[@Snowwhite33142]

Great video! I just had to do the same with one of mine. The new leaf was very small, the media was breaking down, I repotted her, she has another new beautiful leaf that is just huge now! I had to repot her after a year. It really does wonders!

[@Lara-so9gl]

Hi Danny, it's not really related to this video but one of my late orchids were saved because of your video of orchids with no or few roots. Mine had only one aerial root and it's now in soil (coco fiber and bark for my enviroment) and it recovered! So ty for the tip^^

[@mayastoyanova3020]

Благодарим ви!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Thank you! 🧡

[@Robbyswifey009]

I just caught the root rot. I still have a few roots that are good so hopefully I saved it

[@ingridcoke1360]

Excellent demonstration and information as always. Thank you for sharing.❤❤❤

[@karenkenyon2829]

Hey Danni, First of all, thank you so much for being out there. I have learned so much from your videos. I have even binge watched some when I have time. I'm still in my infancy in learning but I'm gaining more knowledge every day. Is there a all-in-one fertilizer for orchids? Right now I have store bought Phalaenopsis, a mini phalaenopsis, a Maxillariella tenuifolia, and a Phalaenopsis bellina that is mounted. I do use Repotme for all my Orchid needs. Thank you!😊❤️

[@missa2302]

I wish i Googled and found this channel the day i bought my orchid😢😢😢😢 i only had it for a week now, and it already has while fungus and the roots are rotten like wth happened !

[@munirasultana2313]

Great tips 👌

[@missbehavesclass6405]

A beginner question about cutting flower spikes to include vegetative growth, even though the flowers are still blooming, since it's May: Do I have to do that, and with which kind of orchid? Do orchids pause blooming and start vegetative growth, even though the flowers are still looking good? Which orchid types really needs these months of summer for growing, so it's better to cut the spikes, and which ones will grow anyway? I live in a tampered climate, and in October fall is here most definitely. I got a few new orchids this spring (oncidium types, dendrobium types and slipper.. phalaenopsis I already had), so everything is new for me, please help me out in your next q&a video. I start worrying about my babies, because I want them healthy. Thanks Dany 🤗

[@mariluvsmorri]

Can you please post an after video. I'd like to see how it grew after the repot.

[@shawntaizy1918]

Decided to adopt an orchid that was left outside by someone and didn’t even know it was an orchid😅. Thankfully it had a tag on it that identified them. I’m awaiting supplies because this was a spur of the moment decision but hopefully I can save the poor flowers.

[@robertcochran7103]

I surely learn a lot from your videos. Thank you for this!

[@marykelley5182]

Great teaching video. Thank you !

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

Thank you for the explanation on acidity and breaking down of the medium. I always was tempted to reuse the bark as it still looked okay. I just discovered an orchid with root rot today and pretty much did the same thing you did. But I'm low on fresh bark so I have to go shopping before I can repot her.

[@nataliesmommy303]

No matter how much I try I cannot revive my phaelenopsis orchid. It’s down to 2 very wrinkled leaves and very few roots that slowly keep rotting away. How do I keep mold from growing? I have repotted several times switching from sphagnum that it came with to bark but it still molds. I always spray it with hydrogen peroxide when repotting and cut off any dead roots. At this point I’m wondering if I should boil my medium before repotting as I’m wondering if it is contaminating my orchid. Right now I have it in an ICU environment. I’m wondering if it would do better outside as it has been warm, humid, and rainy they last few days…

[@jenniferweisenberg3605]

Very informative &. Well done thx

[@ruhanvanhuyssteen6665]

Hey I have had some orchids with live looking tips (with substance) but further up they will look dead and brown with little or no substance and then alive again. Any advice for rppts like this?

[@tinaseminerio6977]

Great question! I have same issue

[@samanthacee8278]

Don’t cut those off, if part of the root is alive at the bottom or the middle but the top is not it is still alive and giving some energy

[@ev8870]

I tried some different media combinations, and thought I was doing well keeping the media moist (not saturated) for longer by having a small amount of water under (but not in contact with) the pot constantly. The orchid started to look unhappy, so I checked and it had terrible root rot. I'm guessing the pot should be allowed to dry out completely? Ideally, how long should a pot take to dry out, and should I re-water as soon as it dries, or wait for a day or two. Thank you so much for your videos. I have learnt a lot, and more than one orchid has been saved with your help :)

[@MelissaSchulze]

When the leaves start to get limp and bendable, I water. I soak mine in distilled or spring water with orchid fertilizer dissolved in it for 20 minutes. Once a month I only use plain water to wash out fertilizer salts.

[@rustyrefill6449]

It depends. Sphagnum moss dries slower than bark. Sphagnum may stay moist for perhaps ten days, coarse bark may stay moist perhaps 4-7 days in many cases. Big chunky bark dries faster than small bits of bark. Newer bark holds less water, older bark retains more water (bark becomes softer and spongier as it ages). Shallow pots dry faster than deep pots. Porous clay pots dry faster than plastic pots (even if the plastic pot has holes along the sides). Big pots dry slowly, small pots dry more quickly. Pots with access to open windows, growing outdoors, or with fans to circulate the air, will dry faster than pots in a room with minimal air circulation. Pots in cooler temperatures (70 F) dry slower than pots in warmer temperatures. Pots in humid climates dry slower than pots in dry climates. Pots under high light intensity dry faster than pots in more shaded areas. Big plants with lots of roots will dry faster than smaller or newly repotted plants that have not made enough roots to spread all around the media. So there is not an exact answer. Any combination of the above factors may make a difference between a plant that needs to be watered, say, every 3 days or one that needs to be watered about every 10 days -- depending on the season. Plants in places with cool winter weather will require less water than the same plant in the middle of summer if you live in a place in which the temperatures varies with the season. Wait about one week (unless the plant is a tiny seedling or in a very small pot). If the top of the pot looks dry, dig into the media to see if the layer of bark or moss is still moist deep inside the pot. Look at the bottom of the pot to see if that part of the media has dried up. If in doubt, it's fine to wait a couple of days. For most orchids like cattleya and phalaenopsis, allowing them to dry out before the next watering is helpful. Other types of orchids (many of which have thin or grass-like leaves), like more consistent moisture. They don't like to stay soggy, but they may not appreciate a complete drying out (but there are exceptions).

[@christellechignardpaul2363]

Hi. Should I cut the flower stems before reporting? I gave this orchid to my mom and The leaves fell off; there is only 1 leaf lefts on the plant. I am a beginner as you can read!😮 Thanks for your video .

[@morganle9863]

Hi Danni. I love all your videos! Could you make one about juvenile orchid care. Sometimes when ordering on line they are very young and small and much easier to kill in my experience.knowledge

[@gwenclemens3342]

My orchid has white powder on it between the leaves and crown. I cleaned it with peroxide after repotting and most roots were dead new orchid in basket.

[@da7389]

I bought a new phalaenopsis and it came in regular potting soil, it was mostly peatmoss, the roots were broken and affected by the soil medium. I repotted it in sphagnum moss and bark chips, it didn't take more than a week for the bark chips to grow mold. What should i do i already repotted it 3 time in the last 2 weeks

[@NaturallyCha]

Thankyou for this informative video! My vanda only has one good root left, that's a few centimeters long, is it possible that the orchid can continue to grow?

[@emmanuelperez6867]

Yes your vanda can continue to grow even if it has only one root remaining. Just make sure you monitor the Vanda root water it when you see it needs water. Keep your vanda in an area were it will receive good bright light with good air flow, keep it in a warm spot and give it some seaweed plant fertilizer in order for it to produce some new roots faster. Make sure you do enough research online on Vanda orchid care to find on what works for you and your environment. So you can also learn on what orchid media will work for your orchid and its care. Hope this info helps you.

[@NaturallyCha]

@@emmanuelperez6867 thankyou!

[@hongleonggan7452]

when is it considered old potion medium

[@Lilian.94]

What are your thoughts about using rise water with garlic? I see many video's of that but I don't know if it will work/true

[@LizE2654]

How long does it take for a phalaenopsis leaf to reach maturity? Also, I repotted a phal in sphagnum and bark the end of April. I noticed today that a root at the top of the moss has rotted. Should I just leave it, cut it and try to pull it out or remove the plant from the pot and look at them all? It is growing a new leaf.

[@lorettabaciao912]

I have a decorative pot for orchids. Clay pot with holes. It seemed they grew better in plastic pot. What are your thoughts

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, the material of the pot doesn't matter, but its effects do. Clay is porous and transpires (loses) water faster than plastic. So generally, given the same potting mix, plastic pots stay more moist than clay pots, even with ventilation slits. Depending on environment and one's availability to water, some pots will workout great for some people and very bad for others. It's all very personal 😊 also keep in mind the 'subjective opinion', an orchid might do bad for various reasons, but people might corelate it with changing of the pot. So you can never know without the full picture.

[@kathynock6943]

Help. My orchid leaves are still green but shriveled. I decided to try and repot it. When I pulled up on there plant there were no roots left in the pot at all. There are a lot of ariel roots, but I'm most of them seem dry and flat. There is one ariel root trying to grow at the base of the stem. How do I save this one?

[@faithport3442]

I just got an orchid from my friend that she couldn’t take care of anymore. All the leaves fell off and the stem looks like it’s rotting. I cut off the rotted roots, but is there even a point? I’m worried the stem is too far gone. Any tips?

[@SysTek2000]

Hi! Thank you so much for the video. Question regarding the root color: Are the light-brown roots still okay, or are they in the process of dying? Is the primary rule-of-thumb to check if it is squishy? Thank you in advance!

[@Kre8tif]

I left orchid potting mix in the garage for six months. Can it still be used?

[@alienrobotcommando]

Does the size of the bark chips make any difference?

[@maryrose7842]

I have discovered that I have dreadful root rot on my orchid I cut all the dead roots away but I cannot get hydrogen peroxide 3% anywhere would 6% be ok to use? I dusted it with Tumeric instead of Cinnamon 😩

[@yojeffschott]

Danni, Thank you so much for all your knowledge. I have a question about my orchid. I repotted my plants and one plant is producing three new leaves. Is that normal? I thought orchids put energy into leave production and then into flower production. What are your thoughts?

[@DaleNeverSkinny]

Hey Dan, is it okay to leave the sphagnum moss the orchid is planted in from the store and grow it that way?? i live in a very tropical country and im afraid to kill the plant if i remove the sphagnum moss its originally planted in..... Thanks~~

[@lorislane0]

Hi Dani, great tutorial again. How about the old Doritis, do they respond as fast as the usual Phalaenopsis? I got one, but since it arrived it lost 2 leaves and didn't develop so much. Now finally it is growing a root tip. As there anything else I can do?

[@Chattyman2]

Quick question regarding phals, every couple of years you repot, is there a maximum size pot they eventually reach so you don't need to increase pot size every time?

[@alenalancour2672]

I have repotted my 2 orchids with root rot twice already with new medium and the rot still keeps coming back. I wash the pots and use clean clippers each time. I'm not sure what to do. I only water them 1 or 2 times a week and live in a very dry, desert climate, but it seems like the roots are staying too wet. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

[@morphidae]

Try adding some perlite to the medium and try to get new pots, also if possible that they have sufficient holes in them (or make them yourself with a sharp knife or a soldering iron) holes should not only be at the base but at the sides of the pots too. The old pots might look clean to you, but there might be something in them (fungus or mold) and maybe the medium is too compact. Also the holes on the sides will allow for more aeration

[@michaeldelvoye6371]

How often should an orchid be repotted?

[@MelissaSchulze]

When the potting medium is breaking down.

[@michaeldelvoye6371]

@@MelissaSchulze thank you

[@ev8870]

What Melissa said, and also if the orchid roots are getting too crowded, you may need to move to a bigger pot even if the media is still good. :)

[@michaeldelvoye6371]

@@ev8870 thank you

[@sharonqueisser9862]

Do you spray the roots with anything if there is root rot?

[@soklisaspringer4394]

Is it bad to report in 3 months?

[@ochenaami8973]

After How many days watering it?

[@watchthisbeforeyou4605]

Where do you get the case

[@jennb1152]

What type of moss and fertilizer do you buy?

[@ev8870]

Good quality New Zealand sphagnum moss. Spagmoss is the brand, i think, I don't know the fertiliser, sorry

[@crocolagerfelden6142]

I hope the textured wall is not the popcorn type that may contain asbestos - please be careful!

[@ouridatagnit8820]

Which kind of fertiliser

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Check description! 👍

[@elenitaestaris8387]

❤

[@melindah5952]

Hi Danny, I love your videos! I binge watched them - even the live aquarium ones too. Keep up the great work! I’m new to care for orchids. I’ve got a gorgeous phalaenopsis that’s been blooming like crazy since October. And the scent of her every morning just makes my day that much better. I just noticed 2 tiny brown small pest running on the leaf when I watered it. No web. Other than some dried and/or dark roots the plant looks ok. The top pot mix is I think is rotting cuz it had algae then turned black. I can’t repot cuz it’s in full bloom. What can I do? I also inherited a sick phal. It has 1 stem rot and 1 dried stem. At this point all leaves are gone. Do you think I can save it? Cutting away all dead parts, repotting and adding good fertilizer to the new pot mix? Thank you so very much for any suggestions! 🫶🏻

[@pamelaepstein4487]

Hi Danny! I would love to send you a picture of what’s left of my root system - nothing!!! The root system was completely mush! There were no healthy roots left…😞 is there a way I can email you? I looked for your email address with no success…

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, just search 'rootless orchids' and my name and you'll find lots of rejuvenation videos 😊

[@kendravoracek3636]

💚💚

[@geethajanarajan8452]

Please give a written title

[@rangsilmarak511]

😍👍

[@louisteo3589]

Danni I sent you a letter ,did you received it?

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi Louis, yes I received it! I will write you back a new comment about it :) thanks for writing! 🧡

[@louisteo3589]

Okay I don’t know how to do emojis but smile face

[@Christins8818]

I love orchids. Whenever I see a sad one that needs to be repotted I ask it's owner if I might do it. I hear all the time "but it's blooming, so it's fine, why should I". Then I try to explain that an orchid might survive a lot even blooming but that it doesn't live to its optimum that way. You can clearly see how the poor things want to escape its old medium, aerial roots growing everywhere, wrinkly leaves and everything. But as long as it has a sad little flower they think it's all fine. If they would only knew what it could look like if the orchid can grow to its full potential 🙈

[@ghettomomma08]

Hello Danni, I have been trying to research online and have been watching many videos and I still can’t find an answer. I was hoping you might know. My orchid is nice and lively in good condition. However, it has these sections on the ends of the air roots. They are gumdrop or flying saucer shaped. I have never seen this before. Do you k ow what it is and is it normal or harmful?