Merry Sherry's Creations – Page 4

Orchid Care for Real People – Part 2

June 16, 2023 By: Sherry Bradford

Please note that I stopped being an Amazon affiliate 8/24/2023. Any links that are connecting to Amazon in the following are no longer affiliate links and may not work. The information posted is still accurate and I will revise the article to update links in the near future.

Hopefully you have had a chance to follow the guidance in the first part of this series. If not, please read that post first ( HERE ) – but hold off repotting until you have read this post as well. If you have already freed your orchid from the “death swaddle” in which it was shipped and it is repotted, you will need to unpot for this section. That’s OK – your orchid should do just fine. They are truly very hardy and these next steps are important!

In this second part of the three-part series, we are going to cover a bit about root health and a few common issues. Part 3, the final for this series, will cover potting mediums and sources for real orchid professionals whose methods and recommendations I trust.

Root Health

As you can see from the pictures below, my Moth orchids have nice plump roots that look a bit like silver/green worms. The roots you see are called “air roots” and should be visible on any Moth orchid you receive or purchase. If not, you will want to make sure your potting medium is soft enough to allow these to reach the surface. More about that later.

If you squeeze healthy roots like those shown, they feel solid and give just a little with pressure. Look over your orchid’s visible roots as you read through the next bullet points to assess your existing roots for issues.

For the Moth Orchid:

Overly “squishy” roots that are also often dark and possibly feel mushy. (Scroll down to “Really Serious Issues”)
Fuzzy growths that look like fungus. (Scroll down to “Really Serious Issues”)
Leaves that appear burned (actual brown or yellow spots). Common issue and an easy fix.
Dry, wrinkly roots. Gently with thumb and forefinger grasp one of these roots and gently pull away from the plant. If the sheath of the root comes off, leaving a single strand, that root is effectively dead. We will cover this scenario more in the following sections.

For Most Other Orchids:

Very thin roots that appear mushy. (Scroll down to “Really Serious Issues”)
The bulbous base (if your orchid type has these – officially known as “pseudobulbs”) is black, rotting, or extremely wilted and dried up. (Scroll down to “Really Serious Issues”)
Leaves that appear burned (actual brown or yellow spots). Common issue and an easy fix.
Most of the leaves are dried up completely and pull easily away from top of the bulbous base or cane. Keep reading – a little more complicated.
Slender white roots that appear very dry, wrinkled. Keep reading!

That’s a list of the most typical issues with orchids – so let’s get to making that baby happy!

Dry Roots and/or Wrinkled Pseudobulbs

While different parts of an orchid, both of these issues often have the same cause – not enough water getting into the roots or pseudobulbs. Depending on what type of orchid you have, pseudobulbs may be round or oblong and very smooth. Orchids that appear to have “canes” (like bamboo) are also storing water within these segmented canes. Sometimes you will see tiny little white roots coming out of the side or tops of the pseudobulbs (or cane segments). These are called “keikis” and are actually a little “offshoot orchid” trying to get started. If you want to know more about keikis, check on the resources listed in Part 3 of this series.

If either your roots and/or pseudobulbs feel dry, or look very wrinkled, it means that your plant, at some point, was not getting sufficient water. If you have a Moth orchid and you can EASILY pull off the outer sheath of a root, exposing that long string interior, that root is actually dead. Truly dried out roots will not recover. Wrinkled pseudobulbs may still store water but not as well if they are very wrinkled. They will also likely never recover their smooth appearance. BUT unless they completely dry up and/or get mushy (Scroll down to “Really Serious Issues”), just leave the wrinkled bulbs alone and focus on making sure the plant is getting sufficient water through the roots and any other bulbs.

Cleaning Up the Roots

Gather up these cleaning supplies before you begin.

Sharp scissors or exacto knife
Spray bottle
New potting soil – unless you JUST repotted with fresh soil after reading the first post and are now working just on the roots. If that is the case, save your existing soil as you unpot your plant in the next section.
Hydrogen Peroxide (3% is the strongest you should use and dilute it 4 to 1 with four parts water to one part peroxide). Put this in your spray bottle. You will ONLY use this as part of a root trim and can discard the remainder in the bottle afterwards. DO NOT spray anything but the roots, carefully following the instructions very carefully below. Note that some orchid professionals will say this is unnecessary or that you should use a commercial fungicide. I’ve always used this and have had good success, but a good fungicide works well also and comes with specific instructions.
Alcohol (pour into a bowl deep enough to dip your scissors/knife)
Newspaper and/or a cookie sheet on which to spread out your orchid (and potting soil if you are saving that for reuse).

First step is to get rid of as many of these dead roots as possible. Get an exacto knife or pair of sharp scissors. Wash these with soap and water, rinse, then dip into the bowl of alcohol. EACH TIME YOU CUT A ROOT, redip your scissors/knife in the alcohol.

Holding your orchid by the base, slowly and gently run your fingers through the roots, removing any loose dead roots and/or soil/bark. Be very gentle and take your time. You may find it easier to lay the orchid on its side and rake through slowly in that position.

For a Moth orchid, “test” each of the roots to see if the sheath will come off easily. I mean EASILY. You should not have to tug hard if that root is dead. If a root feels at all solid – don’t pull – just assume it is OK. After the dead sheaths are removed, if the little strings look clean and have no mold, just leave them alone. They will not transport water and will just dry up completely. If any are moldy/soft, take your knife or scissors and cut off just those damaged strings.

For other orchids, you will follow a similar pattern. Any rotting (mushy) roots need to be cut off completely. Those that are dried up should be clipped back to the base of the orchid. Not sure if a root is dead? As long as it is clean and not mushy or spotted weird – just leave it. Roots die off naturally all the time and leaving a few does not harm the plant at all.

Now, gently spread the remaining roots out and LIGHTLY mist the roots with the peroxide solution. Don’t soak them. This is just to make sure your cut sections are not infected before repotting. Alternatively, you can get a fungicide specific to orchids and use that in this step.

Repot the Orchid

Gather up your potting supplies:

Potting Soil
Sphagnum Moss
Pot (If this is your first repotting of this orchid, your pot should only be slightly larger than the pot from which it has been released.)
Small bowl of tap water

These are links to supplies I use (I am an Amazon affiliate and will get a VERY small compensation if you purchase through these links. These are products that I have successfully used in maintaining my own orchid collection.)

Orchid Potting Mix

Sphagnum Moss

Take about five strands of moss and put these in a bowl of water to rehydrate. Once wet, take each strand and arrange them equidistant around the edge of the pot, letting bottom of each strand touch bottom of pot and drape the remainder over the edge of the pot. If strands are not long enough, hold onto the top of these strands and pour in just a bit of soil into the bottom of the pot to steady.

Once you can drape the moss, you are ready to add more soil to the pot. You will add about 1″ of soild altogether before beginning to add the orchid roots into the pot. Holding the orchid by the base with the roots dangling into the pot and curling naturally. If you have any “air roots” (ones that were growing above the soil line), be sure they remain loose and above the soil line. Slowly sift your soil back into the pot, going around all but the air roots and filling up the pot to just the beginning of the crown base of the orchid. You might not be able to get as much soil back into the pot – and that’s fine. DO NOT pack down the soil. Roots are the lungs of the orchid and should not be constricted.

Gently water the plant thoroughly. I typically put my pots into a bowl as I pour in the water and add water until it is near the top of the new pot. Let it sit no longer than FIVE MINUTES, then list our your orchid pot and let it drain thoroughly. Set it on a saucer. Keep an eye on the saucer and pour off any excess water that gathers over the next hour or so.

If your orchid had a bloom spire, you could let it continue but as soon as your first petals wilt (yes – even if there are still some happy petals), take a clean, alcohol wiped knife or scissors and cut in front of the last segment on the spire (leave one full segment on the spire). This will help your new orchid put all its energy into the roots and you will be rewarded soon enough with a new spire(s). You don’t have to take this unusual measure in the future – just when repotting.

What to Expect After Root Trims

Don’t despair if your orchid looks a little downhearted after repotting. You may lose a leaf but should not have a mortal “shed”. I think of it as the “big sigh” period. It’s a bit of a shock and yet a bit of a relief. They should be getting water up through their healthy remaining roots – but it takes a bit to get all that plumbing functioning well. Be especially careful not to over/under water at this stage. Don’t let the soil dry out completely during this period – but don’t overwater either. If you stick your finger in the pot and it feels quite cool – it is still damp enough even if the top looks dry. If you can’t tell and it has been a week – go ahead and water anyway and just be sure to let the water fully drain.

During this time period, be sure your plant is never in full unblocked sunlight. Behind a sheer curtain or 6-8 inches away from the window will be best.

Brown Spots, Water Spots, And Leaf Drop

If your orchid has brown spots on the leaf body or tip, or leaves that have turned brown and are coming off, you may have either placed your orchid in a location with too much direct sunlight AND/OR when you water you are getting droplets on the leaves. Water drops on the leaves in directly sunlight act like a magnifying glass and will cause serious burns. Move your orchid out of direct sunlight immediately. Remember – most common orchids that we find in stores evolved as epiphytes that attach and grow up in the leafy branches of trees. They get dappled sunlight/indirect sunlight at best.

When you water, be careful to avoid getting water into the crown of the orchid (the center top where the leaves and flowers attach). If you do get water in this area, gently turn the pot upside to the side and upside down and let as much of the water drain away as possible. Crown rot is often lethal and happens when water gathers for long periods in the tight sections where leaves connect to the overall orchid. This is especially common with Moth orchids as their leaves curve deeply where they attach to stems and water can easily be trapped. There is no need to “mist” your orchids. This invariably leads to crown rot for those who are inexperienced with orchids and their watering needs. DO NOT use an ICE CUBE to water your orchids. This can cause another type of “burn” and it will NOT adequately water the orchid. This is nothing more than a silly advertising ploy to make you think caring for orchids is easy. They are – IF you take the time to remove them from the “death swaddle” and water them properly.

If you are experiencing massive leaf dry up and dropping after successfully cleaning it up, one of these may be the problem.

Plant was allowed to dry out too much in the past. While repotting should help if there are good roots left when you repot, sometimes the damage continues for a time – and sometimes it is fatal. As long as you have any roots alive, there is some hope that the plant may begin anew – but it will be hard. Visit some of the sites in Part 3 – or just let the plant go.
Overwatering. This is a big killer of home orchids. If they were “death swaddled” too long, they just may not recover. If you know you are not overwatering, their early beginnings are likely the issue. Again – read up and decide if it is worth your time to help the plant recover. I’ve had plants that were down to one leaf and, with lots of care, they have rebounded beautifully.
If lots of roots had to be cut away during your repot, the plant may be simply trimming itself back to what the existing roots can support. Give it some time to see if it will recover.
Plant was “starved” when you got it and the repot is not giving it enough food to recover. Get an orchid fertilizer, dilute it by twice the normal amount (since your potting soil is new it has some nutrients) and feed with every other watering.
Too hot/too cold/too much light/too little light. Best place for orchids in a home or office is in front of an eastern or western-facing window. A little direct sun indoors is best. Orchids cannot exist in darkness. Although you can move a blooming orchid to an interior area to enjoy the blooms for awhile, they must be put back where they can get sunlight or they cannot produce good leaf growth (which leads to good flower spires). Orchids like air circulation but not cold or hot drafts. If your window area is overly “stagnant”, put a little fan nearby that you can turn on to circulate the air. This is helpful for most house plants and especially orchids. NEVER put your orchid in an area with a warm downdraft. Your soil will dry out way too fast and you may discover the issue too late. If you have VERY cold winters – and especially if you do not have energy efficient windows – check your orchid space temperature during the day and at night. Most orchids like 60-85 degree temperatures. Below or above those temperatures will impact leaf and spire growth, and your watering schedule.

Next Up…

On to Part 3 where I will share my personal recommendations on potting mediums and orchid care professionals. (If you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and read it!)

Really Serious Issues

If any of the following are true of your orchid, stop reading now and go online to search on common root diseases for orchids and be sure to move the sick orchid away from other orchids you may own. You may be able to save your orchid, but these symptoms indicate an issue beyond the scope of this posting. I’ve provided a list of resources at the close of this post.

Small stripes and spots all over the surface of the roots. These will not be minor looking – they will look nasty. Likely a viral disease and no cure.
VERY soft roots that when touched an “ulcer” occurs from which liquid flows out. This is typically going to indicate a bacterial infection and CAN be cured. You will need a fungicide and you need to move quickly and follow all instructions on the fungicide.
Weird little fuzzy or colorful growths on the roots (sometimes yellowish or pink). Likely a fungal disease. Again, your orchid CAN recover from this, but it requires your immediate action.
Insects. These are usually something that has come along for the ride with your new plant. Folks who are lucky enough to put their orchids outside throughout parts of the year may also have some issues. Again, research online to find out what to do about different kinds of bugs.

Orchid Care for Real People

June 5, 2023 By: Sherry Bradford

If you have ever received a lovely orchid as a gift when ill, having had a child, a birthday, Mother’s Day, or any other celebration, this post is for you. If you have watched your orchid bloom, then suddenly seem to dry up and/or go limp and begin to die, this post is for you. The scenario is common – and in almost every case is easy to prevent – and sometimes fix.

Most people think orchids are an especially hard plant to keep healthy. Actually, they are really very hardy and easy to grow – once you understand a couple of VERY basic characteristics. So, if you have that little ailing orchid sitting in your window, or just got a new one recently, bring it over to your computer and let’s all have THE TALK. You will want to also read Part 2 and Part 3 of this series before you repot.

First, let me introduce my oldest orchid. This one is well over 20 years old. It blooms multiple times throughout the year. But the very first year, this beauty got down to two little leaves and about three little roots. I thought it was a goner for sure. But I poked around online (it was a different web in the 1990’s), and headed to the public library and found some pointers. It took more than a year to get six leaves – and it still doesn’t have many more than that. But oh my goodness, does it have roots and blooms! Your sad little orchid may not make it – but it might – so don’t give up too fast. And if it doesn’t – you can take what you learn here and have much better success with the next one.

Part 1: Saving Your Orchid (it’s likely already dying…)

Yup – that’s likely the sad truth. By the time you receive a gift orchid – or purchase one off store shelf, it has already gone through a LOT of challenges. First it has been tightly “swaddled” at the base with a bit of very wet sphagnum (or other) moss. That swaddling is typically tied up with string or worse, plastic ties, to keep the roots confined closely to the moss. The plant is then “potted” with the bare minimum amount of soil and given a “look” before selling. Looks include a tall stick to which any blooms are attached with plastic clips, and a plastic wrapper around the pot to add a bit of color/glammer – and to hold in moisture. The bigger the orchid, the more fancy some of the wrappings. At this point, it sits on the shelf – slowly dehydrating while getting root rot due to the tight swaddling. If it is especially unlucky, someone in the store will come around and water it, causing the wrappings to be soggy, the “swaddled” roots to be even more choked by the moss that is now partially hardened and partially soggy, and the pot bottom cannot drain so any roots that managed to break free are now slowly smothering.

Many orchids in the wild do not grow on the ground in soil at all. Instead, they are epiphytes, meaning they anchor themselves to another plant and their bare roots absorb and store water and nutrients taken from rainfall. Some have pseudobulbs that help store the water for longer periods of time. If those orchids are instead constrained and “buried” within soil, the plant will likely fail to thrive at best – or will often die. Your little store baby is in deep shock at this point.

To make matters worse, you often get a little helpful advice from the store owners to use an ice cube to water your plant. Just keep replinishing that ice cube and your plant will survive. NOT. It simply delays the inevitable. Your little store baby’s roots are now slowly drowning AND dehydrating at the same time.

What’s a Plant Mama To Do?

As soon as possible after receiving or purchasing an orchid, head to Home Depot or a similar store and buy a small bag of basic orchid potting mix and the smallest block of sphagnum moss available. You should also pick up a clear pot – about the same size or only slightly larger than the pot in which your plant arrived. If you cannot find these locally, check Amazon with the following links:

Orchid Pots (I like the ones with slits vs. holes) – Orchid Pots

Orchid Potting Mix (I use Miracle-Gro but there are several available on this link) – Orchid Potting Soil

Sphagnum Moss – I use this New Zealand moss and get the smallest package possible. A bag goes a very long way!

More expensive is not “better”. Unless you plan to become a hard-core orchid caregiver, just get the basics. You can “gear up” once you have more experience. For now – let’s just focus on saving the baby in hand.

Once you have your supplies, grab a pair of scissors, rinse them and pour a bit of alcohol over the blades. Fill a small bowl or cup with tap water. Pull four-to-five strands of the moss out of the block and put in the water until fully soaked (swells up and turns a slightly darker color). Fill another bigger bowl with tap water. Cover your working surface with plastic or a towel and slowly remove your orchid from its existing pot. Using your scissors, carefully clip around that swaddled root pack, doing your best not to cut into the base of the plant or the roots. Remove all the moss and dirt or other junk that has been packed around the roots. GENTLY shake out the roots so they can hang freely, and remove as much of the soil as possible.

Some of the roots are going to be dead on arrival. You can tell because if you gently slide your fingers along the root, the sheath will come away revealing a tiny little interior fiber (Moth orchids only – other orchids will simply look shriveled and dried out). If you see any roots that look rotted or rotting, clip those off and dip or rinse your scissors in alcohol again before clipping more. Don’t worry too much at the moment about the ones that may already be dead. We can address that later once you have the plant stabilized.

After you have most of the soil removed (that includes any bark “chips” that might be hanging onto the plant), dip the roots into the bowl of water up to the line where all the greenery of the plant begins. Don’t cover the leaves or much of the stem. Now, swish the water around the roots gently until more of the remaining soil and/or bark comes away. Leave the plant roots soaking for about 5 minutes (TIME it – don’t leave them too long). After 5 minutes, lift your orchid from the water, and lay it on the towel or plastic.

Take the long strands of moss and drape them over the edge of your pot, with the moss hanging on the inside. Strands should reach almost to the bottom of the pot. Space them around the pot edges. If strands are longer than the pot depth, just let the excess hang over the edge to the outside of the pot for now.

Put about 1/3 of the new soil into the new pot. Make sure the bottom portion of the strands of moss are covered by the soil and the moss is still staying primarily along the side of the pot so you can see them through the plastic. Pick up your orchid at the base, letting the roots hang down. Hold the roots over the open pot and let the majority go into the pot, pulling three or four of the uppermost roots up into your hand that is holding the bulk of the orchid. You want to keep these strands from being covered with soil. Carefully and loosely place more soil into the pot, letting it begin to surround the roots, keeping the orchid base just about 1″ below the top of the pot. Once all the roots are covered and the plant is nestled in the soil, fold any overhanging moss onto the top of the soil. Let the roots you held up stay on top of the soil. It’s ok but doesn’t matter if these roots touch any moss that might be on the top of the soil.

Set the newly planted pot into the bowl in which you had soaked your orchid, letting the new soil and moss become saturated with water without displacing your orchid. Once everything seems pretty wet, hold the pot above the bowl of water and let as much water drain out as possible.

For the first 3-5 days, put your orchid someplace away from drafts and out of direct sunlight. Do let it have sunlight – just don’t blast it (more about this in Part 2). Enjoy any blooms, and don’t worry if they begin to drop. That is normal. A few of the leaves may turn yellow over the next days or weeks – that is normal as well.

Watering Your Orchid

Water your newly potted orchid JUST ONCE per week and let the water run through and out. DO NOT let your orchid sit in water. Not now – not EVER. Be sure it drains out after every watering and then you can put a little saucer under the pot – but pour off any water that accumulates. Keep up this cycle for three weeks. IF AND ONLY IF it is winter time and you keep your home very warm, you can water every 5 instead of every 7 days. But never more often unless you keep your home REALLY hot.

In the remainder of this series, we will talk about more intensive root repair, long term watering care, good potting mediums, and helpful professionals I trust to give solid advice.

If you just got your orchid, hold off repotting until you read Part 2 to save yourself some time. If you have already repotted – no worries. Part 2 covers that in more depth and your orchid should do just fine in the interim! Good luck and I hope your orchid baby responds quickly and well to its new environment. You’ve given it the best chance at survival with the steps to this point.

Here are images of some of my other orchids. You will notice that most are NOT in bloom. That is pretty typical. The “Moth” orchid is a frequent bloomer and often produces multiple spires of blooms. My other orchids, however, typically bloom just once – or at the most twice – per year. Some took 10 years before they put on their first blooms for me. When they do, it is really special!