Green rhizomes = healthy Grey dry rhizomes = not healthy!!
Grey rhizomes (aka aerial roots) = healthy too. Dry brown aerial roots = not unhealthy, but probbably nor contributing to moisture pick-up or photosynthesis.
What you are doing seems way beyond the call of duty or friendship. If I had been entrusted with such a resuscitation task, I would give it at least 4 years to success.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I saw a video where after the dying orchid had revived, she put pellets of an organic fertilizer made from fish waste around the outside edge of the pot (not near the orchid). She had moss in a thick layer over the entire top of the pot, and the pellets were tucked just underneath it. Then she watered once a week with fresh water, where the water runs right through the pot which is full of holes and the substrate is the pine bark.
I'm new to this, it's interesting to see how different people do it.
What does anyone think of the fish waste pellets idea, have you done similar?
Maybe Miracle Grow is safer!
Moss is a problem on orchids and should be removed; it maintains too high a dampness.
Thank you wild edges. I was using spring water from a bottle. I also have distilled water, would that be better than spring water?
I depends on what spring water, some can have a rather high mineral content. I use rain water from a butt served from the greenhouse roof. In the height of summer, I fall back on condensate from the clothes dryer dehumidified. That is as good as distilled.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Moss is a problem on orchids and should be removed; it maintains too high a dampness.
I am seeing people recommending 'sphagnum moss'. They are saying you should pot the orchid with the special bark chips, then you place a layer of the sphagnum moss on the top of the pot - supposed to keep a moist environment. I have no idea if this is a good idea or not ...
Thank you bédé for the water tips. I'll check the mineral content of the spring water. I do have a bit of spare distilled lying around, then when that's gone, it's easy enough to collect some rainwater.
Best not to feed sick plants - it's the very last thing you want to do. No food until they are growing away nicely, and even then, better to be miserly
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Although I know more or less how to grow orchids I hate them .To my mind they are ugly and those roots …….they give me the creeps . People will insist on giving them to me ( kindly meant of course) as gifts …….I always re- gift them or donate to church as a raffle prize or prize for winning a quiz or whatever .I would have long given up trying with that orchid by now . Good luck with keeping it going you’ll need oodles of patience.
I suppose it depends on which Orchids you grow - Cymbidiums are relatively trouble free and the flowers are long lasting and quite spectacular. Dendrobiums too are quite easy and will produce sprays of scented white or pink flowers in the early Spring.
I also now have one which I was given last year as a Thank You for Bonsai equipment donated - I assume it is a Phalaenopsis ( sp ? ) which are popular sellers in SM's. It remained in flower for about 7 or 8 months and whilst it has a healthy base, I admit I'm not sure how to treat it to get it flowering again . @Nanny Beach is an orchid grower so perhaps she could help ?
Posts
What you are doing seems way beyond the call of duty or friendship. If I had been entrusted with such a resuscitation task, I would give it at least 4 years to success.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Pink678 said: I depends on what spring water, some can have a rather high mineral content. I use rain water from a butt served from the greenhouse roof. In the height of summer, I fall back on condensate from the clothes dryer dehumidified. That is as good as distilled.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I also now have one which I was given last year as a Thank You for Bonsai equipment donated - I assume it is a Phalaenopsis ( sp ? ) which are popular sellers in SM's. It remained in flower for about 7 or 8 months and whilst it has a healthy base, I admit I'm not sure how to treat it to get it flowering again . @Nanny Beach is an orchid grower so perhaps she could help ?