The neck of the orchid is rotting. Is it possible to save an orchid from black and gray rot? Causes of appearance and recommendations on how to rid the plant of the disease
Orchids... Many women want to see this flower on their windowsill. And when he appears, the desire does not disappear. Almost everyone falls in love with this queen of flowers. And the only desire appears - to make all the window sills in the house use them. Unfortunately, improper care often leads to negative consequences. Most often the root system suffers. What to do if Is it possible to save the plant? Of course yes.
General information
Unfortunately, indoor orchids are quite capricious plants. The thing is that their homeland is the tropical jungle. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain a suitable regime in room conditions. Untimely and improper care often affects the condition of the plant.
A common problem with indoor orchids is various problems with the root system. But even in the most neglected state, one should not give up and prematurely recognize the plant as dead. A withered plant can most often be saved or revived.
A whimsical plant
Many novice flower growers do not know what to do if the roots of an orchid have rotted. Important advice: first of all, the plant should not be thrown away. Situations when the roots of tropical plants rot happen very often. This problem concerns not only amateur flower growers, but also professionals.
The orchid is considered a capricious plant, mainly due to its painful and capricious roots. Therefore, people rarely decide to grow this plant at home. But actually it is not. After all, the orchid is characterized by a fairly high level of vitality.
The main condition for growing orchids on a windowsill without problems is compliance with care technology.
The plant can be saved if the true cause of the disease is established. Most often, orchid roots begin to rot due to a violation of the light regime in the room.
Causes of the disease
What to do if the orchid's roots have rotted? First of all, you should find out the cause of this problem. There are several of them.
1. Watering. Many novice gardeners are overprotective of a new plant, so they water it often. Great harm is caused to the plant if such abundant watering is carried out systematically. When watering an orchid, you should know the size of its roots and the period of activity. In addition, enough time should pass between waterings for the substrate to dry out.
The orchid must be replanted in a transparent container. You can use pine bark or sphagnum as soil. Prevention of possible problems can be carried out with the help of timely root feeding.
2. Lighting. A common cause of root rot is poor lighting. For the same reason, the roots grow slowly. This problem is especially relevant in the autumn-winter period. If the normal lighting system is disrupted, then over time the plant’s life cycles will fail. The foliage loses its brightness, becomes dull, and the liquid penetrates only into the upper layers. Those leaves that receive the required amount of light send peculiar signals to their roots. Only in this case does the correct absorption of liquid occur during watering.
3. Non-sterility of the substrate. If the above factors are not justified, you should pay attention to the soil of the plant. Over time, quite a lot of beneficial microorganisms, mites, and fungi accumulate in it. But in winter, harmful fungi can accumulate in it, which destroy the root system of the plant. They are very aggressive and can even climb up to the stem and foliage of the plant. As a result, your favorite orchid can disappear literally in one day.
4. If the cause is not determined, then the root system of the plant must be placed in a fungicide. In this case, the dosage indicated in the instructions should be halved. This treatment of the plant must be carried out regularly. This will form a good immune system.
Flower growers advise using preparations such as Epin and Zircon. For 1 liter of water you should take 1 drop of any drug. Soak the plants in this solution for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Remember that the effect of these regulators on the plant will not help if the cause of rotting is poor lighting.
Signs of rotting
Root rot is a disease. It has its own symptoms. First of all, the root of the plant changes color and becomes lighter. In this case, the root system dies.
Signs by which you can determine root rotting:
- Significant darkening.
- When you press on the root, moisture appears.
- You may find several wet areas.
- The damaged areas have a thread-like appearance.
What to do if the orchid's roots have rotted?
Root extension
Before proceeding with any action, you should remove the orchid from the pot and assess the extent of damage to the root system. If, after inspection, the roots of the orchid have rotted only superficially, what should you do? A photo of the plant being fixed in a fungicide solution is shown below.
If the roots are seriously damaged, you can try to grow new ones. The old mass must be removed. Particular attention should also be paid to the quality of the soil for planting. It must have the necessary density and texture. In this case, it is necessary to water the plant rarely, only when the soil dries out. This procedure should be performed in the morning. The water should be at room temperature, filtered.
Ambulance
What if the roots are rotten? There are several methods, but the condition of the damaged roots should be assessed. It is also necessary to provide optimal conditions under which the flower can be saved. The easiest and simplest way to bring an orchid back to life is to revive it in water.
First of all, it is necessary to carefully remove all rotten parts of the root system and damaged leaves. This procedure must be performed with a disinfected knife or scissors.
Now you need to place the plant so that the top part is located above the water. To speed up the resuscitation process, it is best to place the flower in a well-lit place. This measure will help you quickly get a new root system from the plant.
Saving an orchid without roots and leaves
Beginning flower growers very often ask a question about a plant such as the phalaenopsis orchid: “The roots have rotted, what should I do?” And this is not surprising. After all, our housewives often flood the plant. Sometimes there are cases where a flower has lost not only its roots, but also its leaves. In order to save such a plant, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for its survival.
To do this, you need to plant the flower in a small greenhouse. You can purchase it at a flower shop, or you can design it yourself using a transparent plastic box.
If the roots rotted and the leaves disappeared, right? Expanded clay and moss must be placed at the bottom of such a greenhouse. You need to carefully place the plant here. Be sure to take care of good lighting, so it is better to purchase a special phytolamp. If extra expenses are not foreseen, it is enough to place the greenhouse in a room with good lighting.
Now you can carry out the following procedures with these plants:
- Soak in a nutrient solution, clean water.
- Roots and leaves can be wiped with a special solution that stimulates growth and saturates the plant with nutrients.
- The flower can be bathed in solutions of water with diluted special preparations.
Experienced gardeners know how to revive an orchid if its roots have rotted. For this you can use the following drugs:
- B vitamins. They support the life of the plant during the absence of the root system. The orchid must be soaked in this solution every month, and the leaves can be wiped every week.
- Growth regulators. These preparations contain natural phytohormones that stimulate the appearance of new roots. Every month it is necessary to soak the base of the plant in this solution.
- Potash and phosphorus fertilizers. They accelerate the formation of the root system. It is necessary to feed the plant with this fertilizer 2 times a month.
- Glucose. The drug is added to various solutions. In a healthy plant, glucose appears independently through photosynthesis. This substance is necessary for the formation of new cells.
- - microfertilizer. Stimulates the growth of roots and leaves. The substance is added to solutions and the plant is treated.
Now you know what to do if the orchid dies. The roots have rotted, but it doesn't matter. Proper care will help restore the luxury of this noble tropical flower.
The roots dry out
We figured out what could be the reason if all the roots of an orchid have rotted. What to do in the opposite situation - when the roots dry out? This is a fairly common problem. This is often caused by insufficient watering. Aerial shoots are most often affected. If the flower is not helped in time, it may die.
Most often this problem is noticed immediately. To do this, it is enough to replant the plant and establish the correct watering regime. It is better not to trim dry roots.
Conclusion
Well, what if water accidentally flooded the orchid? The roots have rotted, what should I do? Now many flower growers recognize themselves. After all, almost everyone has encountered this problem.
The cause of this phenomenon may be improper care of the plant. Most often, the flower can be brought back to life. By following all the advice of experienced flower growers, you will be able to enjoy the sight of blooming bright and noble orchids in your home.
To take action in time and save the flower. If the diagnosis is incorrect, there is a high probability of wasting time or even aggravating the situation with incorrect treatment.
Let's find out in more detail why orchid leaves rot and what to do to help the plant.
Causes of leaf rotting and their symptoms
Leaf rotting is easy to recognize externally. Sometimes they begin to rot at the base of the neck. It all starts as usual with or small, sometimes wet, the elasticity of the leaves decreases, green foci of sporulation are visible on the walls of the pot, the entire upper part may become unstable.
The location of the lesions can vary and often depends on the type of problem. Dark spots on the leaves usually have a yellow or pink halo.
Orchid leaves often rot due to improper care.
Causes of rot are:
- Improper care;
- And bacterial or fungal infection.
With improper care, the solution to the problem is simple, just need to reconsider:
- System;
- Humidity;
To successfully treat bacterial or fungal rot, you need to know exactly what struck a particular flower:
Fusarium
Fusarium rot is a disease caused by a fungal infection. Active development of the fungus can only begin in a favorable environment:
Important! Orchids are subject to two types of fusarium - Fusarium oxysporum (affects the root system and lower part of the stem), Fusarium moniliforme (develops on stems, leaves, peduncles and flowers).
The first sign of the appearance of these mushrooms may be white, pink or purple dust spots, these are spores that begin to develop (this sign appears first if the plant became infected from an actively sick person).
If there are no diseased plants nearby, the disease develops from dormant spores, in which case main symptoms appear in the following sequence:
- Yellowing or redness of areas that are affected by the disease (the lesion begins with small spots and develops into large lesions);
- Blackening and indentation resembling a burn;
- Blackening and softening of the stem;
- The appearance and spread of spores to healthy areas and neighboring flowers.
Treatment can only be started in the early stages, otherwise the treatment may be ineffective and the plant will not survive. Immediately after detecting a problem, the plant must be isolated. Cutting out rot is important remember a few rules:
- all affected parts, cutting slightly into the healthy part of the leaf;
- The sections must be dried and treated with activated carbon or an antiseptic;
- Severely affected leaves are cut off completely and without regret;
- If the middle leaf is damaged, it is cut off as necessary, but not completely removed;
- The cut areas should not be wetted for at least a week.
The plant is necessary completely process. The treatment will be repeated during the treatment process, but if there is no improvement after the first treatment, it is better to discard the plant without risking the remaining flowers.
Need to completely replace and before adding a new soil, treat it with a fungicide solution; the flower must also be watered with this solution for the first time. The pot is placed in a warm, as bright and dry place as possible. You can water only under the roots, but under no circumstances spray or allow water to get on the leaves.
When the leaves of an orchid rot, it is necessary to initially change the substrate.
Quarantine is maintained for 3 months. Minimum quarantine is 3 weeks, but this is in the case of early detection of the problem and proper treatment. For quarantine, the plant must not only be moved to another window, but placed in another room, as far away from the others as possible.
Carefully! After treatment, 70-80% of the spores usually die. The remaining spores go into hibernation and can wake up at the first favorable situation for them. Fungal spores can live in the soil and on plants without showing signs for more than 5 years.
Wet bacterial rot
Bacteria that cause wet rot on orchids belong to the genera gladioli and Erwinia. They are rod-shaped and breed in warm, moist conditions. The higher the temperature and humidity, the faster the development of the disease. Infection usually comes from:
- Neighboring plants;
- Through water;
- Substrate;
- Or (very rarely) by air.
External signs The course of the disease depends on the varietal characteristics of the orchid:
- Cattleya, Epidendrum, Oncidium– wet, yellow (yellow-brown), uneven spotting, which merges over time and affects the entire leaf, coloring it dark, usually brown;
- Paphiopedilum– the lesion in the form of a brown spot spreads from the base to the edge, along the leaf vein. The boundaries of the spot are clear and unblurred;
- Phalaenopsis– spots of yellow-brown glassy color, darkening as the disease progresses. At later stages of development they have a mushy structure and secrete a yellow liquid. A young growing leaf susceptible to the disease becomes deformed.
When choosing a fungicide, a prerequisite is the presence of copper in the composition (a widely used option is Bordeaux mixture). As part of medicinal solutions there should also be:
- Streptomycin;
- Phytobacteriomycin;
- Tetracycline;
- Myomycin;
- Chloramphenicol.
Leaf blades that are already affected by rot are cut off and treated with iodine or brilliant green. Using charcoal or cinnamon is absolutely useless in this situation. Since rot develops from the core, many leaves are removed completely and the cut points on the stem are treated.
Pythium and late blight
Patium and late blight are fungal pathogens of rot. Like other fungal diseases, they are actively developing at high humidity and suitable temperature for each type. These fungi are easily transmitted from plant to plant through the air at high speed.
Pythium usually appears due to high humidity.
Manifestations of patium can be completely different and depend on the orchid variety and development conditions. Speed of flower damage varies from 1 to 10 days. The lesion begins with, then moving to the stem and leaves. The roots become covered with dark spots and rot down to the base, and resemble threads.
The leaves rot from the core, gradually covered with dark spots and rotting. In most other varieties, rotting begins at the leaves, pseudobulbs, stems, or leaf junctions. This fungus develops in damp and cold environments.
Late blight has symptoms similar to patium, but it develops usually starts with leaves. Also different are the conditions for fungal growth:
- Some late blight varieties only like heat and humidity;
- Others - cold with high humidity;
- And the third is warmth and dryness.
On the leaves wet spots form, which turn yellow over time and then turn black, forming wet areas. Late blight develops at lightning speed, and the flower can be lost in just a few days.
The spread of this fungus occurs at record speed; in a few days, all the flowers standing next to the patient can become infected.
When treating patium and late blight, most of the measures to improve the condition are identical. For salvation carry out such actions:
- The diseased plant is quarantined;
- All diseased areas are cut off with a sharp, treated instrument, the sections are treated with charcoal or cinnamon, on the leaves it is allowed to use iodine or brilliant green, diluted with water 1/1;
- Treat the entire plant with a strong fungicide:
- For patium, preparations containing Propamocarb and Metalaxyl-M are used;
- For late blight, the drug content is different and they contain Metalaxyl-M, Fosetyl and Dimethomorph.
When fighting such complex fungi it is necessary keep the plant separately for up to 3 months until complete recovery.
Core rotting: causes and consequences
What to do if the middle rots and all the leaves fall off? The core of an orchid is like a funnel of leaves - water easily enters it, creating stagnation and risk of rotting. Stagnation of water in the core is possible only at high humidity and low temperature; otherwise, the water evaporates in a couple of hours. Water gets into the core due to improper watering or excessive spraying.
Overwatering the orchid or stagnant water in the pot leads to rotting of the core.
To prevent rotting, care must be taken water the flower only on the roots, and after spraying, blot excess moisture in the center with a napkin.
Important! If decay has already begun, then timely measures can save the lower leaves, and in rare cases, the core itself.
The saved lower leaves with roots live and even bloom, and over time one or two are formed, which replace the dead orchid.
Sequence of treatment
Like a rotting orchid? When rotting leaves, the most important thing is to detect the problem in time and take the necessary measures:
Often
Interesting facts in the video about rotting, diseases and pests of orchids:
Find out in the video how the core of an orchid rots:
Conclusion
Orchids are easy to adapt for home climate. They get sick very rarely, and most of the illnesses are caused by inattention or improper care. To guarantee the health of the beauty, it is important to simply follow all the rules of care and review some of them, depending on the climate in the apartment.
The main advice that experienced flower growers give is compliance with all rules and attentive attitude towards your pet.
In contact with
Kira Stoletova
Representatives of the orchid family are demanding in care and often suffer from rot of the roots, stems and foliage. The orchid even rots from the inside, which makes it difficult to identify the disease.
Features of orchid rotting
Phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria pose a great threat to indoor flowers. They most often appear in the place where the orchid is most vulnerable. The proliferation of harmful microorganisms creates all the conditions for the appearance of signs of rot. At the same time, the peduncle, foliage and roots suffer.
Any part of the plant quickly rots, and the infection, spreading, approaches the growing point of the flower, it can minimize the chances of restoration of the crop. The foliage turns yellow or darkens at the base, loses turgor, and photosynthesis is inhibited. All this affects the decorative features of the orchid and gradually kills it.
The development of damage to the leaf blade often leads to the spread of infection to the core of the flower. With such localization of pathological processes, the foliage darkens and falls, and the stem becomes sluggish and unstable. Even if all the upper parts of the flower have rotted away, there is still a chance to save it. The main thing is that the infection does not reach the root system.
Causes of leaf rotting
There are a number of factors that lead to home flower diseases. The most common mistakes made by gardeners when caring for a capricious plant. Rot appears due to:
- improper watering;
- low temperature and high air humidity;
- incorrect choice of fertilizers;
- poor lighting;
- dense soil;
- infection with fungal infections.
The cause is often mechanical damage to parts of the flower. If it is dropped or accidentally injured without timely first aid, this leads to rotting of the orchid’s stem or leaf plate, so in case of any damage, problem areas are treated with antiseptic compounds.
Fungal and bacterial infections
The most common orchid diseases, infection of which leads to flower rot, are wet, gray and brown bacterial rot, as well as fusarium. All these diseases are characterized by the appearance of pronounced spotting and the active growth of spots on healthy tissues.
The fight against all these diseases is based on removing parts of the flower damaged by rot and treating it with fungicides. To avoid infection with diseases of other house flowers, the orchid should be quarantined.
Using unsuitable fertilizers
Some gardeners use complex mineral compositions to feed orchids. This cannot be done: such fertilizers contain a large amount of nitrogen, which negatively affects the flower’s immunity.
Only specialized compounds for fertilizing orchids are used, and fertilization is carried out according to the instructions.
Excess moisture
The basic rule for watering orchids is to moisten the soil, which is carried out if the substrate is completely dry. Excessive watering creates pathological conditions for flower root rot.
They also pay attention to temperature, water quality and air humidity. It should be settled and not cold. If air humidity is high, spraying should be abandoned. The flower will have enough moisture in the soil.
Dense soil
Wrong choice of soil also leads to flower rotting. If it is heavy and dense, it may be difficult to ventilate the roots. Another reason is the loss of excess moisture into the pan.
To restore an orchid grown in dense soil, the plant is transplanted into a specialized lightweight granule of zeolite or tree bark, as a result the plant comes to life.
Lighting and temperature
For the development of fungal infections, the ideal conditions are the absence of sunlight and coolness. Take care of natural light, for which the orchid pot is placed on the windowsill. On cloudy days they use a phytolamp.
Favorable temperature for growing orchids is 18°C-24°C. Any deviation from the norm will have a negative impact on the flower.
What to do with a plant affected by rot
Representatives of the orchid family often suffer from leaf and core rot. The roots also suffer. The plant rots, slowly dying at the hands of the owner, i.e. due to non-compliance with the peculiarities of caring for the flower.
When the leaves rot and the middle of the neck and stem look healthy, the core is intact. If at least one leaf on the stem has not rotted, the growth point is alive, and there is still a chance to save the plant.
If the leaves of an orchid have rotted, the use of fungicides is required, which kill the fungus thanks to the aldehydes and organic substances contained in the composition. The most popular fungicides are:
- "Fitosporin-M". This is the best option for treating fungal and bacterial diseases of orchids.
- "Myoxan." A product that normalizes the functioning of lectins. Supports flower immunity.
- "Quadrix". Broad-spectrum fungicide with the active ingredient azoxystrobin. Suitable for both treatment and prevention of diseases.
If the leaves are just rotting, that is, the disease is still at the initial stage, it is permissible to use folk remedies. Popular are iodine solution (5 drops of iodine diluted with 5 liters of water) and garlic tincture (100 g of husk infused in 10 liters of water for 24 hours).
Cervical rotting
If the orchid stem has rotted and the leaves have fallen off, pathological processes occur in the neck itself. It will not be difficult to save the flower, since the growing point is not damaged.
The plant is restored as follows:
- Prepare a sharp blade and treat it with an alcohol-containing product.
- Cut off the rotten part of the plant and clean up the cut areas.
- Prepare a 0.2% foundation solution and treat the cut areas and the soil with it.
- They put the flower pot in place, waiting for the side baby to appear.
The procedure for treating the plant with a fungicide is repeated every 2 weeks until new green mass begins to grow. Treatment with foundationazole is carried out no more than 4 times.
Rotting growth point
When the leaves of an orchid rot and there is not a single healthy area left, the disease has spread to the core.
Action is taken quickly to revive her. The florist should:
- Prepare and disinfect the instrument.
- Remove the rotten part of the flower down to the living tissue (it is possible to remove the growing point to the base).
- Treat the cut areas with crushed activated carbon.
After treatment, the condition of the plant is monitored and if new signs of core rot appear, an operation is performed. Gradually, the trunk comes to life, forming children who were able to grow from the educational tissue of the peduncle and stem.
To stimulate the growth of children from the beginning of their appearance, drugs are used to activate the germination of dormant buds. The most common cytokinin pastes are Keikiboost and Keiki Grow Plus.
Preventive actions
To avoid having to treat your home plant for rot, follow simple rules for caring for your orchid.
Firstly, select a suitable place to keep the flower. It should be well lit and well ventilated. Secondly, the flower is protected from sunlight. Thirdly, to prevent the leaves and core of the plant from rotting:
- Monitor watering moderation. The need to moisten the soil is determined by its condition. Watering is organized after the soil has completely dried.
- Monitor the dryness of the plant foliage. After 30-40 minutes. After spraying or watering, wipe the leaves with a moisture-absorbing sponge (a dry cloth will also work).
- When transplanting plants, the soil is disinfected. They use boiling water treatment or, in the case of granulate, calcination in a frying pan.
Reanimation of an orchid with rotten roots
Conclusion
When the leaves of an orchid rot, it is placed in quarantine, paying attention to treatment. To save the flower, the affected areas of tissue are trimmed and the sections are treated with antiseptic agents.
Plant recovery depends on the location of the pathological process (growing point, neck, etc.). With proper care, Phalaenopsis or other orchid species will recover in 3-12 weeks.
Epiphytes, which include the orchid, have an unusual structure of the root system. They do not have thin, small roots that supply the plant with nutrients and moisture. Epiphytes obtain everything they need for life through spongy tissue, consisting of hollow, dead cells that covers the roots. It is called velamen. If the process of water absorption is disrupted, the plant begins to hurt and dies.
To revive an orchid, you need to find out the causes of the disease. These include:
- Deteriorated soil. Over time, due to the growing mass of roots, the substrate in the pot is destroyed, sags and becomes compacted. Because of this, the water in the pot stagnates and the aeration of the roots deteriorates. Gradually they begin to rot. Therefore, the formation of small particles in the soil should not be allowed.
- Lack of lighting causes water to stagnate in the pot. Severe waterlogging of the substrate provokes putrefactive processes. At the same time, you should not leave the orchid without watering. This will cause the roots to dry out.
- Improper application of fertilizers has a detrimental effect on the sensitive root system of an exotic flower. Unsuitable fertilizers or too high a concentration of fertilizing cause chemical burns to the roots. Then the plant is not able to fully absorb nutrients.
- Damage to the roots during transplantation or propagation opens access to pathogens. Even a small cut without treatment with a disinfectant can cause rot.
- Pest attacks. Insects feeding on sap from the roots often attack phalaenopsis.
- Fungal infection leads to malnutrition. The roots lose their ability to supply the plant with moisture and nutrients.
On a note!
Often the provoking factor for rotting is improper watering. Usually, novice gardeners make irrigation mistakes in the fall or winter, when the orchid goes into a dormant state. Then it does not need a lot of moisture. Therefore, experienced gardeners greatly reduce watering.
In orchids, the process of photosynthesis occurs through the leaves and root system. Therefore, even partial damage to the roots leads to a deterioration in the condition of the entire plant. The viability of the leaves is especially affected.
External signs
You can guess that the roots of an orchid are rotting by the appearance of the leaf blades. The leaves become limp and soft, lose their elasticity. After a short time, yellowing begins and the leaves dry out.
When you touch a diseased plant, you may feel that it is staggering or leaning to one side. So, it occurs due to the loss of the root system. A healthy plant has roots that securely hold it in the ground.
The condition of the roots can be assessed visually through the transparent walls of the pot. They become dark and dry. Sometimes, on the contrary, you can notice that the roots have begun to rot and are covered with characteristic spots. At the same time, the aerial roots dry out and become brittle. Deciding what to do with an orchid if it has yellow roots must be done after a thorough examination and determination of the cause of the problem.
Read also!
Assessing the condition of the root system
If it is noticeable that the aerial roots have dried out and the leaves are turning yellow, the plant is inspected completely to accurately determine the problem. To do this, the flower is removed from the pot and the roots are cleaned of substrate particles. If the roots are healthy, they should be light green in color with a very noticeable pearlescent tint, which velamen gives them. They should feel elastic and firm to the touch. The roots located in the depths of the container sometimes turn yellowish due to the lack of the required amount of sunlight. But at the same time they retain their elasticity.
If the type of roots does not correspond to this characteristic, the following problems are likely:
- After waterlogging, the roots darken and become covered with brown or black spots.
- Necrotic areas appear due to prolonged exposure to stagnant water and the onset of decay. The danger of having such a root is that the process quickly spreads to the entire plant.
- Drying roots with small spots indicate a chemical burn.
- If the roots are dry and turn yellow, and the leaves become soft, then the plant does not have enough moisture.
- Pink roots with characteristic bandages and spots of rot appearing indicate the development of fusarium in the plant.
Leaf Condition Assessment
Tropical orchids are adversely affected by strong increases in temperature. The underground part of the plant reacts especially acutely to such external conditions. Then you can notice partial drying of the tips of the leaves of the flower. After this, the yellowed leaves dry out completely.
If the plant is constantly heated by the sun's rays, even shading with a screen does not save the situation. The leaves need a lot of moisture, but the substrate dries out quickly. Because of this, the roots dry out and do not transfer moisture to the leaves. Rapid evaporation of moisture from the green part of the plant occurs. But due to the lack of recharge from the root system, the leaf plates become soft, rough and dry out quickly.
When infected with fusarium, pink specks of dust appear on the leaves. Such a plant is urgently separated from healthy ones and placed in quarantine. Then the elasticity of the leaves disappears. They become dark and die. Blackness appears on the stems, and the root system continues to rot. New leaf blades are not formed. Gradually, the growth of the orchid stops and it dies.
Reanimation of an orchid without roots
At home, it is possible to revive an orchid if the roots have rotted partially or completely. To begin with, the rotten shoots are cut off, capturing undamaged tissue. Do the same with dried shoots. If all care rules are followed, partial loss of roots will not harm the viability of the epiphyte.
Having gotten rid of problem areas of the root system, the resulting sections are sprinkled with powdered activated carbon or ground cinnamon. These substances have a disinfecting effect and prevent infection from entering through the wound. To reduce the likelihood of fungal infection, a quarter of an hour after treatment, the root system is immersed in a solution of a fungicidal drug.
After disinfecting the sections, the orchid roots need to be treated with a stimulating drug. It is necessary to grow the roots of the orchid and restore the plant.
Resuscitation in a greenhouse
If you have a small home greenhouse, you can restore even a seriously damaged flower without a root system. In such a shelter the epiphyte will be kept at high temperatures and high humidity. Therefore, the formation of a new root system will be faster.
To root an orchid without roots, you will need a small container. A thin layer of expanded clay is placed on its bottom. Then they are filled with sphagnum moss, previously steamed for disinfection. A leaf rosette is placed on a moistened substrate and placed in a greenhouse. The shelter is not removed until the roots grow at least 3 cm long. All this time, the air temperature inside the greenhouse is maintained from +22 to +28 degrees. Create high humidity of at least 70% and bright diffused light for 12 hours.
To make the roots grow faster, the substrate is moistened as it dries. At night, the shelter is removed briefly for ventilation. At this time, the air is more actively saturated with carbon dioxide and root buds form faster. The plant is periodically inspected so as not to miss signs of possible rotting.
This method of growing roots in an orchid is successful in 80% of cases. 2 weeks after the start of the procedure, the rudiments of future roots become noticeable. When their length reaches 3 cm, the plant is transplanted into fresh substrate and cared for in the usual way.
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Reanimation of an orchid in water
If only the roots of a tropical flower are missing, you can grow them in water without a greenhouse. To do this, you will need a deep glass vessel filled with soft, boiled or filtered warm water. The preserved leaf rosette is placed in it so that only the lower part of the rosette is wetted and the leaves do not come into contact with water. The procedure is done in the morning and the plant is left in water for 6 hours. Then the liquid is drained. The orchid is left to air dry. The next day the steps are repeated again.
To speed up the process, add honey or sugar syrup in the amount of 1 tsp to the water. per liter For the same purpose, it is useful to use orchid fertilizers diluted in a very weak concentration or treat the flower with a growth stimulator every month.
How to revive an orchid without leaves
Saving such a plant is difficult, but possible. At home, you can save an orchid without leaves, but with roots, by placing it in a greenhouse. The plant is planted in a small container with expanded clay as drainage. Instead of soil, moistened moss is used. To restore such a flower, good lighting is important. Therefore, you need to take care of this in advance. If daylight hours are short, the orchid is additionally illuminated with phytolamps.
To save a dried orchid, it is regularly moistened with water and a nutrient solution. To speed up the formation of leaves, periodically wipe the remaining part with growth-stimulating preparations. When bathing an orchid, agents are added to the water to restore the root system. Suitable for this:
- Vitamins belonging to group B. They help restore roots if they are rotten. Every month the flower is soaked in a solution of this product. The product is used weekly for wiping.
- Rooting stimulating agents. They contain phytohormones that accelerate the growth of leaves and roots. The flower is soaked in this solution once a month.
- Potassium and phosphorus fertilizing is carried out once every 60 days.
- Microfertilizers containing iron chelate cause roots and new leaves to grow faster.
It takes a lot of time to fully revive a rooted orchid. The plant restoration process takes up to one year. When growing new leaves or roots, the flower is kept under constant supervision.
If the epiphyte is healthy, then its roots are dense and smooth, and have a grayish-green color.
The following signs may indicate the disease::
All these are early signs of putrefactive diseases of orchids. With initial resuscitation efforts, the flower can be brought back to life. But first it’s worth finding out why the orchid began to die.
What parts of the plant may be affected?
Often the rotting process extends to the core, leaves or root system.
Leaves
Rotting processes are most often caused by diseases such as gray rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew, and viral diseases.
Root
due to improper watering. This is the main reason among all those considered. In second place is a rare orchid transplant. Old soil does not allow air to pass through to the root system, and moisture stagnation occurs there. And as a result, the root of the plant rotted.
We invite you to watch a video about what the affected plant looks like and what are the reasons for its infection:
Photo
The photo shows what black and gray rot looks like on orchids.
What are the reasons?
Always at the beginning of putrefactive processes in an orchid flower, it is necessary to find out the reason for this circumstance. Then it will be clear what means to treat for black or gray rot.
There are several reasons for rotting:
- Lack of sunlight, when moisture evaporates poorly and water stagnates in the soil.
- Grinding the soil, due to this it becomes dense and heavy, in this case the moisture also evaporates poorly, the water stagnates.
- If the root area is damaged during transplantation, infection can penetrate through such wounds.
- Orchid infection by a fungal disease.
- Another reason why your flower began to rot is an overdose of chemical fertilizers when feeding the flower, as a result the plant receives a chemical burn.
- An attack on an orchid by click beetles that feed on the root system of the plant.
Often such problems occur in the autumn-winter period; it is at this time that it is important to reduce the number of waterings of the plant, but inexperienced gardeners continue to do this. As a result, the orchid rots.
Under natural conditions, the orchid grows in places with frequent tropical downpours.. Rainwater does not contain as many heavy elements and salts as are present in groundwater, and then flows out of taps in apartments.
Such water can burn the root system of orchids, as can too much chemical fertilizer.
As a result, the roots burn, and this causes rotting processes.
What to process?
Chemicals
How to treat an orchid, including gray and black rot, using chemicals? Often an orchid gets sick due to various pests.. Chemical agents will help restore health to your favorite flower.
But you should not use these substances in too large quantities; they should be used carefully and within reasonable limits. You should try to choose drugs with a low (class 3-4) danger threshold.
When purchasing medicines for orchids, you should always follow the instructions that come with the product.
The most popular chemical preparations for plants are:
- "Fitoverm".
- "Inta-Vir".
- "Aktara".
- "Confidor".
More toxic substances that are used for serious diseases of orchids include:
- "Vertimek".
- "Karbofos".
- "Aktellik".
Folk
Traditional methods of combating orchid diseases can also be effective; it is worth considering the most effective of them.
Step-by-step instructions on what to do if certain parts of the flower are rotten?
Sheet
If rot appears on the leaves, this means that some problem needs to be eliminated. For example, in winter, remove the plant away from the battery.
But there should be enough daylight in the room. You need to check the orchid tray, perhaps moisture has accumulated there. Bordeaux mixture or fungicide is suitable for spraying leaves. Regular feeding with complex fertilizers for orchids is also important.
Root
What to do if the root of a plant begins to rot? You need to remove the plant from the pot and remove all dead and rotten roots. They can be recognized by their brown, gray or yellow tint. Diseased roots are cut off along the living part, otherwise the rot will begin to spread further. The cut areas are treated with brilliant green or activated carbon solution.
If most of the roots have been removed, then the plant is immersed in warm and well-filtered water. You need to change the water every day, and you need to dry the root well. The room itself should be well lit, and the air temperature should be within 25 degrees.
Trunk and peduncle
If the trunk and peduncle rot, how to save them?
The trunk and peduncle usually begin to rot earlier than other parts of the flower.. Therefore, measures should be taken immediately. It is necessary to immediately treat the soil and root system with a 0.3% foundation solution or a 0.2% benlate mixture. Most often, the orchid is completely immersed in this substance. This is not done often, approximately every 2 weeks.
We invite you to watch a video about treating orchids for rot:
When can a plant no longer be saved?
If all the necessary measures do not give the desired result, most likely the flower cannot be saved. In this case it It is better to immediately isolate the orchid from other plants to prevent infection.
If all the roots of an orchid have rotted, then in this case it is necessary to make every effort to try to revive the rotten plant as quickly as possible.
All rotten roots should be removed, and the rosette should be treated with any root growth stimulator. Next, the method of placing a plant in warm water was described above, so it is worth dwelling on one more method of fighting for the restoration of a half-dead orchid. This is placing the plant in a mini-greenhouse.
To do this, steamed sphagnum moss is placed in a small bowl. A layer of expanded clay is poured underneath. The substrate is moistened, and the affected socket is laid out on it.
Now the pot is installed in a mini-greenhouse, where the following conditions must be present:
- The air temperature should be between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius.
- Lighting should remain on for 12-14 hours a day.
- Not less than 70% humidity.
The soil is periodically moistened and the room is ventilated. In addition, you should regularly check the outlet for new rot. If everything is done correctly, then within a couple of weeks new roots will begin to grow. When their length reaches 4-5 cm, the flower is placed in its previous conditions.
To prevent the plant from getting sick again, it will need proper care.
Firstly, the correct temperature regime is created, and secondly, watering is ensured with skill. Besides, the orchid should be regularly treated with fungicides.
From the above we can conclude that such a beautiful plant as an orchid is very difficult to care for. To admire its flowering, you need to work hard. It is important to choose a suitable place in the house and know how to properly water and fertilize a flower. It is equally important to constantly monitor the flower, inspect every part of it. Only then will it be possible to avoid various diseases of orchids.
