ORCHID CARE; SAVING A SICK ORCHID: GROWING ORCHIDS IN GLASS BEADS.

Tips, Tricks

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QUESTION : Do we really need Bark or Moss to grow healthy orchids? This orchid lost its roots and became dehydrated. If we allowed a good drying out, and the plant had good light and humidity, will it recover and put out new roots? RIGHT!. I tried this after I nearly gave up on one orchid that had lost its roots through overwatering. I wanted to dry it out. I did this 2 months ago and I see the plant has survived and put out new roots and leaf. I have to confess I was inspired by a video I saw where the orchid is kept in a glass jar filled with stones only. And also the idea is confirmed by comments by Angeofjusticia ( a viewer). I have saved his brilliant video on saving rootless orchids in my favourites list. ( ``How to save an orchid with`no roots``) He calls it `` Sphag and bag method``. Enjoy!. Since then I have put the orchid in Sphag and bag and then clay pellets currently. Will update as I see what happens....

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hi soo neaty i hv leave a msg on fb. pls help me save my moth orchid..

those are called GLASS GLOBS (I was an art teacher and that's what the art supply magazines called them). Marbles or stones would probably work too. THANKS! Less expensive than buying the moss or bark. You give me hope. I've killed SO many orchids. They do great in the Summer. I suspend them from a back porch that gets morning dappled sun. But they don't rebloom though, just nice roots in the summer and lush leaves. Then I bring them in and the trouble starts. The roots dry out and the leaves start turning yellow and drop off.

the glass beadas look like marbles

Orhids in glass beads hmm thats a new thing, but it's working.
My hubby brought me n orchid from a store, I discoverd a few days that it had some rotten roots, so I took it out, cut them off, let it dry out for a couple of hours, the bits that I cut I put on a bit of cinnamon.
I then went to home, got a new pot, ochid mix, orchid food then set to work.
I cut circular air holes in my pot, got some stones that I sterilised in boiling water and rinsed.
My instinct was telling stones would help with the airing out. I scattered the stones throughout the pot along side the orchid mix.
Then I made up my mister and with water and 2 drops of orchid food. I sprayed all the roots, put my orchid back, added more stones and mix to allow my roots to breath. Some ppl dont mist orchids, I do they come from a place were moisture and rain is in the air.
I mist from above, so it's not droplets but an actual fine mist.
I mist from a distance as its hot :) atm.
I also just sprayed my air roots a lil with water mixed with orchid food.
My root system is now all looking a lovely healthy green and less yellow.
Soooo I think I saved it.
:) Glass beads thou a marvellous idea.
My next orchid, might have some of those in it's pot to help with airing.

the top leave of my orchid is going brown. What do I need to do? Is this normal

Good advice

all my orchids is health none sick :)

wonderful!

Thanks very much for your helpful tips I got about repotting and cleaning them up with ver good results, so fast I live in the tropics, hot all year round and sometimes because of shortage in water I could become careless but they are good now

Hum..............................................................Quite Interesting I Might Say

No miss Samhill, you have to take the small sheath off the node on the spike. The spike has to be healthy and not yellow. You look for a node and take off, ( lightly scratch off the sheath covering it, so you can see the pale green bump under the sheath and then apply the Keiki paste to that. I will make a video on it when my blooms all fall off.

When using clone paste do I make a indent on the spike

How are you doing with the kelki

Hmm they say you should not repot a plant in bloom, and do it after the flowers have dropped off.It stresses the plant. If the flowers that are dropping off are the older ones, which are the ones lower on the spike, then they may be done blooming in their cycle. NOthing to do but allow the plant to readjust. Water, light and fertilise.

I recently bought a pink phalaenopsis. It was in need of re-potting. I re-potted it about 5 days ago. Gave it some orchid food and a little water as soon i got it home. I've had it about 10 days now. It has 2 stems and several blooms and leaves but two of the blooms have now got a kind thin white streak going accross one petal and one bloom has already shrivelled and i am wondering if the plant is just reacting to its new environment or is genuinely ill.

Well it sort of lived a for a few months, then died. So it was not successful. But if the plant is not too bad to start with, it may survive. Survival rate is about 50% according to some growers.

I am trying this with my first phal that was dying from too much water. I will see how it does with less water and this technique with more air. How long did this take for you. You are the best thank you so much!

Mine still has roots but I can tell they are starting to rot. I the plant as a gift and had no clue on how to care for it so I over watered not knowing better. So can I use some normal small rocks for now till the roots live'n up a bit? Also I have no clue what type of orchid it is lol! I did not have the name tag on it when I got it.

hi I dont know what kind of orchid you have, if it is a Dendrobium, then you simply twist the keiki off the main stem, if it is a Phalaenopisis, you cut the flower spike under the keiki and repot the keiki, be sure to have at least 3-4 inches long roots before you cut from mother plant, so it can survive independantly in the new pot.

You can buy Sphagnum moss at any garden store and also at Home depot.