I don't really even know if "help" is the correct flair for this, because short of some sort of miracle there is no way this little guy is going to come back.
To preface this, I know next to nothing about orchids. Surface level research when you're already dealing with a dying plant only goes so far.
I have 3 orchids total, all of which were from the grocery store, purchased around the same time last year, and they were packed as horribly as possible into whatever cheap media was available, apparently. I didn't know any better, so I just left them in the pots and media they came in, watered according to directions, and for a while they seemed okay.
Turns out they were just rotting from the inside out though, and before long all their roots just died.
Someone recommended to me to carefully clean up what I could, discard the media they were planted in, and to suspend the plants in jars over water to both encourage new roots and to be able to keep an eye on things. I will mist them every couple of days as well. These suckers have been getting filtered water and everything, absolutely spoiled while I try to navigate this recovery process.
My largest orchid seems to be doing its best, it has two new roots with a third on the way, and while the biggest leaves are turning kind of leathery and sad looking, it is growing a new leaf.
My little guy though? Growing a new leaf, but no new roots to speak of in the last 3 months. Sorry buddy, I tried.
by ShadyVermin
14 Comments
Dump out the water and mist the roots every day. Place in a morning sun/ some sun location. I have had several come back and even flower .
Clean them under the faucet and plant into wood chips with lil charcoal pieces mixed in, best way to know would be detailed photos
Get some moss and soak the moss clean. I used fern moss out of my backyard, and my rootless orchids now have several long roots. Pot the orchid in the soaked moss in a lil clear cup with drain holes. This will keep the bottom of the orchid moist enough to encourage root growth. That is still trying to make leaves is a good sign. It’s not ready to die yet either. Soak again when the moss is totally dried out. In a month or two you’ll start to see new roots. Good luck!
No he’s doing so good! Don’t lose hope! I’d encourage you to look up MissOrchidGirl on YouTube. She has videos that talk about orchids like this and other care for orchid videos that I think you would find helpful! I know I did 😊 best of luck and lots of love to your orchid family from mine ❤️
I have had orchids that were much further gone than this come back and eventually even flower. Ironically all I did was bring them into the bathroom where they got muted sunlight all day, and the steam from the shower watered them without overflooding them and with time they came back beautifully. I basically neglected them back to health. 😆
So my Lil orchid looked like yours. At a whim I decided to pot her up like this. Lecca at the bottom, and orchid mix on top.
It only had 1 leaf hanging on for dear life and 1 1/2ish root. I left the lecca portion filled with water. Now she’s popping out leaves and there’s 6 or so visible roots. Idk if this may work for you
I like a bit damp moss better than just water.
I am in the process of saving an orchid in a similar situation. Most of the roots had rotted or shriveled, I repotted and gave some extra care, and it’s grown a few new roots and leaves over the last 2 months! Don’t give up!
Take it out of the water and wrap the base in damp spag. moss. Keep the mass moist to encourage root growth. It will take a while so it’ll need some triage.
Less water, I think it’s ok! I have several that look similar but the water is only at the very bottom, not near the main stem. Good luck.
*
Ive adopted many that were being neglected by grocery stores. In some cases ive had to remove all but one or two roots. In those cases where they cant be potted in media, ive wrapped them with rope against a rock to mimic their real life where their roots wrap around other things. Ive wrapped moss around it and saturate the moss when its dry and crispy. Im growing new leaves and new roots. It seems like im saving them this way. And I love this lil plant craft to save them and not give up 🙂
Without even reading all your post… because I’m short on time atm… DONT GIVE UP!
I had a tiny baby attached to a dying plant and it had zero roots and smaller leaves than yours.
If you look closely in this pic you can see the start of 3 roots!
It has just sat in a shallow dish of water and the original flower stalk is in about 1/2 inch deep of water.
https://preview.redd.it/ionj8zkupfpf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6d16cfc75a47ac0d523c01d526e4c855380d47d
I agree putting it in the bathroom and over some moss will help. Ive gotten lots to come back that way!
I have never had any luck with this water method, though. I guess it works for some people but seems pretty finicky. Dont give up just because this didnt work! In nature the orchid doesnt hang suspended like this for any extended period of time; it wants to grip onto something, if it senses that it’s touching a surface, it will naturally start to root into it, right now it doesnt “know” which way to grip or know what its surroundings look like.
It’s unfortunately a race between how long they decide to put out new roots and when they run out of leaves to cannibalize 🙁
BUT you have so many leaves, I wouldn’t give up hope yet!