Cymbidium root rot

[arando]

today i noticed yellow leaves on my pink cymbidium, i checked the roots and they were soggy, black and muschi. it is planted only in cotton wool

my question is: do you remove the rotted roots and repot using cultera orchid mix and gravel, and skip one day before watering.

and is only cotton wool a good medium for cymbidiums - i bought it with the cotton wool

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by arando

today i noticed yellow leaves on my pink cymbidium, i checked the roots and they were soggy, black and muschi. it is planted only in cotton wool

my question is: do you remove the rotted roots and repot using cultera orchid mix and gravel, and skip one day before watering.

and is only cotton wool a good medium for cymbidiums - i bought it with the cotton wool

a bit OT, but what exactly do you mean by "cotton wool" and could you provide a pic?

[arando]

here are some pics of cotton wool. there where about 2cm gravel on the bottom of the pot and only cotton wool - nothing else, i also have a cymbidium "dorothy stockstill forgotten fruit" in the same cotton wool, i will try to take a pic without disturbing the plant

[arando]

here is the pics of the forgotten fruit in the same cotton wool

[Vanda lover]

I have never heard of using cotton to pot an orchid! I would remove any rotted roots that you find, as well as the cotton. Sprinkle some cinnamon on the roots and let it sit like that for an hour or 2, then wash it off and re pot. Water, but don't water again until the media is dry. The orchid mix with gravel should be fine.

[Brotherly Monkey]

I always figured that sprinkling cinnamon on roots was always a bad idea, being that it's an astringent

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

I always figured that sprinkling cinnamon on roots was always a bad idea, being that it's an astringent

I have tried it before with good results. It kills bacteria, and you don't have to leave it on for long.

[Discus]

I suspect the orchid may originally have been in rock wool? I doubt very, very much it was cotton wool!

[Brotherly Monkey]

if it was rock wool that stuff can stay really moist, while seeming dry on the surface

Discus, have you ever used rockwool for potting orchids, f so, what did you think?

[Discus]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

Discus, have you ever used rockwool for potting orchids, f so, what did you think?

No, I've never used it - I imagine it's pretty horrendous. I hate it when I get aquatic plants that have been grown in it - cue glass splinters in your fingers trying to get the roots out and then into your aquarium...!

I believe it is pretty hard to re-wet if you let it dry out.