My orchid is dying please help!

[silken]

Quite often the orchid has to adjust to a new medium so its a good idea to not make too drastic of a change all at once. It's existing roots will be developed for what it was in before so the best time to move them is just when they start putting out new roots so that the new ones can grow into the new media and support the plant.

S/H means semi/hydroponic. There is a section for that on Orchid Board. People pot their orchids in Leca pellets (other media can be used). The containers have the drainage holes part way up the side so that there are several inches of water and the Leca pellets wick the moisture up to the roots. It's impossible to over water that way. But again, it is best to move them over when new roots have just started. Old roots usually don't like it and die off. I'm sure growers who use S/H can explain better then I can.

You might want to try and find some seaweed (kelp) and use that when watering your plants that have root problems. This will help initiate root growth. It can usually be found at hydroponics stores.

[jjan]

Thanks for your kind reply and advice.

I think I made a huge mistake by putting them in pure Hyrdo ball aka leca.

I will try the S/H on one of my healthy orhcids and see how that works.

some more questions...

how long does it take for an orchid to get use to the new medium?

Is there a specific time period in which we can experiment that. like would it be safe when the orchid is putting out new spike or should I do it when the flowers are wiltting.

Any help is this regard will be highly appriciated.

[silken]

Originally Posted by jjan

Thanks for your kind reply and advice.

I think I made a huge mistake by putting them in pure Hyrdo ball aka leca.

I will try the S/H on one of my healthy orhcids and see how that works.

some more questions...

how long does it take for an orchid to get use to the new medium?

Is there a specific time period in which we can experiment that. like would it be safe when the orchid is putting out new spike or should I do it when the flowers are wiltting.

Any help is this regard will be highly appriciated.

I can't really say how long it takes to adapt. It depends on the health of the orchid and how drastic of a change it is undergoing. Some say the cellular growth of its roots are adapted to its environment which is why new roots need to develop and grow into a different environment. But if you try and give it the same amount of moisture and air that it had in the old media, that might help. Or mixing in some moss or bark will make it a partial change and easier to adapt to.
It sounds like the key now is to get it growing some new roots. The kelp can work wonders for some orchids so worth looking Into. Do not over use it or use it continually tho. It contains growth hormones so following directions on the package are important.

I don't recommend moving to new media when a spike is developing. At that point, the plant is concentrating on growing its spike, not roots. Some buds can blast if you upset the plant to much when n bud. After blooming is finished, the plant will usually return to a growth mode and that would be a better time to repot it.