Roots died after potting a divided orchid!
 

Hi,
I'm a newcomer to this forum and to orchids as well, but an old hand a 'normal plants'. I got my first orchid(cym) in May 2006, and now I have 4 phals and a burrangeara as well.
I need some pros enlightment on a problem I have.... Last May a family friend gave me a piece of orchid she had divided. As it wasn't in flower, I don't know what it is and she can't remember. It seems to be a miltonia (in my limited knowledge!!) It's 15cm long and had many white healthy roots and I potted it in a 6cm pot with a standard orchid bark mix I watered carefully, no fertilizer. A month afterwards the roots started dying, and there have been none since July. However the plant itself is in good shape, but doesn't grow (not surprisingly!!)
My question: Is there any way to stimulate root growth, or is it doomed to die a long slow death?? :scratchhead:
I'll try to attach a picture. ID of this unknown plant would also be appreciated!!

Camille

Personally Camille, I would call it a day with that one.
Sorry :(

Camille,

The plant is certainly not looking good! If it is a miltonia perhaps you weren't keeping it moist enough as they really don't like to dry out. It might be worthwhile trying it in some sphag with stryofoam peanuts at the bottom for good drainage. Don't pack the sphag tightly as you want air to be able to get in there. Also you could try a rooting hormone on it. Then water the sphag as soon as it starts to feel crunchy on the top, probably at least twice a week, and if your humidity is low, put the whole thing inside a plastic bag, leaving the top open. Also the leaves look a very dark green which could mean that it wasn't getting enough light, but you don't want it in bright light until it develops some roots. With moss it's very easy to pull the plant out of the pot occasionally to check how the roots are coming along but forming new roots can take quite a long time. Good luck! :pray: .

Shirley

Hi Shirley,
Thanks for your input.:D I'm not really expecting it to live, but I was interested in other people's opinions. I can't bear to throw away an orchid and it doesn't cost much to give it a go! I'll repot it this weekend, once I get some sphag.
I was thinking about something. I'm doing my internship in a flower/veggie breeding company, and I have access to climate rooms/cells. The one I use for my experiments is currently set at 24°C (75°F), 60% humidity with 16 hours light and 8 hours dark. The lights are specially adapted to promote plant growth. There are also other cells in use with other temps. Maybe this could be even better than using a plastic bag.

Camille

It looks to me to be too small of a division.

Generally, the "rule of thumb" is at least two mature pseudobulbs plus a new growth, not just the immature growth as you have.

There was nothing I could do about the size! My friend knew I was interested, and seeing that she doesn't really know much about orchids, she did what she thought was best. It did have alot of roots then. Around 7 or 8, fairly long, so I thought that there would be a fairly good chance of making it work. Looks like I was wrong!!:(
Next time she gives me one, she promises to do it right.:)

Camille

Good decisions come from experience.

Experience comes from making bad decisions....

UPDATE
 

Here's a quick update with this half dead thing. I put it in a plastic bag with sphag that I just keep damp. The bag is slightly open at the top to allow air to circulate. And there's a tiny little new root growing after only 2 weeks.As well as the beginnings of a new shoot at the base. woohoo!!:D
BUT, the bag is starting to smell like mold. I'm thinking of changing the sphag, but I'm afraid the problem will just come back.
What did I do wrong? :(
I have to find out since my Burr. Nelly Isler is bagged too. I was repotting it and discovered that most of the roots where gone. Whoever grew this one and repotted it as a seedling did not remove the tightly packed sphag around the roots before potting in bark. Should have repotted right away last year when I got it!

Open bag and blow into it to exchange the air (and contibute some CO2). See if that helps the smell. I think it's the sphag decomposing. As long as it's NOT in contact with orchid you may be OK. Of course, it doesn't hurt to change it since you're on your way to success (so it sounds.)

How about leaving the top of the bag wide open instead of "slightly?" If you have a tall enough bag (say a bread bag) it should still hold the humidity but may stop the mold. Worth a try! :)

Shirley