HELP I've overwatered my Orchid!!

[Ladynite]

What do I DO??? I've had this orchid for a year and 3 months...it was a gift, and I just LOVE this orchid. For some reason since it started getting hot again, I've been spraying it along with other plants with water nearly every day. I never did this before, and didn't know NOT to until today when I came in and about 3 "tongue leaves" as I call them just completely fell off in my hands!! D: The other leaves look like they are turning red-light greenish... my orchid has a beautiful single shoot of blossoms, but the blossoms, although hanging on, are all drooped...like hanging down. My Orchid is quite large because I had to re-pot it a long time ago...and it grew to the size of the pot pretty much. But anyway, I NEED to be able to save this orchid now that I realized what I did wrong. PLEASE I beg someone, help me save my beautiful orchid!! *cries*

[kiwiorchids]

Hi Ladynite, could you please post a pic? it sounds like a phalaenopsis/moth orchid, which are very prone to root rot f given too much water. I would say take it from the pot and trim off any brown and mushy roots, then soak for a couple of hours in a dilute copper oxychloride. This should sort any fungus out. Then repot in fresh media and start fertilizing weakly-weekly after about two weeks. and water when the visible roots in the pot start to get a white waxy layer on them.

And welcome! glad to have you join us!

[Daethen]

Also, you may want to cut that flower spike and put it in a vase. That way the orchid can concentrate on healing.

[Kmac]

You have gotten some good advice. Let me just add, if you don't have/can't find copper oxychloride, I just spray fine with a 3-in-one fungicide/miticide/insecticide that you can get at most big-box home centers around here. You don't want to over-pot it...orchids would rather be snug in their pots than have a lot of room.

Oh, and the other leaves turning light green with a reddish tint probably just means the orchid is getting as much light as it can handle...not a bad thing at all! But after you repot it, you may want to back off the light a bit for a while, til it has the chance to recover from the repotting.

[Kmac]

We are all guessing that the type of orchid you have is most likely a phalenopsis, like the one shown in this video...if so, this video on repotting a phal may be of help to you. Good luck!

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...laenopsis.html

[Ladynite]

Thank you all very much for your replies!!!

Yes, that plant on that site looked similar to mine.

I was so desperate last night I looked around online to find what I could possibly do to help. So what I did was take it out of the soil-yep I used soil-and its all I have right now - and tried to let the roots air-dry. Most of my roots look brown already but there is a slight green tinges to them...very slight though. I tried to trim the really watered down roots, but when I went to cut one I noticed a strong green...thin... ?root? inside of the 'dead' outer layer. So I didnt cut the ones that had this, only the ones that were flattened, completely brown and dead.

Since I have nothing else I could use for potting, I HAVE to use the soil. After all, it is what the plant has been in since I repotted...and it's actually done quite well until this incident oddly.

I TRIED to put it in a pot that I have that is terra cotta, but I couldn't fit the roots in it. So I put the terracotta pot inside the bigger pot, and started putting the soil around it...its not filled up yet, because I ended up cooking the soil to try and dry it, and I had to let the soil cool off. So as of this moment, my roots are just kinda 'balancing' on top of the terra cotta pot that is inside the bigger pot.

I do not have any money or means to get any other substrate at the time... or even the copper oxychloride or 3 in one... as I am currently unemployed....

By the way... ALL the leaves fell off :*( I'm still doing everything I can, I just wish I could get bark rather than using this soil and I HOPE HOPE HOPE That my plant will be ok. I'm still crying. :*(

[Ladynite]

Oh and I certainly WOULD post a pic if I could... my only option to take photos is a nintendo DSi, and it for some reason got unconnected to the internet, and now I can not upload the photos onto the internet. I can't figure out why its doing this.

[panam]

Ladynite, good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[Cjcorner]

I have an idea. Since you don't have bark...do you think you could find a nice piece of wood? Orchids grow on trees in their natural habitat and must have air circulation around their roots. You can use an old pair of nylons that are now snagged up to hold your orchid on the wood, or fishing twine. Now the only other thing you will need...something squishy that will hold a little water and dry out quickly....maybe a sponge cut up? You would need to make sure everything is washed, sprayed for bugs...so use dishsoap with some rubbing alcohol for that. Maybe some murphys oil soap like you use on your wood floors. That is good to kill bugs as well, or when you wash up your plants. With this set-up...use the clay pot to sit the bark/phal in. You will now need to water your phal every other day. Anything rot...you can soak in a cup of hydrogen peroxide and allow to completely dry before you mount your phal. They are harder to grow this way. I warn you. You will need to make a little tray of rocks filled with water to sit this on. You put regular rocks into a container the size of a baking dish...maybe an old pie pan...and put water halfway up the rocks. You do not want your plant sitting in water...but as the water evaporates the clay pot will help hold some of this humidity and tempt your roots to grow for you.
Good Luck...remember, even with this Mounted method to allow your phal to stay dry for a few days before you begin watering again. To keep your rock tray clean, once a week or so, clean out the water and if you see mold growing use a few drops of bleach in your water to keep things nice. I'm not sure about sponges...maybe others could help me find you something you would use around the house or yard that would work better. But start by keeping your phal out of reg. planting dirt and let some hydrogen peroxide bubble around those sick roots. They will love you for it.
Hope this helps...

[panam]

Ladynite, if you can't find a good clean peice of wood, you might try using the terra cotta pot and just put nothing in it but the roots. No soil, no bark, no moss, no nothing! Then just spritz the roots as needed to make sure they don't get dry. (I would have to do it multiple times a day where I live because it's so dry here, but it would depend on your climate.)

I actually even have one orchid growing in styrofoam packing peanuts that's doing quite well - and the roots get enough air around them to keep it happy. Multiple spritzes every day, and it's fine. I'll eventually pot it up, but I'm waiting to see a few more roots first.

Again, best of luck with the orchid, and good luck on the job front!