Orchid Rescue Question

[OrchisAmor]

I always put bark in a container and add steaming hot water to it to completely cover it and let it soak overnight. Haven't tried boiling, but putting it in really hot water that soaks for a while really seems to help the bark retain moisture better later on.

[ksriramkumar]

Boiling i am not sure but I would agree with Annette on using hot water to soak the bark overnight.

[charlaux]

I will post the picture in a few hours but I was wondering for a plant in this condition,how much should it be watered and how ?
Thanks

[charlaux]

The pictures are here again thank you for your help )

[kspalding]

Boiling doesnt hurt the bark but softens it. Its still similar to soaking in hot water overnight since of course you have to let it cool overnight before u can use it on the plant.

[charlaux]

Dear kspalding,Thank you so much.How much should I water the plant and what do you think about the condition of the plant considering the last pictures taken today
?
Best wishes

[kspalding]

Whatever you are doing seems to be fine. The foliage looks a healthy green but the photo of the roots is blurry. R they still brown/black? Do you see any silver aerial developing? How is ur humidity?

---------- Post Merged at 02:31 PM ----------

I would probably reccommend that you tie a moist paper towel toward top and let it "skirt" down into ur glass setup until the tips touch the water. I did this method once for a rescue out of a garbage can whose roots got too much sun damage and needed to be clipped and it seems to work for me and it. It is now developing new green roots and a sliver of gray (silver aerial root). It will still probably take until next year though for me to see any foliage or bloom progress but at least the roots are looking healthier.

---------- Post Merged at 02:39 PM ----------

Also, do you know if you have Searles brand in ur country? They make a fertilizer that includes kelp, Fertilizer, and allows for circulation and drainage. I probably wouldn't use it straight but it may be a nice mix to add. I know they serve other countries around you. Its called Searles Kickalong Organic Fertilizer.

[pavel]

I would not use bark at this time. (And are those little round grey/whitish balls in the media fertilizer pellets? If so, those DEFINITELY must go.) IME, the best option would be the method Ray indicated or the "sphag & bag" method. Personally, I use the sphag n bag method.

Sphag n Bag Method

1) Remove the plant from the media and cut off any black or brown mushy roots. (The bottom of the stem where the roots used to be -- I am assuming you will find it necessary to remove most or all of the roots -- can be dusted with cinnamon or very lightly dusted with rooting hormone powder.)

2) Take a fist-sized clump of long fibered sphagnum moss and soak it in clean water (rain water, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water would be best). 5-10 minutes should do fine.

3) Squeeze out most of the water from the moss. The moss should only be damp, not wet.

4) Fluff the damp moss up so it is quite loose and place in a large clear plastic bag. The bag must be large enough to hold both the moss AND the plant.

5) Place the plant on top of the damp moss.

6) Inflate the bag like you were blowing up a balloon and close the bag with a wire twist tie or string. The plant should be now sitting inside its own "hospital bubble".

7) Place the bagged plant in a warm brightly lit area. NO DIRECT sun.

8) Once every one or two weeks, open the bag to make sure the moss is still damp and to allow fresh air into the bag. If the moss is no longer damp, use a spray bottle to moisten it or take the moss out and repeat step #2 with it.

[charlaux]

Dear kspalding,
I did what you recommended and I am waiting the new root growth with excitement;I just checked the roots but they are all dead so I removed (I think they already were) I put the IBA and the humidity seems to be high.When should I expect any signs of new root growth or any rooth growth sign ?
Thanks

[OrchisAmor]

The recommendation here is similar to kindof making your own terrarium in a bag - it's a handy method if you don't have a terrarium available. In this environment, the leaves won't dehydrate so there will be less stress on the orchid as it starts growing new roots. As far as I'm aware, new root growth could take up to a few months, depending on the orchid and how quickly it can bounce back from root damage.