How to Revive Weak and Sick Orchids: A Detailed Guide to Care Methods

Weak and SickOrchidsHow to Revive Inorchidsduring the cultivation process, it is often due topests and diseases, overly frequent division,cultivationimproper practices and plant aging that orchid seedlings grow slowly and show symptoms such as yellowing leaves, root rot and bud rot. If rescue measures are not taken in time, these weak and sickorchidswill lose their ornamental value and eventually wither and die. This is especially true for some rare varieties, which, once gone, are hard to find again. Rescuing weak and sick orchids is indeed an issue worthy of attention for orchid lovers. The following successful experiences are presented for the reference of the broad community of orchid enthusiasts. I. Strict Disinfection Take the orchid seedlings out of the original pot, discard the original soil, and carefully wash the root system. Use scissors sterilized by flaming to cut off residual roots, dead roots and rotten roots, then soak in a 0.5% thiophanate-methyl or potassium permanganate solution for 5-10 minutes, drain and air-dry in the shade, and repeat this two to three times to thoroughly kill the pathogens. Note that when disinfecting the roots by soaking, the liquid should just cover the pseudobulbs, and do not let water accumulate in the leaf hearts. At the same time, the above medicinal solution can be diluted 5 times and sprayed on the leaves for disinfection. II. Change the Pot For planting and caring for weak and sick orchids, clay pots and purple clay pots are the first choice. It is best to switch to a new pot that has not been used before, because old pots inevitably retain some fungi and bacteria that cause orchid diseases. If an old pot must be used, it is safer to wash it clean and then expose it to the sun for several days or pour boiling water over it before use. A pot pad should be used at the bottom of the pot for drainage and aeration. You can buy a dedicated drainage cover, or use natural materials such as peach pits and walnut shells. The height of the pot pad should account for 1/3-1/2 of the pot height, and the volume of the pot should be small rather than large. Weak and sick orchidflowers'root systems are relatively fragile, and if the pot is too large, it is easy to cause water accumulation, leading to orchid root rot. Using a small pot can avoid this problem. III. Choosing the Substrate Weak and sick orchid seedlings have poor adaptability, so thecultivationsubstrate is best a granular substrate with medium fertility, low fat content and good ventilation and permeability, such as expanded clay pellets, foamed crushed stone, coarse sand, crushed brick, Emei immortal soil, crushed stone, etc. You can also wrap the roots and pseudobulbs of the orchid plant in sphagnum moss and then plant them in a pot filled with the above substrates, which also works well. All substrates must be disinfected before use. It is not advisable to use humus soil to plant weak and sick orchid seedlings. First, humus soil is collected from forest areas and contains many miscellaneous bacteria, making it difficult to thoroughly sterilize. Second, after being used for a period of time, humus soil tends to compact, has poor permeability, and is not conducive to orchid root growth. IV. Regulating Temperature and Humidity Weak and sick orchid seedlings should be planted slightly deeper to protect the pseudobulbs and maintain moisture. The substrate in the pot should be kept in a moist state; too much or too little water is not conducive to the rejuvenation of orchid seedlings. During the dormancy period, the substrate can be appropriately increased, usually covering the pseudobulbs, to keep the pseudobulbs moist and also play a role in preventing freezing. When the temperature rises above 15°C the following spring, the substrate added in the previous winter should be promptly reduced to facilitate the sprouting of new buds. Normally, the temperature should be maintained at 18-28°C. Orchid seedlings should be placed in a location with visible scattered light for cultivation, avoiding direct strong light. Some water basins and water troughs can be placed around the orchid pot to increase environmental humidity. (Chuzhen) (Reposted from Jinnong Network)