Don't Be Afraid of Orchid Root Rot: Learn Prevention Methods So Your Orchids Never Die
In the process of growing orchids, we often find that orchids die easily. As we care for them, eventually only a few dry stumps are left, or they simply die. We always feel that orchids are difficult to grow and not as easy as other flowers and green plants, but that is not actually the case. Orchids are in fact quite easy to grow; it is just that we have not found the right methods and have not grasped the growing habits of orchids. If we understand the growing habits of orchids, they are very easy to grow well. The main reason we fail to grow orchids well, or kill them, is in most cases orchid root rot.
Orchid root rot is a very troublesome problem. If the cause is not identified, it will happen again every year. Only by identifying the cause of orchid root rot can we improve our growing environment or cultivation techniques and grow orchids well. When orchid root rot appears, do not be afraid. I will teach everyone how to remedy it and bring orchids back from the brink!
Orchid roots are different from the roots of other plants. They are aerial roots, and the roots need to breathe. They cannot tolerate waterlogging. When waterlogged, orchid roots cannot breathe fresh air, which easily leads to root rot. Once orchid roots rot, the orchid cannot obtain nutrients and naturally slowly dies. Many people fail to grow orchids well simply because they do not understand this characteristic of orchid roots!
Orchid root rot is generally caused by the following reasons:
1. It is caused by using the wrong orchid soil for planting.
When planting orchids, we must break through the concept of soil. We cannot use soil for direct planting. We should choose professional orchid growing medium for planting. (Orchid growing medium here refers to what we commonly call orchid soil; the professional term is orchid growing medium.) This is because soil is not breathable. After watering, it easily compacts and easily becomes waterlogged. In such an environment, orchid roots cannot breathe and slowly rot. Therefore, soil cannot grow orchids well. We must pay attention to this and should choose granular or well-aerated growing medium, such as: gravel, brick pieces, tile pieces, sand, chestnut leaves, pine bark, willow bark, etc. These are all easy for everyone to obtain, and you can also buy some professional orchid growing medium online for planting, such as: Songliwang, Zhijinshi, snake wood, etc.!
2. It is caused by frequent watering and watering too much.
Orchids cannot be watered frequently, because orchid roots do not like waterlogging. They prefer a half-dry environment where the growing medium is moist but not wet. The principle is: do not water until dry, and when watering, water thoroughly; do not give half-root watering. Let the potting medium be 7 parts dry and 3 parts moist. If it is too wet, the roots easily rot. In the hot summer, do not spray water on orchid leaves, as it easily causes the leaves to turn black. As for watering time, in spring, autumn, and winter, when temperatures are not high, you can water in the morning. In summer, when temperatures are high, you should water at night. Never water in the morning or afternoon, because when temperatures are high, leaf transpiration is very strong, and sudden watering will quickly damage the tissues inside the orchid, causing the orchid to wilt and root rot!
3. It is caused by freeze damage.
In the cold winter, when the temperature is below 0°C, orchids should be moved indoors for growing. Otherwise, the leaves and roots of orchids are easily frostbitten. When the growing medium contains a lot of water, orchid roots can directly freeze into popsicles, severely damaging the root tissues and causing orchid root rot. You need to wait until the temperature rises above 0°C before moving them outdoors again for growing!
4. It is caused by pests and diseases.
Orchids need regular pest control and sterilization. There are mainly two types of orchid pathogens: one is fungi, and the other is bacteria. Soft rot caused by bacteria is when the leaf base rots, smells foul, and the leaves fall off with a pull. It needs to be prevented and treated with antibacterial drugs. Stem rot caused by fungi is when the leaf base turns yellow from the outer leaves inward and upward. It needs to be prevented and treated with fungicidal drugs. Everyone needs to pay attention to these two diseases and prevent them early. If discovered too late, there is basically no cure, and it will cause the pseudobulb to rot and the roots to rot. Wounds left by insect bites easily allow pathogens to enter through the wounds and infect the plant, so pest and disease control must be carried out regularly, especially in summer. Do not be careless!
5. It is caused by improper fertilizing.
Beginners growing orchids should try not to fertilize or fertilize less. Orchids do not have a high demand for fertilizer and mainly rely on fungi for growth. The leaves can also obtain water and nutrients from the air. Improper fertilizing easily causes fertilizer damage and root rot. If you really need to fertilize, you should choose efficient and safe slow-release fertilizer, and when applying it, keep it away from the orchid roots!
When orchid roots rot, do not panic and do not be afraid. Prevent it according to the methods I taught above, so orchids no longer die. To cultivate a good pot of orchids, we must first start by growing the orchid roots well. Only when the root mass develops vigorously and the root system is well developed can the abilities of water and nutrient absorption, transport, photosynthesis, respiration, and energy storage and accumulation proceed normally. Then its growth rate, reproductive capacity, and flowering rate will also increase. Otherwise, if the root system is poor, rots, or is lost, the absorption and transport of water and nutrients will be blocked, and abilities such as photosynthesis and respiration will decrease, so the orchid will naturally gradually decline and die. Author: Mei Fei. I publish orchid knowledge and pictures every day, taking you to understand orchids in depth and teaching you to grow orchids easily. If there is anything you do not understand about orchids, you can ask me anytime or leave a comment below. If you like it, you can click the top right corner to save or forward it to help others!