How to Revive Weak Orchid Seedlings? Master These Growing Techniques

  Many people love growing orchids, but weak seedlings easily appear at the seedling stage, and many give up. In fact, with careful tending, reviving weak orchid seedlings is not that difficult. Below, Xiaolin shares methods for reviving weak orchid seedlings:

  Reviving weak and small orchid seedlings is somewhat difficult. Practice has proven that to revive weak and small seedlings, all measures must conform to their growth patterns, and you must tend them patiently with a calm mindset, advancing steadily and taking things slowly, never rushing. As long as you choose good growing medium and keep up with management, weak and small orchid seedlings can absolutely be revived.

  (1) Carefully select a mixed growing medium that is breathable, drains well, and is rich in nutrients: A mixed growing medium is best. For cultivating weak and small seedlings, the growing medium is best a mixed medium containing sieved orchid mud, making up 1/3 of the proportion, coarse at the bottom and fine on top. In particular, around the pseudobulbs, use fine particles 3-5 mm in diameter to cover them, which benefits new root growth in weak and small seedlings. Deep roots make lush leaves; only when the roots are well grown can weak and small seedlings possibly be revived, otherwise none of it is possible.

  (2) Orchid pots should be small, and repotting should not be too frequent: Weak and small orchid seedlings have underdeveloped root systems, so the pot used should be small rather than large. Using a large pot for weak and small seedlings makes the growing medium hard to dry out, easily leading to root rot and seedling collapse. Weak and small seedlings grow slowly and should be left still rather than disturbed; if no disease appears, do not repot, as seedlings that sprout after repotting are very hard to grow large.

  (3) It is best to plant them in the same pot as healthy, robust seedlings: Practice has proven that the more robust the orchid plant, the more orchid mycorrhizal fungi surround its roots, and the more orchid fungi there are, the more favorable it is for orchid growth. But around the roots of weak and small seedlings, the orchid fungi are mostly inactive, and the plants grow slowly. Therefore, to revive weak and small seedlings, it is best to find them a "wet nurse," that is, to plant them in the same pot as healthy robust orchid seedlings, so that they grow in an environment with active orchid fungi, using the "strong" to lead the "weak" and promote growth, with good results.

  (4) Provide appropriate shade: Weak and small seedlings should be kept in shade rather than sun, with scattered light being best. You must wait until they put out leaves before letting them receive a little morning sun, gradually exercising them to adapt. Weak and small seedlings suddenly exposed to strong direct sunlight are easily damaged.

  (5) Keep cultivation light: Weak and small seedlings have weak growth and do not need much fertilizer, especially during the dormant period. "A weakened body cannot tolerate tonics," and too much fertilizer will backfire. The general requirement for growing weak and small seedlings is lean cultivation with a tendency toward dryness; the growing medium should be dry but not parched, moist but not soggy. Too much fertilizer and moisture often makes rooting difficult, or even prevents rooting entirely. When watering, do not spray heavily; generally, they should also not be exposed to rain, otherwise the seedlings easily rot.

  (6) Create suitable air humidity conditions: When growing weak and small seedlings, air humidity must not be too high or too low; the relative air humidity is best at 40%-70%.

Orchid Revival Methods | How to Revive Sick and Weak Orchids?

1. Strict disinfection

Remove the orchid seedlings from the original pot, discard the original soil, and carefully wash the root system. Use scissors sterilized by flame to cut off residual roots, dead roots, and rotted roots, then soak in a 0.5% thiophanate-methyl or potassium permanganate solution for 5-10 minutes, drain, and dry in the shade. Repeat this two to three times to thoroughly kill pathogens. Note that when disinfecting by soaking the roots, the liquid should just barely submerge the pseudobulbs; 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.

2. Change the pot

For planting and tending sick and weak orchids, clay pots and purple clay pots are the first choice. It is best to switch to unused new pots, because old pots inevitably retain some fungi and bacteria that cause orchid diseases. If old pots are to be used, it is safer to wash them clean and then expose them to the sun for several days or pour boiling water over them before use. Use a pot pad at the bottom of the pot for drainage and aeration. You can buy specially made drainage covers, or use natural materials such as peach pits and walnut shells. The height of the pot padding should account for 1/3-1/2 of the pot height, and the pot volume should be small rather than large. The root system of sick and weak orchids is relatively fragile; if the pot body is too large, it easily causes water accumulation and leads to orchid root rot. Using a small pot can avoid this problem.

3. Choose the substrate

Sick and weak orchid seedlings have poor adaptability, so the cultivation substrate is best a granular substrate with medium fertility, low fat content, and good ventilation and breathability, such as ceramsite, expanded clay pellets, coarse sand, crushed brick pieces, Emei Xiantu, crushed stone, and so on. You can also wrap the roots and pseudobulbs of the orchid plant in sphagnum moss and then plant them in a pot with the above substrates added, which also works well. All substrates must be disinfected before use. It is not advisable to use humus soil to grow sick and weak orchid seedlings. First, humus soil is collected from forest areas and contains many miscellaneous microbes, making thorough sterilization difficult. Second, after being used for a period of time, humus soil easily compacts and has poor permeability, which is unfavorable for orchid root growth.

4. Regulate temperature and humidity

Plant sick and weak orchid seedlings slightly deeper to protect the pseudobulbs and keep them moist. The substrate in the pot should be kept in a moist state; too much or too little water is unfavorable for reviving orchid seedlings. During the dormant period, the substrate can be appropriately increased, usually covering the pseudobulbs to keep them moist and to protect against freezing. When the temperature rises above 15°C in the following spring, promptly remove the substrate added in the previous winter to facilitate the sprouting of new shoots. Normally, the temperature should be kept at 18-28°C.

Orchid seedlings should be placed in a spot with visible scattered light for tending, avoiding direct strong light. You can place some water basins and water troughs around the orchid pot to increase environmental humidity.

How to Revive Sick and Weak Orchids: What to Do When an Orchid Gets Sick