Do your home orchids dry their roots? Why is this happening and how to deal with it?

It happens that an unusual beauty and tenderness flower begins to faint and fade. His leaves tell us about it: they dry up, change color.

In the bulk, this is associated with the death of the root part. The reasons for this may be many, but most often this problem is due to improper care of the flower.

In the article you can find out why the air roots and the entire orchid root system dry, and what to do. You can also watch a useful video on this topic.

Nutrition and plant life cycle

The root system of domestic orchids differs significantly from traditional plant types.. It has two types of roots: those on top are air (epiphytes) and those under the ground are soil (lithophytes). Epiphytes consume and store nutrients and moisture from the air. They are much thicker. Due to this type of roots, an orchid can exist for a long time without watering. Litophyte roots saturate a flower from the soil, actively nourish it in winter.

The life cycle of a plant consists of five phases. The presented cyclical nature of a flower’s life is relative, it is influenced by external conditions, methods of care, placement and lighting of the plant.

• Vegetation. This stage starts from the moment a new escape appears. During this period, leaves and roots begin to grow.
• Peace. All processes are inhibited, which makes the flower organism inactive. The root system stops growing and uses water to a minimum. Then, fresh roots develop and branch out and grow flower stalks.
• Flowering. This is the most active period of the plant: new buds are intensively formed. Flowers are an orchid breeding method.
• Recreation. It follows the phase of the flowers.
• Active growing season. It comes after a rest and leads to a new dissolution of the buds.

What is the danger of a dried root system from above and below?

Dead orchid roots stop sucking water, and the moisture accumulated in the pan creates conditions for the active rotting of the flower. Externally, the leaves for some time will be deceptive to maintain the density and natural color. Most often, this process develops in autumn and winter, when the air temperature drops and the sunlight becomes less.

It is very important to learn to distinguish living and healthy roots from the sick or the dead. This visual diagnostics helps in time to recognize various orchid diseases, in time to understand what to do if all aerial roots are withered and to save the diseased plant.

Why are they all dried up?

Why do orchid roots dry? From frequent or rare watering, watering with hard water or exceeding the dose of bait. This can lead to burn of the root part due to excess salt. The roots dries up from the introduction of fungal or bacterial infections into the plant's body. They may die because of the age of the orchid.

How to define it?

1. It should carefully remove the flower from the pot, shake the soil from the roots.
2. Then prepare a clean basin with water at room temperature. Rinse gently with the hands of the roots.
3. Pour dirty water, pour clean.
4. Leave the plant in water for 2-3 hours.
5. Episodically observe the roots. If they become elastic and turn green, the orchid's root system is healthy, the roots are alive. If the roots do not change and remain dry and brown - they died. It indicates the pain of the roots and the fact that they wrinkle, become soft.

Step-by-step home care instructions

So, what to do with the dried roots of an orchid? Actions depend on the cause of death.:

Hard water

1. Remove dead or bad parts of the roots with a sharp, alcohol-treated knife.
2. Place the edges of powdered charcoal powder.
3. Replant the orchid in a flower pot with new soil.
4. The first watering done in 7 days, the cut takes time to drag on.
5. Soften water for watering, filtering and defending it.
6. Add to the settled water peat: 10 g per liter of water, because peat is a natural softener.
7. Water the orchid with thawed or rainwater.
8. Root-stimulating solutions, such as Kornevin, can be used every 2 weeks.

Fertilizer burn

1. Abandon the use of fertilizer for two - three weeks.
2. Reduce deliberately the first feeding dose by half. Next should be saturated with nitrogen, which will slow down flowering and allow leaves and roots to develop. Therefore, it is necessary to use only special fertilizers designed for orchids.
3. Feed moderately twice a month.

We recommend to watch a video about the burn of orchid roots with fertilizers:

Water deficit

From lack of moisture orchid roots dry most often. You can fix this as follows:

1. Make darling daily baths. To do this, put a basin of water at room temperature, in it - a pot with a flower. Water covers the rhizomes of an orchid for 2 hours.
2. Then transfer the orchid pot to a lighted and warm place.
3. Repeat the bath until new buds begin to grow. Between the baths do not water the flower.

Low air humidity

1. Place a trellis pan with wet clay or just filled with water under the flower. Alternatively, you can put a container with this content next to the orchid.
2. Sprinkle the plant out of the spray with warm filtered or rain water.
3. Wipe the leaves with soft water.

Infectious diseases

Infection of the flower with infectious diseases also leads to drying of the roots.. To fix this need:

1. Plant after trimming dead roots dip for two minutes in a slightly pink solution of manganese.
2. Dry for an hour.
3. To plant a flower, not watering, in a transparent pot with a new soil.
4. Put in a lighted warm place, where direct sunlight does not penetrate.
5. Water the plant only after a week.
6. Treat at home the leaves, flowers, and airy roots of a systemic chemical pest control orchid. If the flower is badly affected by infections of a fungal or bacterial nature, re-treatment is necessary after two weeks.
7. It can be treated with folk remedies: a soapy liquid (a tablespoon per liter of water), an infusion of onion gruel, which we extinguish with boiling water and soak for six hours.

Mechanical injury

1. Handle broken, trimmed roots when transplanting the powder with charcoal.
2. Plant the flower in fresh soil and do not water it for a week.

What to do for prevention?

If the orchid has not been watered for several days, then it is not necessary to do it in excess. Such a mode of watering only harm this elegant flower.

Board: Try to fertilize the plant during dormancy, use calcium and phosphorus preparations. And while releasing the peduncle, water it with clean soft water, do not add fertilizer.

Preventing re-drying

• You should constantly conduct a visual inspection of the orchid.
• Observe the microclimatic conditions in the room: the temperature during the day is + 23⁰ С, and at night it is + 16⁰ С.
• It is necessary to water the plant properly.
• Moisten only the bark of the substrate, there should be no water in the pan. For irrigation use soft filtered water.
• Plant the plant in transparent containers so as not to hinder the penetration of air and light to the roots.
• It is important to choose your own method of watering: some gardeners do just watering, others use a shower heated to plus thirty to thirty-five degrees, and some put it on a water pillow.
• Less artificially interfere with the natural cycle of plant life. For breeding orchid need to bloom, and then - to rest.

Conclusion

In gratitude for the competent and flawless care orchids will begin to bloom more often and more abundantly.. And the florist will have more reason to rejoice at his beautiful flower.

Watch the video: Rejuvenating stressed Orchids Part 1 - Limp, leathery leaves (December 2024).