How to save an orchid with rotting roots?
I have a Phalaenopsis orchid I bought about 3 years ago and all the roots are brown and mushy. I water carefully but I think I caught it with too much water. Can I save it or is it already gone?
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★ Best answer
I've been through this and managed to save mine by removing everything that was mushy and leaving it out in the open air for a few days before repotting. The trick that nobody really talks about much is using really thick orchid bark and even adding some activated charcoal to the substrate - it helps absorb the extra moisture and prevents it from rotting again. Cut off all the brown roots with clean scissors, let the plant dry for about 48 hours and repot it only in a pot with drainage holes, no closed pots at all.
Can you see any white roots or ones with a green tip underneath that brown layer? If you can, there's hope - cut off all the rotten ones with a disinfected scissors, let the plant dry out properly for a few days, and repot it in fresh substrate (cork bark or well-draining sphagnum). If they're all mushy and brown inside, it's trickier but you can still try the same thing; sometimes a smaller root will still bounce back.
larissa.oliveira asker
Thank you! I'll check that carefully. I hope I can save my Phalaenopsis.
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