Question
QUESTION: Jim you helped me this summer.  I wrote about my orchid that I got at my sister's funneral.  I repotted my orchid and it seemed to be doing fine.  I soaked the orchid when I repotted and have been watering it with orchid fertilizer about every ten days but the leaves turned brown and the last leaf dropped yesterday. Now I have a stub but there is still roots growing from the base.  The roots in the bark were plump and white but they have turned a dark color, not dead, could it be from the color of the bark.  Well I moved it inside back in the bathroom should I just give up at this point, I believe it's hopeless? By the way someone told me I should have soaked the orchid every time I watered it I just watered it like I do other plants.

ANSWER: Hi Whitney,

From your description of what has happened, it does not sound very promising for it.  But let's give it a try for your sister's memory.  

Remove it from the pot, clean off as much of the potting material from the roots, remove all roots that are soft and mushy.  Clean off any dried up leaf remnants from the stumps.  In a large plastic bag, place several slightly moistened paper towels and the stumps, close the bag and place it in a warm shady place.  Once a week, open the bag to see if there are any signs of new growth, whether leaves or roots, then reclose the bag.  If new leaves begin to grow and are several inches long, check the base to see if new roots are also growing.  Once there are new roots over 2 inches long you may take it out of the bag and put it in a pot with potting media.  Place it where there is bright shade, temmperatures between 55F to 85F, humidity above 50% along with some light air movement.  Water it when the potting media becomes barely moist, this can be any where from one day to several weeks.  Go easy with the fertilizer, oncidiums need some fertilizer but not lots of it.  

As for how to water, the best method is to set the pot in a deep tray then fill it with lukewarm water.  Allow it to sit for about 30 minutes then lift it out, allow the excess water to drain out and return to the growing area.  

Hope this has helped.  Good luck.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I really don't know where a warm shaded place would be it is getting cold here in Delaware.  Maybe outside in the shade on the porch that gets the late afternoon sun. I area gets every hot even though part of it is in the shade. But it gets cold at night. It still has a lot of roots why can't I just keep it in the pot since I repotted it this summer?

Answer
Hello Whitney,

With the approach of fall in Delaware, it would be a good idea to keep it indoors where it is nice and warm.  Place it near a south, west or east exposure window but not in direct sunlight.  

The reason I said to unpot it is because there may be a problem with the roots within the pot as indicated by the loss of leaves.  If you find that the roots are fine, you can repot it.  Also check the stumps or pseudobulbs to make sure they are solid and firm when squeezed, if they are soft or mushy they are dying due to rot.  

Soaking is a very good way to water orchids but more importantly is when it is watered.  For most orchids, the best time to water is when the potting media becomes barely moist.  Watering on a set schedule works fine with houseplants but not necessarily with orchids.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.