Time For Another Orchid Update ..

Molly and I were just chilling out on Sunday morning, having coffee and catching up on some 'American Pickers'. I was thinking that I really didn't want to watch another episode, and Molly was starting to get a little restless. I knew this meant she may have to go outside for a potty break soon.

Just before we got up to head outside, we were admiring the row of orchids along the wall between us and the kitchen.

Molly was quite content on not staring off into space, but waited for me while I did.

As most of you are aware, some of the Orchids are in bloom and some are not. Some are recovering from stress and some are perfectly healthy. But we also have another issue or two going on here. First of which is a Phalaenopsis sitting at the end of the wall. In the picture below, she is the one on the far left. She only has four blooms and is starting to get kind of stressed out.

The other issue I see is that some of the air roots are trying to attach themselves to the wall. This wouldn't be a problem in the wild, where they survive by doing just that, but I can't have them doing that here in the house.

The first concern was easily solved. Lift Orchid, scrape off root, insert plate below, and place Orchid on plate. Done! hehe. It will do for now until I can purchase a more acceptable tray, although this fancy plastic plate looks sort of neat. This little guy needs repotted anyhow. I guess I need to buy another pot too. @silversaver888 say I should go to ACE Hardware to look for one. I wouldn't be surprised if ours doesn't carry them.

Maybe you can see how flat some of the roots are. Those were the ones that were stuck to the shelf.

The next concern is that of the Orchid at the end of the row. She is stressed. She's been blooming for quite some time now and I feel that this plays a part in that. Also she is producing a ton of air roots. Although this is a good thing, it also means that there are a lot of roots in search of humidity, that just isn't there. I can't spray them constantly, providing the humidity they need, and they are not contained within the pot.. where the humidity is at its highest.

I may have a solution for this problem though.

Above, the signs of stress I observe are grey wrinkly roots and limp, wilted leaves. The roots should be a nice and plump and look fairly green. As for the leaves, they should have some rigidity to them and now look like an elephant's skin. lol

The first step is going to get these roots looking better. I'll hydrate them by placing the plant in some mild tap water for about 10 minutes. I want the roots to be damp, but don't want to submerge them for too long. This process won't be enough to bring the leaves back quickly, but will help the roots look a lot more healthy. It's a start and the leaves will follow along in another week.

While she is soaking in the sink, I took a moment and dusted off the leaves. I took a damp paper towel and gently wiped the leaves, careful to NOT allow any water to trickle down into the notches of the leaves. This could cause rot if I am not careful.

There was one dried up flower that was ready to fall off, so I helped it along. I gently tuged on it and it fell right off.

It really looks kind of neat. When the water is no longer present and the cells within the petals dries out, they become so paper thin. I thing they look very neat. I should try and press it flat, but no time right now. Another photo will have to suffice. The morning sun shining through the petals looks cool. I like all the dark veining too.

10 Minutes is up, so lets have a look at those roots. Did we make any progress? Oh yeah! They are back baby!!! They look nice a green and even gained a little plumpness back. Now I will just let the pot sit on a rag for about another 10 to 15 minutes in order to allow the excess water to get drawn out.

How will I maintain this state of rejuvenation and not regress? I have a plan! I found a deep pot dish (have no clue where I got it) and this should work great. I can add a bit of standing water or damp rag into the dish to create a more humid environment for these roots. This should be the perfect fix until I can repot the plant.

Well, I am running out of time, and this post is starting to get lengthy. Not sure if I kept anyone ones attention through this either. haha. Not the most exciting stuff, but hey... We're talking Orchids here.. and that's the cool part!

Enjoy the rest of your day or night!!!

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

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