Orchid is an extremely attractive home flower that pleases owners with bright, colorful blooms, but requires compliance with certain conditions of care. The most common problem that occurs when growing orchids is considered a high risk of damage to the root system and its complete death. However, even a badly damaged plant can be reanimated. Let's see how exactly.

The main causes of root loss

The most vulnerable part of the orchid is the root shoots, which, as a result of a number of external and internal factors, lead to their dryness, decay and death. To prevent this problem, flower growers should know the main causes of the loss of the root system.

Irrigation

First of all, the death of the roots is associated with a violation of the plant's moisture regime. Since the orchid is a "native" of the humid tropics, it prefers plentiful, but not frequent watering. In this case, it is better to shorten the plant than to overfill, since prolonged stagnation of water in the pan can cause rotting of the root roots. The first signal to irrigate the culture is the drying of the upper layer of the substrate.

Non-compliance with temperature conditions

It is equally important when caring for a tropical guest to organize a competent temperature regime. The orchid belongs to the photophilous plants, but reacts negatively to the direct rays of the sun, which can lead to its dehydration, and, as a result, to the drying of root roots.

The most comfortable temperatures for the flower in the summer are considered to be +20 ... + 25 ° C, with minimal nightly deviations of +/- 2-3 degrees. In winter, when it is at rest, it is enough to maintain the room temperature at +16 ... + 17 ° С. It is imperative that the humidity level be regulated together with temperature parameters, the optimum coefficient of which is considered to be 65–75%. Any temperature deviations in one direction or another negatively affect the condition of the roots, leading to their decay or drying out.

Pests

The causes of damage to the root system can be pest attacks, among which the most dangerous are the spider mite, scabies and thrips, which feed on the juice of the leaves and stems of the plant, thus damaging them and depriving them of vitality.

Did you know? The orchid under the original name "Cannibal Gold" is recognized as the most expensive in the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it blooms after 15 years of its growth. Because of its rarity, flower shoots are priced at $ 5,000.

Preparation of medium for root cultivation

In order to quickly grow root shoots of an orchid, care should be taken to prepare the environment, which includes first aid to the flower:

• the culture is pulled out of the pot and the root system is carefully examined for lesions;
• the root system is gently washed in a large volume of water, cleaning from soil residues;
• all damaged root processes are removed with a sterile sharp knife. In this case, dried leaves are left on the stem, peduncles are also amenable to removal;
• places of all sections are treated with chopped charcoal;
• to protect the root system from infections, soak the flower for 10-15 minutes in a weak solution of any fungicidal preparation;
• the orchid is dried for 1–4 hours.

If the root system of the flower is slightly damaged, then the plant can be cured by transplanting it into another container, with a new substrate. If more than half of the root roots are affected, the culture should be reanimated using any of the methods described below.

Ways to build roots

There are a fairly large number of simple methods on how to quickly grow roots in an orchid. Let's take a closer look at the most used ones.

Using water

The first method is based on alternately soaking the flower in water and drying it.

Resuscitation of a plant in this way takes place according to the following algorithm:

• small amounts of water are poured into the bottom of a large transparent container;
• the flower is immersed in water so that its base enters a depth of not more than 1 cm;
• after 5-6 hours, the orchid is pulled and dried in the air.

Such events are performed every day until the plant begins to grow root processes.

Important! To activate the growth of the root system, it is recommended to add natural growth stimulants to the water - sugar, honey, aloe juice. It is allowed to use ready-made purchased stimulants.

With such root growth, the temperature in the room should vary between +23 ... + 25 ° С, while the container should be located in a well-lit place, protected from direct UV rays.

Always in the water

The method of resuscitation of the tropical beauty “Always in the Water” can hardly be called effective, since the percentage of plant survival is only 15–20%. At the same time, flowers that have started new roots subsequently poorly take root when planting in the substrate.

Nevertheless, the method has the right to life and is done similarly to the previous one, with the only difference being that the water is not drained after a few hours, but is changed once every 7 days. If necessary, water is regularly added to the tank.

Video: Resuscitation of orchids in the water

Above the water

In the case when the methods with water did not bring the desired result, the plant can be cured through air baths.

To do this, you must:

1. In a glass or plastic container, for example, a jar, a bottle or a cup, pour a little water.
2. The orchid is set on a container so that its roots do not reach the water.
3. The container is closed with a lid, forming a kind of greenhouse.
4. Every day, the exot is pulled and dipped for one hour in a sugar solution, then dried and returned to a container with an aqueous medium.
5. Every two days in the evening the plant is immersed in a solution of vitamins. This allows you to save biologically active substances that can be destroyed by direct sunlight.

The procedure is completed after new roots are formed on the plant. A container with a rooted flower should be kept at a temperature of +23 ... + 25 ° С and stable 12-hour lighting.

Important! In the absence of the required amount of light, for the plant you need to organize additional illumination using conventional fluorescent lamps.

Up roots

Another simple and quick way to treat an orchid is to place it face down.

The essence of such rooting is to perform the following steps:

• the plant is turned upside down, while the leaves are fixed with an ordinary rubber band so that they do not rise;
• in a previously prepared container, lower the flower;
• the container is filled with water to a level no higher than 1/2 of the sheet length;
• 1-2 tablets of activated carbon are dissolved in the aquatic environment, which will help to avoid infection of the culture with ailments or parasites;
• the base of the exotica is sprayed every day with fresh water, the temperature of which should be slightly higher than room temperature.

This method guarantees almost 100% rooting of orchids. It should be noted that the roots begin to develop in about a month.

In the substrate

“Water” methods for resuscitation of orchids are used if the root system of the plant is completely absent. If there is a minimum number of roots for their growth, it is recommended to take advantage of the rooting of the culture in the substrate, which is a mixture of sphagnum moss and vermiculite.

This method involves the following actions:

• choose a sufficiently large container with a lid. You can use an old aquarium or a plastic container with a lid;
• at the bottom of the container fill the drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles;
• on top of the drainage layer lay a pre-moistened substrate;
• the orchid is placed on top of the soil mixture in such a way that its root neck remains free, and the proposed site of the formation of root processes is in contact with the soil.

Sphagnum, due to its ability to easily give and absorb moisture, is considered an almost ideal material for the germination of exotics. Also, for successful rooting, experts advise providing the plant with a sufficiently high level of humidity, for example, by organizing a mini-greenhouse.

On the bark

The method of rooting an orchid on the bark is not as popular as the previous ones, however, in some cases it is very effective. To root, you will need a large piece of pine bark. It can be purchased at specialized flower shops or brought from the forest. In the latter case, the bark should be decontaminated by boiling for one hour in ordinary clean water.

The process of building up root processes is based on the algorithm:

• the plant is carefully fixed on the bark so that its base clearly touches the surface of the material;
• the neck of the roots is treated with a solution of vitamin B1 to accelerate growth.

During rooting, the exot does not require additional nutrition and hydration, it will have enough moisture in the bark. However, the bark must be regularly moistened during this period. The first root processes can be observed 3 months after planting on the bark.

Features of care during the growth of orchid roots

In the process of building up the root system, the orchid needs proper care, which has several features:

1. Nutrition. Before the roots appear, it is not recommended to feed the plant with any means. You can help the culture only after the appearance of the first root. To do this, the flower should be soaked for 30 minutes in a solution prepared from 1 liter of water, 1 tsp. honey or sugar and root solution, taken in the amount specified in the instructions.
2. Lighting. During the entire period of rooting, the orchid must be provided with a sufficient amount of light, at least 12 hours. In cold weather, it is recommended to use additional lighting devices for lighting. It is strictly forbidden to hit the flower in direct sunlight, under the influence of which it can dry and die.
3. Temperature. At too low temperature indicators, the plant runs the risk of prematurely hibernating, so you should adhere to stable temperatures of +23 ... + 25 ° С.

Did you know? By the amount of seed material, the orchid is the leader among all the flowers. In the middle of one plant, more than 4 million seeds can form.

Preparations to accelerate the process of root growth

In order for the rooting process to proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible, experts recommend using ready-made preparations for stimulation. Among them are widely used:

1. Fitosporin. A broad-spectrum drug that stimulates the growth of the root system, strengthens the plant's immunity. It is bred in equal proportions with water, used to spray foliage and substrate.
2. succinic acid. Natural effective remedy, which not only contributes to the activation of root growth, but also protects the flower from the negative effects of many external factors. A tablet of acid is diluted in 250 ml of water. In the resulting solution, the root processes are soaked, and castings and peduncles are also treated.
3. Kornevin. A drug that has a beneficial effect on the root system accelerates its growth. 3 g of the substance are diluted in 6 l of pure water. The roots are completely immersed in the finished solution.

These funds should be used after the complete removal of rotten, damaged roots and the decontamination of each section with activated carbon.

The main mistakes when building roots

There are several simple and effective methods for growing roots in orchids.

However, even their knowledge in some cases cannot protect novice gardeners from mistakes, the most common of which are:

• dry leaf removal. It is impossible to remove dried leaves on their own, by force, otherwise the plant may die completely. The drying symptom suggests that the culture does not have enough nutrients for growth and development, so it must be fed with special vitamin-mineral solutions;
• lack of lighting. A shortage of sunlight can provoke the beginning of a dormant period in an orchid. In addition, due to a lack of photosynthesis, the culture begins to experience a lack of oxygen, as a result of which, the cells die, and the flower quickly dies;
• lack of slice decontamination. Slices that have not been treated with disinfectants can be an ideal source for the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria. Slices should be treated with powdered activated carbon.

Important! It is impossible to use greens for disinfection of slices, since it will greatly dry them, which can lead to the death of a tropical beauty.

Despite the fact that the orchid, as a representative of exotic flowers, is quite capricious in care, it has excellent “vitality”, and even with the complete loss of the root system, it can recover. The main thing is to be patient while rooting and follow the instructions with accuracy.