Reviving Orchids, Huge Improvement after a Month!

Taking care of orchids wasn't something I wanted to do. Three were passed on to me last May. I honestly had no clue how to care for it. It did not turn out well. All of them almost died, well, one is still in ICU. I just couldn't get the hang of watering it. Mom had a lot of orchids and the only thing she taught me was to use charcoal, water well and remove the white hard skin. 

So I followed her and watered the orchids everyday. It ended in disaster. The roots rotted and I realized unlike Mom, the orchids that were sent to me were cocooned in moss. It kept the roots of the orchids wet. I guess that's how they do it to keep the flowers looking fresh. I didn't know you should immediately remove the moss and re-pot it. 

Yup, it was that bad.

I only found out when Kuya gave me orchids for my birthday. The flowers started immediately! I thought it was just the flowers, but it didn't look well after a month. So one fine October day I got to work. I followed the advise of Happiness Garden. Removed all the orchids from their pots and took out the moss. I removed the roots that rotted and gave them a garlic and ginger bath. Then I re-potted them in a terracotta pot with coco cubes as the main medium. 

After removing the medium.

To ensure I wasn't overwatering I would stick my finger under the roots to check for moisture. I give them a garlic bath once a week and then I just spray them with rain water almost everyday. The leaves now have a nice sheen and the roots have grown. I was really surprised to see the youngest sprout a new stem after just a few weeks. I think it will eventually sprout some flowers. 

Hopefully a flower coming soon!

One month after. Roots are a nice shade of green.

Mom always reassured me I don't have a brown thumb. I just need to work on learning how to care for my plants better. Orchids though to be honest are hard to care for. I need to check Mom's orchids to see how she had been potting them. I know she also attached them to driftwood before. I also need to discover how she had been able to make them produce flowers all year round. 

#BeKind #StaySafe