I GOT A BARE-ROOT ORCHID, NOW WHAT?!

Quite often we buy bare-root orchids from international vendors. Based on my experience, a lot of those orchids are losing their roots in the next few months. So, there was a question, What Have I Done Wrong? How To Take Care Of Plants in This Case?  

There are some recommendations of one of our members of the Society.
                                                                                                             by Calvin Wong 

                                                                                                   Tropical Gardens Orchids 

                                                                                                     Canadian Orchid Congress 

                                                                                                Western Canada Judging Center

Before you take the orchid home:
❖ Check the condition of the plant
❖ If the plant has a strong smell of chemical and is from an international vendor, inquire what was the plant treated with
❖ Familiarize yourself with the growing requirements of the plant
❖ Do you have all the necessary material? (i.e. potting mix, pot, tools, etc.)

Once you get home:
❖ Unpacked the orchid immediately, air it out in an open area if it has been treated
❖ Prepare a “revival bath” and soak the roots of the orchid for 10-15 mins
❖ Clean up the plant (i.e. cut off dead roots, remove old shriveled pseudobulbs,      trimmed brown tip in leaves, etc.)
❖ “Revival Bath” recipe:
-1 gallon of room temperature water
-½ cup of sugar
-Drop of SUPERthrive
-Few drops of seaweed/kelp
-A pinch of root stimulant (powder form)

After the “Revival Bath”, depending on the season, the condition of the plant and the timing of its growing cycle, there are several options: 

1. Plants that are actively growing (i.e. signs of active root tips, new growth, new leaves, etc.):
❖ Let the plant dry in the grow area for an hour to two (enhance air exchange in roots, reduce chances of bacterial/fungal rot)
❖ Spray the entire plant with a mild fungicide
❖ Dip the roots in root stimulate (gel form preferred) *optional
❖Pot up, keep on the drier side (Avoid having the potting mix soaking wet) before watering.

2. Plants that are not actively growing:
2a. For those with water storage capabilities (i.e. Cattleya, Dendrobium, etc.) and are actively growing:
❖Fill half the pot with the media of choice, prop the plant in the same position as you would grow it normally, leave it on top of the media. 
❖Leave the plant in your grow area, and wait until you see signs of new roots, then pot up. Be very careful of the fragile new roots.
2b. For those without water storage capabilities (i.e. those without a pseudobulb such as Phal, Paphs, Phrags, etc):
❖ Let the plant dried in your grow area for half an hour, spray the entire plant with a mild fungicide
❖ Dip the roots in root stimulate (gel form preferred) * optional
❖ Pot up, keep on the drier side (Avoid having the potting mix soaking wet) before watering.
❖ Keep the plant in optimal growing temperatures and shady conditions, monitor the plant very closely.

Tips on care after orchids are potted up:
❖ For the first 4 weeks, do not fertilize. Instead, use a mild, diluted foliar feed (spray underneath the leaves early in the day on a warm bright day when the stomata are opened). Seaweed/Kelp or fish emulsion are ideal options.
❖Do not move the plants around unnecessarily until roots are established in the mix, the tender root tips break very easily.
❖If the bare-rooted plant is in bloom, cut off the flowers.
❖Bare-root plants must be grown under optimal growing conditions (in shade), research, research, research!

Miscellaneous tips:
❖ Organic root stimulant: willow bark tea/Willow Water (soak willow bark in water overnight)
❖ Easy, cheap root stimulant: aspirin (1 uncoated aspirin in 1 cup of water)
❖ Professional fungicide: RootShield WP (Trichoderma harzianum) (also excellent for deflasking seedlings)