Plant revival tips: Bringing your orchid back to life
If your orchid is not looking as beautiful as it should, it’s important to remember that there are a few solutions that you should try before it’s too late. Here are some essential plant revival tips for your orchid.
Inspect your plant
Before you begin the plant revival process, you should inspect your orchid for signs of life. Depending on the type of orchid, it could naturally shed leaves after blooming. In addition, if it does not bloom for one season, this does not mean that it is in trouble. If the stem is still green, your orchid is still alive. If possible, you should also check the roots and make sure that they are healthy. If they are brown and mushy, the plant is no longer going to be able to absorb water and this means it cannot be revived.
Finding the cause
Every plant revival begins with determining the cause of the problem. For example, if your orchid is not blooming, it might need to be repotted in some fresh potting mix and a slightly larger pot. It might need more sunlight or you could be following the wrong watering schedule (under or over watering). If the buds drop from the plant before they blossom, the environment might not be ideal for the orchid. Alternatively, it could be due to ethylene poisoning due to a gas leak, ripening fruit or cigarette smoke in this area. If there are spots, discolouration or stippling on the leaves, it could be due to some kind of pest infestation. These require the appropriate pesticide, fungicide and often pruning to get rid of the problem.
Environment factors
In order to help your plant revival go smoothly, you need to make sure that the environment in which the plant is placed will suit their needs. Most orchids love plenty of bright indirect light and high humidity levels. Potting mix should not be regular soil but special orchid mix that consists mainly of bark and similar materials that don’t remain saturated for too long.
Dormancy
Your orchid will enter a dormant phase each year and this is nothing to worry about. Evergreen orchids will not bloom in this time but they will maintain their leaves. Deciduous orchids will shed all their leaves and it’s easy to mistaken them for being dead. As long as the stem remains green, you have nothing to worry about.
If you take proper care of your orchid from day one, you will never need these plant revival tips! Of course, they are handy to remember in the event that you should notice your plant looking a little out of sorts.