Growing Orchids on Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

A few hints for repotting (apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs!):

It's best to wait to repot until you see evidence of new roots growing (brand new rather than new growth on existing roots). This is because roots are adapted to the environment/media they are growing in. When you change media the old roots will probably gradually die off but hopefully new roots will have taken their place before this happens!

Soak the existing root-ball and media for a hour before you start - it makes it easier to work with.

Treat the roots gently, better to leave a bit of old media on them rather than damage them using force.

You might well find a wad of dense foam in the middle - try to remove this as well.

Make sure the orchid is secure in the pot when you've finished. Wobbly plants equal broken roots!

When working with clay pellets use a tray as your work area - saves hundreds of pellets rolling over the floor! A chopstick is ideal for pushing pellets gently down amongst the roots.

After repotting wait 24 hours before watering - it gives any root damage a chance to heal over before getting wet again. Keep your orchid warm but out of direct sun and draughts.

Orchids in clay pellets need watering far more often than those in moss or bark.

[TeaInTheDunes]

A few hints for repotting (apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs!):

It's best to wait to repot until you see evidence of new roots growing (brand new rather than new growth on existing roots). 

Thank you for the info with regards to the pot medium (I am also leaning towards to the clay pellets) and for the re-potting tips!

With regards to your advise to wait until the new roots grow, is this also the case for the ochid which looks like almost all her roots are dead?

I've been thinking that I have to repot asap (cutting the dead roots + applying hydrogen peroxide) in the fresh media hoping  after that the roots will start growing. That's the idea I've got after watching a bunch of Youtube videos of MissOrchidGirl
It looks like there is only a compressed spahgnum moss in the pot with my orchid, so roots might have suffocated by staying too long in wet non-ventilated area. 

If you have any tips for promoting new roots growth, feel free to share

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Fuller reply later but DO NOT apply hydrogen peroxide! That lady has some good ideas and some that are disastrous!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi
Sorry I couldn't reply before now. 
To promote root growth the best thing I've found is a product called Kelpak, distributed by Besgrove in The Netherlands. It is a Kelp product that has been 'cold' produced, preserving certain auxins. As far as I'm aware it is only available direct from Besgrove and is quite expensive if you are dealing with a few plants. It might be worth trying one of the rooting hormone products you can buy in local garden shops - I've no experience using them with orchids.
Roots have 2 main layers (there are more but concentrate on the two). The Velamin is the outer layer and acts like a sponge, soaking up water which is then transported by the central core which looks like a thread. If you have dark, mushy roots it is the velamin that has decomposed. You can slide it off of the central core. The central cores/threads can still transport some water to the plant stem/leaves. The threads are also useful in acting as anchors when you repot.
The big problem when you have little or no root is that the leaves will still transpire (lose water) and at a greater rate than the plant is taking up. Whatever you do don't spray the leaves, that's asking for trouble, water will collect in the bits where the leaves meet the stem and you will quickly get stem rot, end of plant! 
My suggestion would be to fill a plastic orchid pot (with drainage holes) half full with clay pellets. Stand that pot inside an outer pot with no holes - something fairly heavy so it doesn't tip over. Place water inside the pots so that it comes within an inch of the top of the clay pellets. Place your orchid on top of the clay pellets. Over the top of the plant and pots put an upside down clear plastic bag. It should be big enough to completely cover everything but not tight so there is a little airflow. This will keep the humidity high and reduce the amount the leaves transpire. Keep the whole thing warm, draught free and shaded. Lift one side of the bag every couple of days to see if the water level has dropped - top up if necessary.
Hopefully your orchid will develop some new roots - it can take quite a while. If you have old flower stalks on the plant, leave them be, the orchid can reuse the nutrients that are in the old stalks. Once you have new roots of about an inch long you can pot up properly. I would suggest using the method known as Semi Hydroponic which is along the lines of what I have suggested for promoting new root growth. Have a look at this site: https://www.orchidboard.com/community/ - it's the best orchid reference site I've found. 

If I've missed something, please shout!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. 

[TeaInTheDunes]

WOW, what a thorough guideline!
Thanks a lot!!!
I will try to save it!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I've certainly had my Money's worth from this orchid this year! It came into bloom on Boxing Day 2020 and hasn't lost one flower yet! (That's probably sounded a death knell!)

  

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

A nice lot of my orchids are in bloom!

  
  
  

 

Hmm, this post has shown me that my orchid pics need reorganising. I've forgotten to number a lot of the pics and put them in their respective folders, duh!

I've got about another 5 in bloom and a further 4 or 5 due to start blooming in the next week or two.

(The numbers refer to the order in which they started blooming this time around.)

[GMT]

Las orquídeas son fantasticas! Beautiful colours.