White mould developed on the roots of my orchid houseplant when I overwatered the poor plant and it had been left to sit in a damp pot while I was out.
Noticing the white mould growth on the roots the very next day, I knew I had to take immediate action to save the orchid houseplant.
According to Everything Orchid, one of the most effective methods to restore the health of an orchid is to use a common household spice – cinnamon.
Cinnamon is a natural fungicide that can be applied to infected areas of the plant to help dry out the soggy plant compost.
The advice is to “not rinse or water your plant for at least 24 hours” and to “repeat the process every two days until the mould or fungus clears up”.
How to care for orchids
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said: “Keeping the roots in good condition – not too wet or too dry – is the key to success with moth orchids.”
The RHS elaborated: “Correct watering is vital to ensure moth orchids stay healthy. If kept too wet, the roots are likely to rot, but if kept too dry, the roots may shrivel and die.”
During the summer, orchids only require watering once weekly, so even less watering is needed in the colder months.
“Never let the roots dry out completely and never let plants sit in water. Always let excess water drain away,” the RHS stated.
And that’s where I went wrong with my orchid houseplant, I let the plant sit in water for far too long.
Instead of checking the pot soon after watering the plant, I got on with the rest of my day, which has been unfortunate for the orchid.
The RHS advised: “When watering [with tepid water], take care not to splash the leaves or get water into the crown, although you can mist the plant lightly in summer to increase humidity.”
Correct watering isn’t the only requirement when it comes to looking after an orchid houseplant.
In the warmer months, soon to arrive, orchids benefit from regular, light feeding using a specialised orchid fertiliser.
The orchid should, however, not always be feed fertiliser at the same time as watering or else problems could occur.
Once a month, the orchid would benefit from watering without the addition of fertiliser to help prevent a build-up of potentially harmful salts in the compost.
As for my orchid, while the mould growth has stopped, it will need extra attention to keep on flowering.
