How to Fix an Overwatered Orchid

Remove the orchid from its pot carefully to avoid damaging the roots further. Grasp the plant near the base, and gently twist it to loosen it from the potting medium. Discard the old pot or set a clay pot aside for sterilization and future use.

Brush the old potting medium away from the roots and carefully untangle them, removing any chunks of bark or other potting materials clinging to the roots. Examine the roots for water damage. Soggy, limp, or blackened roots are rotting and will have to be cut away. Healthy roots for most orchids are firm, fleshy, covered in a white outer coating, and green at the tips. Paphiopedilum roots are brown with little hairs that absorb water and nutrients.

Use a sterile blade to cut the dead or dying roots away, and discard them. Cut at least 1/4 inch into the healthy part of the root to be sure you have removed all the damage. Be careful as you handle roots because they tend to break easily.

Put a drainage material, such as broken pot pieces, into the bottom of the new pot. A new pot should be barely larger than the old one -- orchids need repotting about every two years, and they grow and flower better when they fit snugly in their pots.

Wind the roots around into a swirl if they are long, and place the orchid into the pot. Put new potting medium into the pot a little at at time, so it filters down among the roots and gradually fills the pot. Press the soil down lightly to avoid further damage to the roots. When the plant is stable, stop compressing the medium. If the orchid still wobbles, tie it to a short stake.

Water the plant sparingly until it adjusts to the pot. You may need to mist and water lightly for two weeks or so while you watch to see how the leaves and any buds are growing. Avoid giving the orchid too much water in the future by setting the pot on a gravel bed in a water-filled tray. Don't let the bottom of the pot touch the water, and don't let any roots that escape from the pot sit in water.