My frist Orchid

Hi All,

My hubby brought me home a white phalaenopsis tonight! He got it at the supermarket and its all cold and the flowers are wilted but not dead, it has lots of roots over the pot and the leaves are green. Will it bounce back? Any advise would be great.

Thanks so much :)
Mrs.GreenThumbs

 

Sounds, and looks, as if it is OK to me. When you get an orchid there really is no way to tell how old the flowers are: they naturally wither, shrivel up, and fall off when they are done. (Cold probably hastened this process somewhat.) As long as the rest of the plant looks healthy, and wasn't out in the cold TOO long, it should be OK.

Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytic, meaning that they hang their roots out in the air to absorb moisture. Yes, they are supposed to do that!

Find a good spot, bright but not direct sun, and no cold or hot blasts of air. Make sure that the pot is draining well. I water mine thoroughly once a week (in the sink) and mist daily.

Let us know how it goes!---And congrats on having a husband with such good taste: he not only chose you, but the orchid, too! :-)

 

Thank you so much togata57 :) I found a orchid pot at Home Hardware and am going to pick it up this weekend and repot it. I have the plant in the bathroom which is bright but no direct sun. I will keep you posted :)

Mrs.Greenthumbs :)

 

Update: I touched a flower and it came off this morning. I was thinking of cutting the cane back to the first node as it has a little sprout on it. The flowers are still weak looking. Perhaps cutting it back will give it a fresh start?

Mrs. Greenthumbs

 

Sure. Some folks leave the stalks till they turn brown and dry up, then cut 'em: some cut immediately. Sounds as though yours has already decided what it wants to do! Be sure to use good sharp (and CLEAN) clippers.

An essential element in being a successful plant-grower is simply paying attention/being observant. (As you are doing.) Plants may not have words, but they DO most definitely communicate!

 

Hi Togata,

I clipped the cane yesterday and a brown leaf came off. The cane has discolored a bit even though I use a clean sissors. I watered it today with room temp water. Since the pot has no holes I filled it up with water and cafully dumped the water out in the sink, twice. And I misted it as well.

Mrs.Greenthumbs

 

Ooh, yeah, no holes in the pot! Yikes! Please consider repotting. Without proper drainage moisture will build up inside the pot, promoting the growth of fungus, mold, and all kinds of undesirable stuff. Besides, it is really important to keep the air moving all around the plant and its roots.

Is it potted in the pot with no holes, or is it in a pot-within-the pot? Often these guys are put into kinda flimsy clear plastic pots that fit inside the visible outer pot. Sometimes these are not immediately obvious! Another question: is the plant in bark or moss? I prefer bark---better air circ, while moss gets swampy. You do NOT want swampiness!

 

Thanks again Tagata :)

Yes I plan to repot as soon as I can get more bark. Yes she is in bark :) And she is in a thin plastic pot inside a terra cotta pot with no holes. So I bought a orchid pot. It ceramic and has a latic of holes on the sides. I will post pics real soon.

Mrs.Greenthumbs

 

Sounds good!

 

Here are some better pics of whats happening with my orchid.

 

I'm saying a prayer for this one, I lost one of the bottom leaves. Perhaps it will spring back. I really hope so as this was a gift from my new hubby...

Mrs.Greenthumbs

 

Hmm. Be sure that your orchid is well-drained, and in a spot where the temp stays constant.
Might be residual effects from cold exposure.

 

Thanks Togata :)

 

I repotted the Orchid a few days ago. It's doing good. :)

 

Ooh, nice pot! No wonder your phal is happy! Good news.

What is its neighbor? Leaves look all wavy...or is that my imperfect eyesight? 8-)

 

Thanks Togata! I found the pot at a hardware store for five bucks! :) As yes, the plant next to her is an Netherland compacta fern, next to that is an air plant that's bigger than my hand! lol! Not to worry, your eyesite is good! :)

Now that we have the heat on it soo dry in my place. I water my orchid once a week and was wondering should I water more??

Mrs.Greenthumbs :)

 

Given that you've got it in an orchid pot with the holey sides, and have it in bark, and that your air is dry...yeah, probably would be OK to water a bit more. Use your judgement: if the bark looks dry and the plant feels light when you lift it (granted, with a ceramic pot this is harder to determine), go ahead. The key thing is always drainage combined with a nice moisture ambience for those all-important roots.

Make sure that you use tepid water, and letting the water sit out overnight is good---this helps to dispel some of the chemicals (like chlorine) that are frequently added to municipal water supplies and are best avoided, plant-wise.

Wow---five bucks? That's a bargain!
Looks like your compacta is doing good, so I think your orchid will be OK too.

 

Thanks so much Togata :) I let my water sit overnight for all my plants

 

Orchid update! Well she seems to be doing good. Today I found some dead ariel roots and snipped them. Other wise no problems, I cannot wait for it to bloom.

Mrs.Greenthumbs

 

Me too! :-)

 

To increase humidity, try placing them under a tray filled with pebbles and water. This will increase humidity which orchids will LOVE!