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kelly2611

New Phalaenopsis

12 years ago

Hi all!

My fiance bought me a small Phalaenopsis from Ikea a week or so ago. I have had a Phal before and killed it within a few months. (Root rot) I know that they are temperamental, tropical plants. A few days ago the buds and flowers started to shrivel and fell off. I assume from shock due to the change in environment. I currently have it sitting on a table near a south facing window (my only options are north and south). The temperature is in the mid 60s to low 70s consistently. I have given it an ice cube and a half for water. It is currently in moss. I bought a bunch of orchid products from my previous orchid. I have bark, fertilizer, and little stones to place in a dish for humidity. Additionally, the orchid is in a pot with no holes in the bottom. Is this a problem? I very much appreciate some advice on how to care for the plant in general! I don't want to kill another orchid!

Thank you!
Kelly

Comments (13)

  • 12 years ago

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  • 12 years ago

    Kelly,

    Be very careful with the pot, orchids don't like to have their feet standing in water ;-). You really need a pot with holes (clay or plastic), and then use a pretty pot to display when blooming if you like.

    I'm not a fan of the ice cube method of watering, with a plant like that I'd just take it to the sink and run water through it once every 7-10 days, or when the moss gets crunchy feeling. Without the pot with holes, you will need to be very, very careful watering, I'd suggest still taking it out of the pot (as your pics show) and gently running water through it, when not dripping return to the hole-less pot.

    The orchid looks pretty good, if anything a tad (I said 'a tad') dry.

    Good luck,

    Bob

  • 12 years ago

    Thank you! I realized when I pulled the plant out to take the pictures (after I wrote the original post) that it is indeed in a little plastic pot with holes. Is it a bad sign that the flowers fell off? Or just shock? Thank you again!!!

  • 12 years ago

    Not a bad sign, probably shock or it was their time (who knows how long they were in bloom before you got them).

    Take out of cache pot and water as I stated above. Next fall give it a 15 degree temp drop between night and day and you should get spike(s). You may be able to still get some spikes by doing the temp change thing for 2-3 weeks, put it next to a cool window at night to help with the drop in temps.

    Good luck,

    Bob

  • 12 years ago

    I'm not so sure about removing an orchid from its pot. Roots create an adhesion to things including the pot. By removing it over and over could be a bigger problem....I'm heavy handed with the hose so I use sphagnum sparingly. I use lava rock. Good luck

  • 12 years ago

    I'm not a huge fan of spagh either, especially in winter.

    I suggested removing the plant because at first it appeared that the pot was hole-less and there was no inner pot. IMO, it's better to disturb the roots weekly than to let the orchid sit in water for days. Once she removed the plant, she found there was a plastic pot with holes. I still say remove the plastic pot and water/drain, then return to pretty pot.

    Bob

  • 12 years ago

    It might be better than the sphagnum, but unacceptable. While it is our of the pot then transfer to another. While it might be better than drowning, it will not be worthwhile.

  • 12 years ago

    Sorry, I'm not being clear... Leave the orchid in the plastic pot while watering, put it back in the pretty ceramic pot after drip drying.

    If I had the supplies (I believe the poster stated she did have bark), I'd personally move it to a bark mix. That can be tricky IMO, bark to spagh is fairly easy, spagh to bark can be tougher. Just need to water more often initially when moving to bark.

    Bob

  • 12 years ago

    Thank you for your help! I am going to move to bark. The moss makes me nervous. There is some rot here and there on my roots. I don't want it to progress further. Is there a way for me to stop it in it's tracks? I'm worrying about this plant like its my baby! I've gotten attached!

    Thank you again!
    Kelly

  • 12 years ago

    Personally, I wouldn't move the plant now. The sphag looks dry and the roots dehydrated. Why don't you soak the plant for about an hour until the sphag takes up water and stick the plant (as is) in a clay or other pot which has drainage.

    Your plant looks healthy as do the roots except they look too dry. See if you can carry the plant until about March and then repot.

    Jane

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