Phalaenopsis leaves falling off

[JoeW]

Way to go Pedro!! You must have gotten your orchid from Iota Geminorum IV too. :-)

[0rch1dman]

The Klingons drop my orchids off at work so I can tell my wife that it was "Free Orchid Day." That way she doesn't have to ask how much money I spent on them!!!

[padams2359]

Styrofoam is much cheaper than the required medium for the specific orchid; whether it is strictly Orchid Bark for air loving plants, or some sort of Orchid Mix for other varieties. After putting the plant in Styrofoam and plastic pots, then they are put in some sort of decorative planter to raise the price. This all causes a green house effect with no air circulation. After the damage is done, and you see the plant is dying, the root rot is so bad; most people just throw the plant away and buy a new one. I always repot into clay orchid pots or wooden baskets (if they are going to stay outside). When I have purchased a plant in bloom, I repot in a clay orchid pot in either pure Orchid Bark, or a mixture of Orchid Bark along with Orchid Mix. This usually keeps them happy and the blooms on for a couple of months. Ever couple of days I mist them with a spray bottle of water to keep the roots moist, and then water them once a week with water and ½ the suggested amount of orchid fertilizer. For the plants that I have in wooded baskets with Orchid Bark, I have a misting system installed in my tree that goes off for an hour every other day. Due to the high temperature and high humidity in my area, this has worked well for me. You just need to experiment with your plants to see what medium, placement, and watering works best. I found that when I first started I was messing with them too much. Over watering and basically paying too much attention to them. It is hard at first, but I have found that they do like to be left alone.

[parvs]

I have the same problem. =( i haven't the slightest idea what kind/species of orchids i have. they were gifts to me as i love purchasing cut orchids. no idea how to care for one so i asked one of the local growers (he is no longer in business where i live), he just told me to fertilize once a week use ice cubes to "water" the orchids once a week and give it a good watering once every two weeks, keep them indoors near a window with good sunlight. most (9 out of 11 pots) of the orchids' leaves started falling off. i have no idea what's gone wrong ='( i've had them for more than a year. the temp where i live is fairly cool 8 (nov to february) degrees Celsius to 21 (march to mid may). help please =(

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I have the same problem. =( i haven't the slightest idea what kind/species of orchids i have. they were gifts to me as i love purchasing cut orchids. no idea how to care for one so i asked one of the local growers (he is no longer in business where i live), he just told me to fertilize once a week use ice cubes to "water" the orchids once a week and give it a good watering once every two weeks, keep them indoors near a window with good sunlight. most (9 out of 11 pots) of the orchids' leaves started falling off. i have no idea what's gone wrong ='( i've had them for more than a year. the temp where i live is fairly cool 8 (nov to february) degrees Celsius to 21 (march to mid may). help please =(

Do not use ice cubes on orchids. Orchids are tropical plants and do not want frozen water on their roots. Most likely this is your orchid problem. I suggest checking the roots of your orchids. I suspect you will find root damage and loss. Repot in a fresh bark mix after removing the mushy and dead roots.

cheers,
BD

[parvs]

Do not use ice cubes on orchids. Orchids are tropical plants and do not want frozen water on their roots. Most likely this is your orchid problem. I suggest checking the roots of your orchids. I suspect you will find root damage and loss. Repot in a fresh bark mix after removing the mushy and dead roots.

cheers,
BD

oh my i had no idea. they were thriving for over a year so i thought what i was doing was fine. thank you for your reply =) one little tiny question, i saw fern slabs at a local nursery is it ok to transplant my orchids on those? can't seem to find small orchid clay pots here anymore. thanks again =)

[Brutal_Dreamer]

oh my i had no idea. they were thriving for over a year so i thought what i was doing was fine. thank you for your reply =) one little tiny question, i saw fern slabs at a local nursery is it ok to transplant my orchids on those? can't seem to find small orchid clay pots here anymore. thanks again =)

My orchids do better in pots, but each grower finds her/his own way. I suggest plastic orchid pots.

cheers,
BD

[parvs]

thanks again! =)

[nicscrappy]

I can't find how to post a new thread, but I'm also a fairly new orchid grower (3years). The phal I've had for 3years was stalemate, so I pulled it out (again) and noticed root rot. It had since had a baby which I was told to cut off & plant (2 small roots). I "think" momma is doing ok since I washed & cut out the mushy stuff and planted in fresh, dry orchid mix (just slow process I guess), but the baby hasn't done anything.

NOW, the baby's leaf pulled right out from the base/2 tiny root system! Is it still salvageable?? One source says keep moist & others say let dry in between waterings.