Help with mini orchid

[agutierrez06]

When i got this plant it had lots of flowers and buds. After having it for a bit the buds started to fall off, then the flowers. Now the leaves are starting to yellow and fall. I don't water too often and I always check before i water. I also only put water around base and avoid trying to get it on the leaves. Is there any hope still left for it?

[Chris in Hamilton]

Your roots look healthy enough but it looks too dry for a Phaleonopsis Amanda. Best way to water this one is to fill a sink or bucket and soak it for twenty minutes or so. Also, don't give it too much sun. A west window about 1' from the glass would be good. I'd be re-potting it if it were mine.

[agutierrez06]

Thank you for your reply. I will soak it and move it to a different window. I'm a little scared to repot because I don't was to do it wrong and kill it

[78Terp]

Thank you for your reply. I will soak it and move it to a different window. I'm a little scared to repot because I don't was to do it wrong and kill it

Don't be intimidated about repotting them. They are very forgiving. And if it survives from your current concern, repotting is inevitable at some point. Not repotting at that point will kill it too.

[Chris in Hamilton]

Thank you for your reply. I will soak it and move it to a different window. I'm a little scared to repot because I don't was to do it wrong and kill it

I have that "fear of re-potting" problem and believe a lot of orchid collectors do. With my Cattleya I'll often just drop the pot into a bigger one then stuff large medium between the two pots.

[Carolla]

I would re-pot that one as soon as possible. It's really hard to keep them happy jammed in a little plastic pot with moss. The roots need air as well as water. I'd pot it into a coarse bark and maybe add a few whisps of moss to help it stay damp. It will be a large change for the roots and they will have adapted as they grew to whatever media they grew in, so they will slowly die. However, kept in that situation will also kill them, so get them into the new pot. Soak the bark overnight first, then gently tease the moss out of the roots, spread the healthy ones out and firmly pack the bark in around them. You need it to be tight enough to stabilize the plant. Give a soak with a kelp based rooting stimulator (Kelp Max is one of the best), then rest them for a while. Keep the plant somewhere non-stressful for a couple of months, or at least until you see good new roots coming out.

The plant looks stressed, as it is obviously losing lower leaves. Check it over carefully for any insects, I had similar reactions to Phals with scale infestations, for example. I finally had to spray them with a insecticide designed for roses, that did the job. I was cleaning the leaves with rubbing alcohol as is often recommended and I thought I had them beat, but I missed that one of my house plants had a horrific scale infestation! I dumped that and hit them with a systemic insecticide and that was the end of it. Cleaned the mealy bug out of my Cymbidium too.

[Yug]

Repotting is one of the first things I do - gives me a chance to check on the root situation. In my early days growing orchids, I was intimidated, too, by the daunting prospect of repotting and doing something that would harm the 'chid. I learned eventually what I was doing, and trust my own experience with these plants so that I would rather know that I am growing it properly instead of not knowing and merely trusting the seller.

Also, if I purchase a plant that is obviously under some stress based on its current potting situation, I will unhesitatingly cut off the blooms in order to cause the plant to preserve its energy rather than have it expend too much to keep the inflorescence alive. This will usually preserve the plant after repotting, and it will eventually re-bloom. Sometimes, patience and a little delayed satisfaction is the way to go.

[MattWoelfsen]

Since all of the flowers are gone, go ahead and re-pot. Get your supplies ready:
1) get a slightly larger net pot.
2) get New Zealand Spanish Moss, since this is what it is growing in. Soak in water. If you add a little amount of root stimulant in the water while soaking, that will help. I use KelpMax.
3) if the slightly larger net pot is too big for the outside decorative pot, get another pot that can loosely accommodate the net pot. There are several sizes of pottery that are known as "orchid pots" available. They have holes on the sides.

Now for the re-potting:
1) remove plant from inner pot.
2) remove flower stakes.
3) gently remove the moss from the plant. Wash the roots to clean off residual moss.
4) cut off flower spikes as close to the plant stem without damaging the stem. Use a sterile cutting tool. (Use alcohol.) dab some cinnamon on the cut stems. Note: some people recommend cutting the green stem just slightly above the half way point closest to a green node. This will allow the green node to produce another flower stem. I cut these stems off. I think it helps the plant direct its energy to growing new roots and leaves.
5) depending on the size of the roots, create a sphagnum ball large enough to drape roots evenly around the ball. Then cover the roots with a layer of moss. Gently insert root mass into net pot. It is okay if the root ball is above the rim of the pot, just re-drape the moss over the bare roots after it is in place, tucking in the ends of the moss into the pot.
6) allow the plant and moss to drain, place pot into decorative pot (or not), place plant in a space where it gets bright, indirect light and plenty of fresh moving air.

The leaf that is turning yellow, will eventually fall off, if it didn't do so when you repotted. But it may stay on a little longer with the new potted environment.

Some people will say to use another potting media other than sphagnum moss. 1) I keep the plant in the same media as it came in. 2) good quality sphagnum moss, like New Zealand Sphagnum Moss has anti-bacterial properties that promote good health, it reduces the need to re-water (you should allow the moss to dry crispy before re-watering), and it provides consistent humidity to the plant. What you choose to grow your plant in, depends on your cultural conditions and how diligent or disciplined you are in providing proper care for your plant.

[Beth]

Hi, when I have gotten a new mini I repot immediately. Depending on where you live decrease the spangum moss they are potted in for the retail market. A good Phal potting mix is fine. I live in Florida and don’t use moss at all because it retains too much moisture for my outside growing plants. I also use the alcohol, dish soap, water spray to kill anything on the roots befor repotting. Don’t be worried, these roots can take a lot, bit not a lot of water standing. They hate wet feet. Report, water when dry, medium filtered light feed weakly, weekly and you are good to go.