I'm completely lost

[mbhenry]

I have never grown orchids but have wanted to for some time now. I just hadn't taken the plunge. During this time of shut downs and stay at home orders, my husband and I have started taking walks in the afternoon to help relieve the bordem and get some exercise. On one of these walks we found 2 discarded orchids in one pot placed out by some garbage bins. They didn't look too bad by my inexperienced eyes, just a bit droopy. So, I brought them home. I did a quick search for general care and quickly realized that the orchids were thirsty and crowded into their pot with no air circulation. I took them out of the pot and found that inside the decorative pot the orchids were actually growing in separate plastic see-through pots with holes. So, I just took out all the moss and foam that was stuffed around the plastic pots that the orchids were growing in and then gave them some water. Within a few hours the leaves started stiffening up. Now they are very rigid and seem to be doing well. I woke up this morning to a bloom on one of them!! However, I have no idea what kind of orchids I am growing. The leaves look a bit different on the two. One has a deep purple underside to the leaves (that's the one that bloomed) the other is similar in shape but no purple. I'm terrified to do anything further to them because I don't know what I have and don't want to kill them. Advice?

[zainal abidin]

Actually the plants were severely dehydrated after you pour some water the next morning all back to normal and the roots system seems to be functioning very well thanks that you are saving them. The name of this orchid is Phalenopsis is not species but hybrid. Well you can use charcoal, barks as a medium for them.

[LuHa]

Welcome to the forum.

[raybark]

Welcome, and good save!

In my mind, the most important thing to remember about orchids versus terrestrial plants is that orchids rely heavily on gas exchange through the root system, which terrestrials do not. That means that you must learn to provide sufficient moisture without waterlogging the potting medium resulting in suffocation. If you can master that, you're well on the way to becoming successfully addicted to orchids, like the rest of us!

Second is the fact that phalaenopsis grow very well when hot and humid (but with no direct sunlight), but in order to get them to bloom, they must undergo about two weeks of an average growing temperature reduction of about 10°-15°F, and then returned to warmer conditions. For folks in temperate climates that grow their plants near windows, that often happens naturally in the fall after a warm summer.

Third - Orchids are fairly slow-growing members of the plant world so are quite undemanding of fertilizer, so a small amount on a regular basis is sufficient, and more is not better.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Welcome to the community! It seems like you have already done so much to save these two phals. Great work! In addition to the above advice, the following information might be of help to you:

Growing the Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid)



Cheers,
BD

[mbhenry]

Thank you all so much for the advice and warm welcome. I'm already obsessed with my orchids. I do feel like they need re-potting but I was terrified to try it without knowing the right medium to re-pot with. Knowing what I have will help me with that. Two more questions...should I hold off on re-potting the one that is blooming right now? It has several flower buds that haven't opened yet. Also, the one that isn't blooming right now, it's flower shoots had completely dried up and were brittle so I cut them off. Was that a mistake?

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Hey again, yes you can wait on the one in bud. And no, you did not hurt the other phal by cutting off the old spike. I recommend it to allow the plant to put energy into the leaves and roots.

cheers,
BD

[raybark]

The best time to repot is when new roots are emerging from the base of the plant.

As roots grow, the "tailor" themselves on a cellular level to function optimally in that environment and once they have grown, they cannot change. When you repot, you move those roots into a different environment where they are no longer optimal, so they will begin to fail. The rate at which they degrade is determined primarily by the degree of difference between the old and new media.

If the plant is growing new roots, they will take over and support the plant while the old ones die. If there aren't new roots forming - and sometimes you just have to repot or risk losing the plant - then it takes a little babying to sustain it while you wait. That we can cover when the need arises.

[Arne]

Welcome to the forum.

As roots grow, the "tailor" themselves on a cellular level to function optimally in that environment and once they have grown, they cannot change. When you repot, you move those roots into a different environment where they are no longer optimal, so they will begin to fail. The rate at which they degrade is determined primarily by the degree of difference between the old and new media.

I keep learning even after decades of orchid growing. Thanks Ray.