Question
I saw the article on your care on the tickle me plant and found it useful. I had my plant under direct sun because the card said it needed full sun.  Some of the leaves are brown and have dropped off. There is new growth on the plant and I water after the soil had dried some.  I have them in my office and can get quite cold after hours.  On my new orchid, I've already pruned it after its bloom and cut away after the first nib but it is drying out in this area.  One of the larger leaves is drooping and I've transplanted it into a closed ceramic container.  Does it need a specialized container for orchids?  Because it is a complex plant I'd like to master the development of this plant. Thank you for your advice.

Answer
Hi Nora,

Your Tickle Me Plant, aka Sensitive Plant or Mimosa pudica, may be browning because the light is too strong and the soil is too dry. Lots of indirect sunlight is best and water should be added as soon as the surface of the soil feels dry. Keep it away from temps below 65 degrees F. and out of cold drafts.

Explaining the ins and outs of Phalaenopsis care is too complex to do here. If the flower spike has started to turn brown and dry, then it will not produce a secondary spike. Might as well cut off the entire spike. The droop of a single leaf could be normal aging, over, or under watering. It really depends on how you have been caring for it. Orchids should never be planted in closed or sealed containers, even though florists do that all the time to make them look pretty. Excess water had no place to drain so it accumulates and rots the tender Orchid roots. Special Orchid pots are preferred because they have extra openings on the sides as well as the bottom to maximize aeration around the roots.

I have written an article on Orchid care that I will email for free to anyone who sends a request to me at my address below. It has all of the information that you need that is too lengthy for me to post here.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC