Question

orchid   I purchased an orchid at a deep discount from a grocery store.  The reason it was so discounted is due to wilted flowers.  Only the ones at the top are wilted.  Leaves are fine.  The pot has 2 plants and both are fully in flower.   Can you tell me how to revive it?  I watered it and put it in a sunny warm location since getting it home last night.  18 hours later it is no better.

Answer
Karen, bear in mind that there is no one at the grocery store that knows how to care for orchids.  They just want to turn a profit as soon as possible.  What happens, usually, is that when they are not properly cared for, roots get distressed and that can begin to affect the leaves served by the roots.  For now, be careful in your watering. Overwatering is worse for the plant than underwatering.  Once flowering has ceased, you will need to repot using a suitable orchid potting mix.  When you unpot your plant(s) in preparation for repotting, you may see some collapsed roots.  These are dead roots and need to be removed before repotting,  Healthy orchid roots are firm.  Be sure to use pots that have lots of drainage holes and do not allow the pot to remain in standing water.   Remember that without healthy roots the plant will die.  Growing an unhealthy plant on the drier side could prevent the spread of root rot until it can be repotted.