Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I am new to the orchid hobby but I saw that they are such

magnificent flowers so I purchased one. After doing research

I found out that moth orchids were supposed to last for 3

months. But somehow, mine are dying very quickly. Whenever one

flower comes into bloom another dies. One of the flowers even died

before blooming. Also the leaves doesn't look as healthy as

before. They seem to be more veiny although it's not as noticeable

then the flowers. The stems also seems to droop. What should I

do? Im not watering too much or anything so I don't see a reason

why its like this.

ANSWER: Hello Henry and welcome to the orchid hobby. You will find that there is no end to the challenges faced by novice and advanced grower alike, so growing orchids is never booring.

Your first concern seems to be with the length of flowering.  The typical phalaenopsis flower has a life of about a month.  Because new buds form and open over several months, it is possible for a phalaenopsis orchid plant to be in constant flower for three months or more.  There is, however, considerable varaiability on this length of flowering.  At one extreme, I have heard of an occassional plant never going out of flower.  At the other extreme, flowering might last only 4-6 weeks.  Length of flowering depends upon the condition of the plant, genes the plant has inherited and environmental factors. When purchasing an orchid in flower, there is no way to know how long a particular flower was open before you got the plant so you may be enjoying the last days of a particular flower's existence. On the other hand, new buds may develop at the end of the flower spike prolonging the blooming period. If all else fails and the bloom spike remains green, it is possible to produce a branch in the bloom spike by cutting it off just above the second or third joint in the old bloom spike. Bloom spikes that are long can often arch over from the weight of the flowers so the flower spike should be staked with a bamboo stake and a twisty tie to tie the bloom spike to the bamboo stake.

One of the more subtle aspects of growing phalaenopsis orchids is root care. Newly acquired orchids are often growing in deteriorated potting mix.  It is best to repot annually after each flowering.  Poor root condition can lead to both leaf and flowering problems.  Watering frequency needs to take into account the condition of the potting mix.  Repotting your plant in new fir bark based orchid potting mix will provide good drainage and proper air movement to the roots providing you use a plastic pot with lots of drainage holes.  Another advantage to the annual repotting is that by unpotting your plant and rinsing off the roots you will be able to assess the root health.  Any roots that are mushy need to be removed before repotting as these are dead.  I know that both Home Depot and Lowes Garden Centers carry orchid potting mix. There are several types of orchid potting mix, be sure to get the more coarse type and soak it overnight before use as fir bark repels water when it is dry.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,

Thanks for the response. I will try to get new potting mix for my orchid.
Now about the flower, whenever a new flower comes into bloom, it only lasts
for a week. Do you know the reason for this? Thanks

Answer
The two most likely reasons for this are an immature plant (eg one that may be struggling with its first flowering and/or has three or fewer leaves) or the root problem I mentioned in my first response. In either event, examining the roots as part of repotting can provide at least part of the answer. Think of plants as having a fixed supply of energy.  If that energy is put into flowering, there is less available for the growth of new roots and leaves.  Thus, shortening the flowering period and/or aborting buds is an attempt by the plant to conserve its energy.