Question
Phalaenopsis Orchid1
I got this Phalaenopsis orchid about one month ago as a gift, and now it's dying... I'm guessing I should have caught on earlier, and I hope it's not too late, here's the deal...
The instructions say to water once every 21 days or when the soil is nearly dry, I haven't watered it since it's still moist, but the leaves are turning yellow and shriveling up. There were 4 leaves when I got it the two smaller bottom ones were the first to go, now the top most leaf is yellow and shriveled and the one surviving green leaf is starting to turn slightly yellow at the base.
At first I thought perhaps it wasn't getting enough light since it was in a room with a west facing window and the blinds are mostly closed most of the time, then I moved it to a room with windows on the south, east, and west side (but still outside of direct sunlight) and that's when the 3rd leaf turned yellow, so I'm not sure what to do. It's was in full bloom when I got it and the blossoms are still beautiful and look healthy.
Is it something I did or was it unhealthy to begin with? Is there any hope for me and my orchid? What do you suggest?
If I could attach more pics I would...
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to help...
AnswerJen. it wasn't anything you did as it had to be in poor shape when you got it. It suffers from root rot. Many retailers still haven't caught on to the fact that many people buying blooming orchid plants would like to grow them just as they do with other house plants. When you couple that with the lack of knowledge about orchid care in many garden centers, you have a recipe for customer disappointment. I have been to a Home Depot this past summer in which the orchids were literally floating in water. When I spoke to the person responsible for their care, he said the supplier told him to water them twice a day. I told him they had better find a better supplier. I have been told that Home Depot will accept return of plants within 30 days if accompanied by a receipt.
All of this aside, it does appear that you have at least one healthy leaf and an opportunity to learn something about orchid care. If you like challenges and wish to try to save this plant (the mothering instinct), you will need to locate a hobby bag of orchid potting mix. This will have fir bark as a principal ingredient. You also will need to purchase a 4 - 5 inch plastic pot with lots of drainage holes for repotting. Soak a portion of the potting mix while you unpot your plant (you can wait until it finishes flowering before repotting, but continue to grow it on the dry side). Upon unpotting your plant, rinse off the roots, discard the old potting mix, and remove any collapsed roots (Healthy roots are firm and turn green when wet). These collapsed roots are a sign that the potting mix has been too wet and has broken down too much so air can not pass through. Collapsed roots are the principal reason for orchid demise. Assuming there is at least one healthy roots, place the healthy root(s) in the new pot and add the wet potting mix in an area when it can freely drain out of the pot. When you have added potting mix to the base of the good leaf, set the pot aside for overnight drainage. Wait one week, then water weekly. Orchids need an "open" optting mix, so need to be repotting after each flowering. When flowering has finished, you may cut off the flower spike above a node (ie joint) in the spike. Any yellow leaves will fall off as they are dead. With the proper growing mix and environment, the plant will grow new roots and, with those, new leaves.
