Question
droopy orchid
I unknowingly allowed my moth orchid to get too dry and a couple of flowers "drooped" and the leaves weren't very rigid. After a few waterings with orchid food (potted in sphagnum moss) the flowers and leaves perked up. Now even more flowers are droopy and I'm about to lose one. Looking in the pot, it appears that all but just a couple "roots" are green. Two leaves look and feel fantastic, one is green, but flaccid. Stems all look green still. Will this plant live? Should I repot it?
AnswerHello Kim,
Thanks for including a photo of your phalaenopsis orchid plant. Is it being grown indoors or outdoors? It appears to be outdoors but is that only in order to take the photo? Depending upon where you live, it may be possible to grow it outdoors but for most places it is best grown indoors.
Allowing it to become very dry between waterings can be a cause for the droopy flowers, unfortunately once they go droopy they usually do not recover fully. Hopefully the ones that aren't droopy will last a while longer before it is time for them to go also. Phalaenopsis flowers can remain for 2 months and longer under ideal conditions before they become limp and die. The one limp leaf should survive but unfortunately it will remain that way until it is time for it to die, possibly in 6 to 12 months. Although it may not look nice, I'd suggest leaving it on because it can still help keep the phal. alive. Phals. will grow one or more new leafs from the top during the year but also lose one or two leafs from the bottom.
It is potted in sphagnum moss which is fine for growing orchids by persons who do not water them very often but for people who like to water every few days or weekly, it is not a very good potting material because moss tends to remain wet for too long. Orchid roots need to breath air and cannot do this when kept constantly wet due to the potting media. For most orchids, it is best to allow the potting media to become barely moist before watering again.
Hope this has helped.
Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.
