Question
I just received my first Orchid... A Phalaenopsis... it was beautiful, but now I'm noticing that the petals are beginning to soften and fall off... all except one.  I recently ordered the fertilizer but I'm waiting for it to come in the mail.  I live in Maryland, it's spring but really rainy this year... is there anything I can do to keep my petals a little longer?

Answer
Hello Shirelle,

Flowers on phalaenopsis orchids usually last for several months or longer, for yours to be wilting so soon may indicate that there is something causing it to wilt.  Are there any fruits near where you have it?  Fruits emit a gas as they ripen that can be deadly to orchid flowers.  Another thing is freshly painted walls as the paint dries it outgases fumes also deadly to flowers.  If the night temperature goes much below 60F, that can cause the flowers to wilt as phals prefer temperatures above that.  Lastly, if there is an occasional sudden change of temperature greater than 15F, this can shock the flowers into premature death.  

Hope one of the above helps.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.