Question
I'm new at this. My orchid blooms, not so much leaves, are turning spotty and
black on the edges, and curling up, and falling off.  I buy the orchids at Lowe's
or Home Depot from the sale rack. I try to nurse them back to health. They've
bloomed recently after a long period, and now they're getting spotty and black
on the edges after a couple of months. Is this normal?

Answer
Hello Barbara,

You didn't mention what kinds of orchids you've bought at Lowe's and Home Depot but I'll try to answer your question regarding the black spots and leaf edges with some general ideas of what might be the cause.  

Some orchids are susceptible to having black spots on the leafs, usually those with thin leaves.  What causes this can be quite a few different things but the usual cause is water droplets that remained on the leafs overnight, creating an environment that allows fungus to grow within the droplets.  If you mist the leaves, try to do it in the morning so there is enough time for it to evaporate before night fall.  It also helps if there is some light air movement around it.  

Black leaf edges are usually caused by water that is high in salts, such as your water being considered hard water.  It also can be caused by excessive feeding of fertilizers or both it and hard water.  This is especially true for orchids with thin leaves.  

To sum it up, water and mist your orchids in the morning and if your water is considered hard, use regular bottled water.  If you are feeding it a fertilizer, reduce the amount to about half the recommended amount on the container.  

Hope this helps.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.