QuestionQUESTION: My yellow Miltonia (which I bought 3 weeks ago) has started withering. The pale yellow flowers are starting to go brown on the outer edges with some having completely shrivelled. At the same time there are a few new buds starting to open. I have only watered the orchid twice since purchasing and the soil is still damp. I am concerned that I have over watered it and if I have what can I do to save my pansy?
ANSWER: Susan, I understand that your flowers are wilting but you have some new buds. It is natural for flowers to last 2-4 weeks, so I see nothing in that to be concerned about. I assume that otherwise the plant is healthy. You need to be careful when and how you water it as water which collects in the lower leaves can lead to "brown rot" a deadly fungus diease of miltonias. Try to water just the potting mix and not the leaves. It might be best to place the pot into a dish of water to let the potting mix absorb needed water from the bottom. When the plant has finished flowering look for new leaf growth. Water just in the morning. When new leaf growth starts, repot your plant with a fresh new orchid potting mix. Try to let the potting mix dry out some between waterings so watering thoroughly once per week should be fine. If in doubt about whether or not to water, don't water.
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QUESTION: Thanks for that. On looking at the orchid today I notice that a lot of the flowers have gone brown as well as two of the buds. The leaves look healthy. Any other thoughts?
AnswerSusan, I suspect that the orchid, when in bud at the retailers, got wet and may have gotten too cool and that is starting to show up in bud and flower damage. Try eliminating the watering for a couple of weeks and create a humidity tray using gravel and a shallow pan which is filled with water to just below the surface of the gravel-- and place the pot on top of the gravel. The temperature should be between 55 -80 degrees. Buds have been known to dry up when the humidity is too low.
