Question
Dear Jim,

Thanks for answering to this possible orchid problem I have. I bought my first orchid ever this February (from a discount store) It was a small white phalaenopsis with one flowering stem with few flowers and buds. They all opened and bloomed perfectly until mid May, when I decided to show some creativity and buy another phalaenopsis (yellow) and replant the two orchids along with two small ivy type plants and a decorative moss in a glass bowl, which is half filled with pebbles.

I tried to mix the old planting medium (bark) with orchid planting medium which is mostly peat moss. I watered twice a week, just like before replanting. The orchid is on a south facing window, but not under direct sunlight.

Now to the problem. Soon after the replanting the white orchid begun to lose its flowers one by one and now there are only two flowers that are not withered yet. If this was simply the end of the flowering cycle - then OK, but there are still 4 buds that appeared meanwhile which do not seem to open. Is the withering a sign of possible problem after replanting, or is it simply a sign that the flower cycle is ending? The yellow orchid also lost one of its flowers after replanting, but the other flowers it has did not whither and seem to be in perfect condition.

Answer
Hello Nikolay,

From your description of what you did, some of the problems you are seeing might be due to placing them both in a bowl.  Why?  When you water them, there is no place for excess water to go but to begin filling the bowl, eventually drowning the root systems.  When grown in an enclosed bowl with no drainage holes, it is very important to not water too often as phalaenopsis orchids prefer the mix to become barely moist between waterings.  Also, using a potting mix composed of mostly peat moss will mean that it can hold quite a bit of water and may take quite some time to become barely moist.  

It may just be time for the first orchids flowers to die off but the fact that the buds never opened could indicate there might be a problem.  Also, that the second orchid is beginning to lose its flowers also indicates a possible problem.  What that problem is I'm not sure but feel it may be due to root rot from over watering.  One other possibility is that there are some fruits near them as ripening fruits emit a gas that is deadly to orchid flowers and buds.  If the buds show signs of withering then it probably is the fruits.  Another possibility is sudden changes of temperature greater than 10F.  

Hope this helped.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.