Question
QUESTION: I hope you can help me. My mom got the most beautiful orchid for Mother's
Day, from my sister. We were admiring it, and my Mom was cutting off some
dead parts (looked like dead root parts) and I was trying to be VERY careful in
moving the pot but suddenly, one of the LEAVES just came off! I am heartsick,
as it only had two leaves to start with! I don't know if it was just "ready" to
come off, or if somehow my sleeve brushed it. The orchid has about 6 blooms
and about 6 buds. I'm not sure what kind of orchid it is; it's probably
something not too exotic, that one would find at a good florist, brought in for
Mother's Day. At any rate, PLEASE tell me I didn't kill it? Or what I should
expect from the orchid, now? Or what I can to maybe help it live or bloom or
grow another leaf or more leaves?? THANK YOU for any help (or reassurance!)
you can provide. This is the first orchid any of us have ever received!
ANSWER: Hello Beverly,

Too bad you don't know what kind of orchid your mother has, but let me venture a guess that it might be a phalaenopsis orchid.  Does it have thick elongated leaves with rounded ends?  The leaves grow from the center stem but there is no bulb there, only a center stem.  Do the flowers look somewhat like a big fat moth?  

Without actually seeing it and how the leaf fell off, it is difficult to say what is happening to it and if it will survive.  Do you still have the fallen leaf around?  If you do, take a look at where it had been attached to the center stem to see if there may be a black sooty looking area.  If there is, that would indicate the presence of a fungus and that is what caused the leaf to fall off.  If you do not have the leaf any more, take a look at the remaining leaf to see if there is a black sooty area where it is attached.  Also, since it is the last leaf, take a look into the small depression at the top of the center stem to see if there is the blackness there.  If there is black sooty substance on both places, I'm sorry to say that the orchids days are numbered.  I hope I am wrong.  

How did the black sooty fungus get there, you ask?  Good question!  It probably happened due to water having gotten on the leaf and it remained there over night.  Cool temperatures and darkness promotes the growth of fungus, for this reason it is best to water in the morning to allow time for the water to evaporate before nightfall.  Also, it would be nice if there were an occasional light air movement to help the evaporation along during the day.  

Lastly, what did the dead parts your mother cut off?  Were they white or grey in color?  Were they somewhat thick and plump or were they shriveled and dry looking?  If they were thick and plump, they were live roots but if they were shriveled and dry they probably were dead and of no further use to the orchid.  

I hope this helped.  If you have more information about the orchid or have other questions, write back and I'll try to help with them.  It also would be helpful to know where you live so I can offer some growing tips for your areas climate.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jim, Thanks so much for your prompt reply! I was looking on the internet
for pictures, and I am pretty sure it is what you say, a phalaenopsis. The leaf
is still around (we just put the broken off leaf back in the spaghnum moss) so
I can hopefully look at it next time I visit. IF IT WAS MY FAULT that I knocked
the leaf off with my sleeve, (and that there wasn't any fungus which caused
this unfortunate accident!) will it be possible for the orchid to grow another
leaf? Would an orchid survive OK on one leaf until it had a chance to grow
another leaf?? (I will also check out the remaining leaf when I see it and the
small depression at the top. I don't actually recall seeing blackness there but I
wasn't looking for it .. just kind of horrified the leaf was off!)

There is definitely occasional light air movement during the day so that part
is good.

Yes, my Mom cut off some very shriveled up and dry looking parts. I should
really get a book so we (my Mom and I) can know what the various parts are!

Thanks so much for your help! The orchid is in Vancouver, BC and is in a
room which has a southern exposure. It is not on the windowsill, just in the
room, but it could go into the windowsill if that would be better for it. Also, it
could go into another room which has a western exposure (although no
window will in that room.)

I have always loved orchids and was always afraid to get myself one, for fear
of killing it! But my mom's is truly beautiful and I would love to have one of
my own. I have a place in Langley with northern exposure, and also a room
which would have semi-eastern exposure (angled windows.) Would either of
those work for an orchid of my own ?

Bev

Answer
Hi Bev,

Thanks for getting back with more information about what happened and the location.  Have to say I've been to Vancouver, B.C. several times and have thoroughly enjoyed the area and the friendly people.  

It is highly unusual for a healthy looking leaf to fall off so easily on a phalaenopsis.  That is why I suspected that a fungus might be present as it weakens the connection to the point where the leaf probably would have fallen off by itself within days if you had not tried moving it.  

I hope the top center or crown is okay because that is the point where any new leaf would emerge.  Dead crown equals no new leaf and probably a dead orchid.  

The best place to grow phalaenopsis orchids is in an area with bright but indirect sunlight, temperatures between 60 to 85 F (18 to 32 C), humidity above 50% along with some light air movement.  Water it when the potting media becomes barely moist, this is especially critical when it is potted in moss which tends to stay wet for a very long time.  The problem with moss is the top may look dry but within the pot it may still be fairly wet.  

If roots are exposed on top of the pot and they begin to shrivel, that means the humidity is probably too low and needs to be increased by lightly misting them in the morning.  I keep a small spray bottle close by for this purpose.  

So you live in Langely, BC.  If memory serves me, it is east of Vancouver in a fertile farming valley.  I've never been there but have heard about how beautiful it is.  You should be able to grow phalaenopsis, dendrobium, phaphiopedilum, phragmepideum, some miniature cattleya, epidendrum and several other types of orchids there in Langely and Vacouver.  All of these should do well in either a south or east exposure window with varying amounts of bright light and even direct sunlight for a few of them.  Phals. should be okay in a north exposure window if given as much light as possible during the day.  The problem with living in Canada is that it is very difficult to locate many of these orchids locally but I believe I've heard there is an orchid nursery or two in the Vancouver area.  I do not recall their names or location at this time but if you wish I can delve into my archive of orchid information to try and find it.  

Jim