Question
Hi. I have two orchids, both of which have died. the first, is
shorter and has long pointy petals with spots. its green, brown,
and light in color. the leaves are shorter and squat. all the
blooms died within days of bringing it home. they are still
attached but completely shriveled. I gave it orchid food and
water and it is not in direct sunlight. Also, my other orchid is
much much taller with long thin leaves. the blooms are yellow in
color and look pretty average. they are not the wide flat petals
that are common. it too died about a week after i brought it
home. i kept the roots moist, but with plenty drainage and also
fed it. both plants were purchased from two different nurseries.
Is there anything i can do? what is your advice for taking care of
future orchids? Thank you!

Answer
Hi Brittany,

I apologize for taking so long to respond to your questions, I took a long weekend vacatain to Santa Barbara, Ca. for an Orchid Fair.  

To begin, it is difficult but not impossible in most cases to offer advice on the care of orchids without knowing what kind of orchid(s) you have but it definitely is a lot easier if the orchids you have had a name.  This is not a cop-out, just that there are over 30,000 different orchid species with varying needs fulfilled in order to grow well.  With that said, I will offer some very basic guidance on what to do for yours.  Here goes.

To begin, the reason the blooms all died and fell off soon after you brought them home may be due to there being some fruit nearby.  Ripening fruits and some vegetables emit ethylene gas that is fatal to flowers.  In the future, place blooming orchids at least 10 feet away from ripening fruits/veggies and also not in an closed room with them.  Other causes could be too much direct sunlight, sudden temperature changes, very low humidity, or it just may have been time for them to die off.  Depending upon what kind of orchid you have, the blooms may last from several days to several months.  

From your description of the orchids, it is difficult to identify what kind they are because there are quite a few that fit the description.  But, what you can do to keep them alive is to place them where they will receive bright but indirect sunlight (early morning direct is okay), humidity above 50%, some light air movement and temperatures between 60 to 85 F.  Allow the potting mix to become barely moist between waterings, many orchids like moisture around their roots but not constant wetness.  

To conclude, in the future look to see if there is a plastic tag inside the pot with the name of the orchid, this will make it much easier for any person answering on how to care for it.  If there is no tag, try asking some one at the nursery what kind of orchid it is.  Just keep in mind that unless it is a nursery that grows their own orchids, that the salesperson may not be very knowledgeable about orchids.  

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance and that it took so long for me to respond.  Or, if there are tags in the orchid pots, write back with the names and I'll try to tell you how to care for them.

Good luck and good growing.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.