I rescued this orchid the other day at Lowe’s from the clearance section. Since I brought it home it has lost 2 flowers. I’ve watered it and put it in a indirect sunny place. About 3 feet from my window. Will the flowers come back? Is there anything I can do to get her to perk back up?
Since you bought it on discount, it is probably at the end of this year’s blooming cycle. Orchid blooms typically last 2 or 3 months. The plant itself looks to be in good shape. I recommend cutting the spike back to the base to let the plant focus on root growth and leaf production and to build its resources for next year’s bloom show. If you leave it, you may get a second bloom cycle, but next year’s blooms will be less showy. Once it is finished blooming is a great time to repot. Typically, when you bring home a plant, they are in sphagnum that is tightly packed. That’s not a great setup for the home grower. Or those in bark, the media is beginning to break down. General, you’ll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. If you feel like it’s is time to repot, I would first give it a good soak as things are easier when hydrated. Take the orchid out of the pot and gently remove the media from the roots. Try get it all, but it’s fine if you have to leave some so you don’t damage the roots. And don’t worry if you damage some roots. It isn’t great but it happens. Just try to minimize as much as possible. Examine the roots for health and pests. Trim off any dead or dying roots. Dead roots are papery or mushy, black or brown. Healthy roots are firm and green when wet, silvery when dry. Deeper into the media you may encounter pale yellow roots. It just means they haven’t been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled roots as long as they are firm. If the plant will not fit in your current pot, upsize so that the roots just fit in the pot. They like a tight fit. If you have to upsize, orchid pots with additional ventilation are very helpful. They are typically clear so you can monitor root development, like the one it’s currently in. If you don’t have one, you can add holes to a growers pot or any other plastic pot you have on hand. To minimize transplant shock, use a similar mix to what it currently is in. Igor plants in sphagnum, I would repot using a mix of 50% sphagnum 50% bark. That will allow moisture to hang around long enough for the roots to take in what they want without cutting off air circulation. If you are a heavy waterer you can reduce the amount of sphagnum in your mix. My preference is straight bark. The key is a loose airy mix that will allow the roots to dry between waterings. Regardless of what mix you use, gently work it around the roots. I use an old chopstick for the job. The goal is to firmly seat the plant in the pot without packing the media. You want an airy mix that allows the roots to grab the water they want and then dry out. Orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. I find caring for orchids very regarding and mildly frustrating. Luckily they are tough plants. As long as you don’t drown it you will do great. Good luck
2 Mi piace
Check out Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube. In my experience, once the flowers start to wilt, they can’t be brought back. You can trim the stalk down to above the node just over the main stem. But this is a good time to repot since a lot of times the ones from Lowe’s have roots that need help.
2 Mi piace