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Question on orchids Iā€™m unfamiliar with the cycle is it normal for itā€¦ | The Orchid Oasis šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø | Planta-community

Zan~ Anxious Planter

Question on orchids Iā€™m unfamiliar with the cycle is it normal for it to start to loose a few blooms every now and then. I have a mini orchid and sheā€™s starting to kill off a few blooms her watering is perfect I soak her through and give her time to drain off access. She has healthy blooms and a few sheā€™s killing off. Is there a particular pattern for growing or? Iā€™m unfamiliar with orchids and their cycle I just donā€™t want her to die on me sheā€™s absolutely beautiful and is one of my favorite plants in my care. On the plus her new leaf growth has begun to put out a new leaf. If it is her time to rest any suggestions on maintenance? If it is tho she has a beautiful wardian terrarium waiting for her when sheā€™s ready to rest.

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5 gillningar 11 kommentarer

11 kommentarer

  1. AroidEmpress

    Itā€™s totally normal for orchid flowers to wilt, dry up, and fall off, only cut off the long stem if it turns brown and dry, if itā€™s green then leave it alone, water with fertilizer and your orchid might give you more flowers!

    4 gillningar
    • Zan~ Anxious Planter

      I use fish tank water for fertilizer is this to strong or weak for this plant???

      1 gilla
    • AroidEmpress

      Fish tank water is excellent because the nutrients are all natural, and itā€™s itā€™s not going to be too strong especially if you have a filtered aquarium. Chemical fertilizers are more likely to ā€˜burnā€™ your plant but thatā€™s much more difficult with natural or organic fertilizers, like aquarium water! if you specifically want to promote blooming then youā€™ll want to use a fertilizer specifically for that.

      3 gillningar
    • Zan~ Anxious Planter

      Great thatā€™s perfect I use a mister with fish tank water with plenty bio load!

      1 gilla
  2. MeasomerPi

    Phals are tough plants and with a (mostly) undeserved reputation. I agree with the above. Itā€™s totally normal for blooms to fade and drop. Flowers will generally last for 1 to 3 months, sometime more. You can get bud blast but that is usually caused by environmental changes. From the photo, the leaves look to be in reasonable shape. And the fact that it is putting on a new leaf is a good sign that the blooming cycle is ending. The plant is redirecting resources to leaf and root growth. Typically phals bloom once a year. As outlined in a previous post, you can get a second bloom cycle on an existing inflorescence. I find the blooms next year will not be as profuse so I like to cut the inflorescence back to the base and wait for next yearā€™s show. Aquarium water is wonderful for general watering. I typically use it for plants with soil because I like for the fish poop to stick around. (Side note I typed that three times trying to get it to sound not weird or disgusting. Alas I failed šŸ¤¢) If this is a new orchid, I would recommend repotting once itā€™s finished this bloom cycle. Typically, when you bring home a plant, they are in sphagnum that is tightly packed. Thatā€™s not a great setup for the home grower. Or those in bark, the media is beginning to break down. General, youā€™ll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. If you feel like itā€™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 itā€™s fine if you have to leave some so you donā€™t damage the roots. And donā€™t worry if you damage some roots. It isnā€™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 havenā€™t been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled and/or discolored 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. If you donā€™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. If your plant is 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. That was a lot more than you asked for but hopefully it will be if some value. A good source of information is Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube. She speaks on wide variety of topics that are presented in an easily digestible way and makes for a great launching point for more independent research. And thanks Autumn for the compliment. I never seem to run out of opinions or characters šŸ˜

    7 gillningar
    • Zan~ Anxious Planter

      Ok haha itā€™s lighting now isnā€™t to optimal anyways. Iā€™ve found mine just being in a room with a window open most days is what Iā€™ve been doing and sheā€™s obviously thriving. I was just wondering if there was anything else I could do was all haha.

      2 gillningar
    • MeasomerPi

      Phals, compared to other plants grown for their blooms, donā€™t require that much light. I have mine in a west window that is heavily shaded by outdoor plants. Probably too much for a for a Pothos and a jade would stretch. If/when you get into other orchids, like Dendrobiums, Cattleyas and Oncidiums, grow lights can be very helpful. I have mine under Soltech (canā€™t deal with the pink and purple lights). But still Iā€™m not a great resource on growlights. Leslie Halleck wrote a book on growlights (the name escapes me). Itā€™s directed more towards houseplants in general but could be useful to start figuring out your setup. Good luck!

      2 gillningar
    • Zan~ Anxious Planter

      I donā€™t blame you haha those pink purple can be very distracting and just annoying thatā€™s why I got one where I could isolate white as well lol I just wanted to be able to facilitate all the plants in my care with the right light color and intensity.

      2 gillningar
    • MeasomerPi

      I missed your comment about mixes. Box stores usually have orchid bark. Sphagnum is hit or miss. I actually reuse mine šŸ˜¶ I know, I know, it breaks down and becomes acidic but I donā€™t use much and hate to throw it away. It also gives me tons for propagation. They usually have a orchid potting mix that typically have bark, pearlite and things like sphagnum, peat or coir. I am not a fan of the mix. But I am a heavy waterer so they hold way to much water for my set up. You might be able to reuse the same pot but if it needs the room, size up to a 3ā€. Trust me on this. There is nothing more frustrating than an orchid that keeps popping out of its pot because the pot is too small. Donā€™t worry if you cannot get an orchid pot. You can add ventilation to any plastic pot with a soldering iron. Most of my orchids are in nursery pots that Iā€™ve added holes too. If you are dead set on an orchid pot, check out online sources. Iā€™ve seen mixes on Etsy though I havenā€™t tried any. I like Repotme products but they are pricy. Most times I get my stuff from Home Depot/Loweā€™s.

      1 gilla
    • Zan~ Anxious Planter

      Ahhh thank you so much Iā€™ll probably start with box store orchid mix seems like the combo is what it needs before I go to the best for it seems like a healthy mid ground

      1 gilla
  3. Rhonda

    I bought good dry sphagnum from Amazon

    1 gilla