Someone gave me an orchid as a gift to remember my Mom who just passed and this is my first orchid. I’d like to keep it alive. It came from a supermarket, have y’all had success with that? And, more specifically, is this aerial root (?) a good or bad sign? Thanks for ANY help you could provide.
Yes thats an aerial root. Your plant looks great! Some tips if this is your first orchid…. 1. Repot in an orchid bark mix, it will allow for more air flow and for the roots not to get to soggy, sphagnum moss can stay too wet and lack air flow. 2. Repot into an insert you can take out from the decorative pot. 3. Orchid roots are like sponges, a good way to water them is to fill their pot up with water to below the leaf line (make sure you don’t get water in there, use a q-tip or paper towel to soak it up if you do). Let it soak in the water for 10-20 mins, then dump all the water making sure to drain it all out. Do this every 10-15 days (ish). Your orchid doesn’t look like it’s flowering so now would be a good time to repot. If you repot when they’re flowering they drop all their flowers. If it is flowering wait until it’s completely done and then repot. Good luck!
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I find plants are a wonderful way to remember loved ones. And there is something so special about a flowering legacy plant when they bloom. I have one and it’s flowering is a very special time for me. I second all of GreenLeaf’s suggestions. Just to expand on their comments some - phalaenopsis orchids are easy to care for once you understand what they want. They love their water but need their roots to dry out between watering. An easy way to tell when to water is if the roots in the media are green, you don’t need to water. If they are silvery (like the aerial root), it’s time to water. This is easy to tell of you have a clear pot. If not, try to feel for moisture in a drainage hole. Or learn the weight of the wet media vs dry. I can’t tell what the media is so probably time to repot. Usually, 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. Generally, you’ll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. Like GreenLeaf said, repot once it is finished blooming. The flowers typically last one to three months, and the plant usually bloom once a year. I would cut the inflorescence back to the base of the plant once the final bloom drops. There is a way to try for a second bloom but in the following year flowers tend to be fewer in number and sometimes smaller. Flowering is very taxing process for the plants. When you get ready 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. Use an orchid pot with additional ventilation. They are typically clear so you can monitor root development, and have ventilation holes on the sides of the pot. If you don’t have one, you can add holes to a growers pot or any other plastic pot you have on hand. Size the pot so that the roots just fit in the pot. They like a tight fit. 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. I’m a heavy waterer so 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. Remember orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. The soaking method as suggested by GreenLeaf is a great way to water orchids in bark. If I have an orchid in sphagnum, I top water. Regardless of the media, I use fertilizer at 1/4 strength each time I water. And once a month I flush with pure water to reduce salt buildup (this is especially important if you are using synthetic fertilizer). Put your plant in in bright but indirect light. Direct sun will burn a phal pretty quickly. Too low and you won’t get blooms. I have mine an a west window that is shaded by landscaping. They get absolutely no direct sun. If the edges of the leaves turn reddish you know you are at the max limit of sun for your plant. The best tip for orchids is learn. Read up on their care if you are so inclined. There are several channels on YouTube with information on orchid care, like Miss Orchid Girl, Here.. but Not, and Hello Plant Lovers. The American Orchid Society is another wonderful resource. I especially like their monthly to do lists. You might also look for any orchid societies in your area; nothing can replace interacting directly with growers that have been doing it for years. I find caring for orchids very rewarding and mildly frustrating. Luckily they are tough plants. As long as you don’t drown them, you will do great. Good luck!
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I was going to share advice but you already got a ton of good advice in here. So instead I’ll add to some of the knowledge. Orchids in the wild grow on other plants, typically trees, and root to the outside of it. It takes 5-7years before the plant is even able to produce a flower. It’s not a parasitic relationship; the Orchid just needs something like a tree to grow onto, the aerial roots then take nutrients from the air. This is why we use orchid bark, it’s chunks of wood that still allow airflow to keep the roots happy. I find that knowing how a plant is used to living really improves my ability to provide a home it will like as well. Good luck and I hope this plant is a source of happiness and reminds you of good memories with your mom for you for years to come.
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I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m not expert enough to give advice, but whenever I’ve grown orchids I’ve found them to be much more robust than their reputation. Just don’t ignore the expert advice and I’m sure it will thrive and hopefully remind you fondly of your mother for many years.
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