I am brand new to plants. I have 5 orchids and 2 are not doing well. All are in the bathroom with humidity and a full spectrum grow light. Any advice would be greatly appreciated for these two. And any tips for the others that are doing very well.
It doesn’t look like anything is wrong with the second plant. It’s all part of the normal cycle for flowers to bloom, fade, and fall. The leaves look strong and healthy. Once they fall, I cut the flower spike all the way down to the base. It allows for the plant to conserve energy for leaf or root growth, ensuring a strong healthy orchid and the best chances for it to grow a new spike and a healthy full flourish of blooms next year.
1 likeThe first one looks like it’s having more serious issues. Hard to tell from the photo- but it looks like the yellowing is coming from the stem of the plant, which would indicate an issue in its core. Did it have other leaves that fell away? What do the roots look like?
0 likesIn general- you want to make sure you are watering AS NEEDED- not according to any set schedule. When the roots are green- leave it alone, when they are silvery gray, it’s time to water. Try to avoid water pooling or accumulating in the crown of the orchids, or in the leaf joints- that’s the kind of thing that can cause stem rot, which is almost impossible to recover from. Since these are newer plants, chances are they are still in their old nursery plugs, or fairly old medium. When they drop their blooms, it’s a good time to repot and get rid of that broken down, potentially acidic old potting medium. When you are ready- there’s a wealth of tips we can give you to give all your orchids a great foundation with your first repotting.
2 likesThe second plant has 1 bloom now since I made this post. How far back should I cut the stem?
0 likesI water when the roots are just at or before the roots turn gray. Should I wait until they are gray? They are all different and there is good drainage for all of them. I am nervous to repot.
0 likesWater when they are silvery grey. If they stay wet all the time, you run the risk of root rot. Phalaenopsis need air around their roots as much as they need water, which is why people would encourage you to repot into orchid bark or a bark/sphagnum moss mix.
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Do they still have a foam plugs? It could be keeping them too wet, especially the yellowing one
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I was just about to say this! It needs to be moved to orchid bark.
1 likeI’m not sure what a foam plug is. I just checked the roots and all the leaves fell off. There is mold in the stem??? 😟
Oh no. It sounds like it had crown rot then. The foam plugs, or sometimes peat, are a cylindrical plug that the plant is rooted in for transportation. But it keeps them too wet. Heres some pic examples .
