Planta
Back to The Orchid Oasis

I bought an orchid in a decorative pot. I assumed the orchid was… | The Orchid Oasis | Planta community

MerryShari

I bought an orchid in a decorative pot. I assumed the orchid was planted in that pot and didn’t look any further. After the blooms started falling off sooner than I expected, I looked closer and discovered that within the pot there were two plastic pots. I had been putting water at one side of the decorative pot, so it was only going into one of the plastic pots. Then I gave it a lot more water and after a week or so I noticed it was flooded and it stunk. So this poor plant has been over watered and underwater. I poured out the stinky water and have left it without any water for about a week and a half. When should I give it more water? Is there anything else I should do for it? Thank you so much for your help!

1 like 4 comments

4 comments

  1. Elliott

    A common style of watering orchids is called soaking. You fill the plastic insert pot to right under where the stem of the plant starts (where the leaves come from) and you leave it in water for 15-20 minutes, then you pull the insert out and let the plant drain thoroughly, I usually leave mine out of the decorative pot for another 15-20 minutes. Then just dump the water from the decorative pot into the sink, put the orchid back in, and you’re all set. Do this every time you notice the roots inside the insert pot become a silvery colour instead of bright green. This depends a lot on the medium your orchid is in and the humidity levels where you live, so it’s not best to give a specific timeframe. Best of luck! I’d love to see a picture.

    2 likes
    • MerryShari

      Thanks for your suggestions. Here’s a couple of photos of my orchid. I’ve noticed that the leaves on one of them are withered, but the other one has strong leaves.

      Attachment 1 of 2Attachment 2 of 2
      0 likes
    • Elliott

      Oh yeah especially if there’s two orchids in one pot, I highly suggest repotting. The one on the left looks like it’s not doing well, so I think that’s the best option. Make sure to repot them into 2 separate pots. Miss orchid girl on YouTube has a great video on repotting phalaenopsis orchids for beginners, I suggest watching it.

      0 likes
  2. Laura B

    Orchids should always be in a clear plastic pot with lots of holes so it gets lots of airflow and you can see the roots for better care. I second the other commenter talking about soaking. I take my orchids out of the decorative pot and let them site in lukewarm water (with liquid fertilizer if it’s time) for 5-10 minutes, then let it drain for 10 or so minutes before putting it back in the decorative pot. If the deco pot is ceramic or terracotta, it will hold on to some moisture so if you have that, you can probably reduce watering for a couple days. At this rate, I’d recommend repotting in orchid bark in a clear pot (you can find ones with holes on Amazon or poke some yourself) and check for root rot, cutting off any black, mushy, or shriveled roots. From there, just keep an eye on the roots, water when they’re silver, and make sure it’s happy in the light.

    0 likes