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I… am struggling This orchid was bought as a gift from the store, I… | The Orchid Oasis | Planta-community

WannabPlantMom

I… am struggling This orchid was bought as a gift from the store, I repotted it a couple days ago (unfortunately there are no drainage holes). The plant has always had this sort of lean to it, although now it seems a bit more relevant and its new buds seem to be crinkled then falling off. This is one of my first plants and i’m really trying. Would misting be a better way for watering? And do the crinkled buds mean lack of water or surplus? I water with ice-cubes around once a week (stores instructions) and place near a window with moderate light. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

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10 reacties

  1. Tam

    Definitely stop with the ice cubes. I have no idea why this is a thing, but apparently orchids haaaate being cold being a tropical plant. I think repot into something with drainage holes and just water with.. water! The other thing is if you want lots of blooms you need to give her pleeenty of light, whichever window is brightest. And as far as the crinkled buds, tjat just means they’re drying up and will likely start falling off soon. Could just be it’s finishing up with blooming but with more sun it’ll grow more down the track

    6 likes
    • WannabPlantMom

      ohhhh okay! Thank you so much, this was really helpful!

      1 like
  2. Waspinator

    When you repot to something with drainage, you should also swap to orchid bark. They're prone to root rot, so they need really good drainage. And be aware that they can be a little challenging to convince to rebloom; they often need a cooler temperature at night to get that to happen. (If it's super happy, it's possible to get a rebloom three months after the flowers die off, but it could also take a year or more.) You can remove any dried out flowers. If the stalk stays green, you can keep that and the plant may or may not reuse it the next time it blooms

    5 likes
    • WannabPlantMom

      thank you!

      0 likes
  3. Jen

    YES to the advice above- no ice and try a ventilated pot with a bark/moss mix to start- these orchids are epiphytic, meaning their roots need air as much as they need water, so you really need to let the media dry between waterings or you will develop root rot. Moss on its own is fine, as long as it isn’t super compacted, and you have an environment that lets it dry out between waterings. I would add two things- it’s planted too low in the medium- you don’t want water accumulating around the plant’s leaves, crown or the stem of the orchid itself- lift it up so that only the more hardy, almost woody base is sitting on the bed of moss. Lastly, the buds are probably dropping because the plant has been shocked a bit, acclimating to their new environment and also you repotting it while still in bloom. It’s 2 typical reasons for bud blast.

    5 likes
    • WannabPlantMom

      Thank you! :)

      1 like
  4. Victoria Maddison

    What substrate did you repot it in? It looks like soil in the picture, but I’m not sure if that’s the before or after. Definitely don’t use soil for orchids or the roots will suffocate and rot very quickly. Orchids in their natural habitat grow on the sides of trees, their roots never touch soil. The roots like airflow and can even photosynthesize. That is why it is suggested to use bark because of their natural growing habits and the big bark chunks leave large air pockets (unlike soil) to help the roots breathe.

    1 like
    • WannabPlantMom

      Thank you! I’m gonna try and get some new substrate soon then! :)

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  5. Haley

    I am concerned you've used soil, which has been mentioned, but I'm also concerned you've buried the base of the plant. Even when you switch to something like bark, you should not bury the base of the plant, it needs to remain in the open air.

    2 likes
    • WannabPlantMom

      Alright, noted Thank you!

      0 likes