help, i lost my blooms

[cheryllee]

hi, i think i killed the very plant i begged for last mothers day, it was given to me by my son and he reminds me of the mishap often as we stare at the long green stalk minus the beatiful white orchids that used to be there.

[mayres]

Welcome Cheryllee! What do you mean by "killed"? The long green stalks of flowers NEVER last forever, even for the best growers. A good average display of "flower power" on a pahalenopsis (moth orchid) is about three months from the time they open. If you received the plant with the flowers already open you never know how long they were open prior to your acquisition. I'm just assuming your plant is a phal here as this is the most common gift orchid. It is not uncommon for the blooms to last several months longer if they are "happy". If yours lasted from mothers day until now I'd say you must have been doing something right. What does the plant look like? With proper care you should expect it to rebloom every year for you. On the average you can expect six months of growing leaves and roots, three months of the flower spike growing, and three months of enjoying the flowers. This will vary somewhat by variety of plant and growing environment. mike