Dying orchids -please help

[yellowleaves]

I have 2 dead orchids and one more about to go. I received 2 orchids a few months ago and recently bought 2 more because I loved them so much. I thought I was doing great but after the flowers dropped the stems became yellow and shriveled so I researched this and eventually decided to cut them off. Does cutting off the flower stem cause leaves to yellow and drop off until the plant seems dead? or maybe they need to be repotted? I have tried reseraching all of this, but I can not really figure out what has caused them to be so yellow and die. There is a lot of info on the web but I have been looking for a good book too. One that is dying right now seems to have a tiny moldy soft spot at the base and the other one has roots growing upward, shriveling up. The leaves looked very healthy at first but then they drop off one by one until it is just a stump. so very depressing considering they were a gift meant to cheer me up; but I do not want to give up. I have one orchid that I cannot exactly identify but I keep it moist in the window and it is thriving. i think the ones I have killed are the phalenopsis variety. I water only once a week, am very careful not to get the leaves wet, but not so much water that they drain. they have good light - behind a curtain in a south facing nyc apartment window. what else can I do? why is this happening? Maybe itis too cold y the window? I have tried keeping the water tray under them too for humidity. Nothing is helping. This is SAD!

[articuno75]

Hi Yellowleaves. So sorry that this is happening. If you can please update your profile as to your location. This will help other members be able to give you assistance. Also if you can, please post pics that way we can assess your plants and help you in any way that we can.

[patlee]

Hi Yellowleaves, Welcome to the forum. I am sure somebody will be able to provide you with answers to your problems. I'm glad you're not giving up. I can try to help you with your Phals. First of all, take the plants to the sink and water them so that water does run through and they drain thoroughly. Once a week watering is probably enough.(You might want to look for a post here on the "Skewer Method" of watering.)The next thing you need to know is that it is the usual course for a Phal to have its oldest/bottom leaf turn yellow and fall off. So you probably did nothing wrong.

Be sure a sheer curtain is kept over the window, because Phals are low-light orchids and can get too much sun in a south window. Keep the humidity up to about 40-60% during these dry, winter days.You can use a humidifier or moist pebbles on a tray. Spraying is really not that effective! Be sure they are not too close to the window pane and try to keep them out of drafts!

You can get cultural sheets for your orchids either here on the forum or from the AOS web site. Just look for their sheets for Phals. (And maybe Dens if that is what the other plants turn out to be.) I like the book All About Orchids,by Ortho (the lawn-care/insecticide people). The main thing to remember is that you are learning, just like all of us. We have all had our share of troubles and just have different ones now. But you will find orchids are definitely worthwhile. Just watch out, they are VERY,VERY addictive.

Others will have more to say--this is just what I can offer.Good luck and good growing

[kmarch]

Are the orchids in question Phals?

[mayres]

Lets work on what you have now - as Kevin asked - a phal? Can you post a pic? How long have you had it? How thick is the curtain and how close is your plant to the curtain and window? Phals cannot take too bright light - unless well filtered south may be too strong? What kind of media is your plant in? In the winter months some phals only need to be watered every 2-4 months depending upon media and environment. You might want to check out the AOS culture sheets and see if anything stands out as something you could do to improve your situation and then come back with some more questions - American Orchid Society - Orchids

[BunnytheOrchid]

I bought a phalaenopsis that was potted in sphagnum moss and watered it once in 3 weeks because the condensation in the plastic pot didn't seem to go away. I assume your orchids are potted in bark (that's more typical I find), but if they aren't, even watering once a week can be too frequent. Sometimes it's best not to commit to a water schedule, and just inspect the medium to see how moist it is. I'm not sure if the watering is the issue at hand, but I have found with the orchid I had that failed, it was rot from too much watering. Good luck!

[fred]

welcome to the forum BunnytheOrchid
please feel free to go to the Introduction section and introduce yourself to all the geeks

[yellowleaves]

thanks - i use a skewer to check moisture and have tried to follow the watering instructions from AOS sheets for phals. I am wondering if maybe they are not phals or something, because I think I am doing everything right - except maybe pruning the dead flower stems.

[yellowleaves]

answers to the other questions:

the curtains are very thick silk and lined and the orchids are about 6"-12" away. I have also tried them in a smaller (also south facing) bathroom window about 12" away with a thinner shade to see if different light condition helped.

The potting medium is for the suspected Phals is soil and moss on top. the unidentified one that is flourishing is in a soft bark medium.

I do think the dying ones are phals,but I am doubting only because the recommended care for the phal on the AOS sheet seems to be killing them! The closest one to a phalaenopsis is the Paphiopedilum, yes? The care seems to be quite similar for both though so I am stumped -no pun intended.

I have been nervous about watering too much and I use the skewer, but maybe I have not been watering enough. I thought too much water is what causes yellow leaves, no?The AOS sheet say the phal is NOT to dry out between waterings,but I have been letting mine get rather close to dry before watering which I thought was correct care.

I think the light is great based on eveything I have read. my number one suspicion is the pruning - does anyone know if that can kill a phal? I think this may have been my fatal mistake, I am doing pracically everything else by the book. I know people who basically ignore their phals (except water) in my office and other unmonitored/unregulated conditions and here I am obsessing over mine and killing them!

My other suspicions are:

need to be repotted? how do I know?

not enough or too much water

too warm or too cold by the window or just not enough temperature variation (according to the AOS sheets)

too dry in my apartment despite the moist pebble method.

any thoughts? I am obsessed. I feel so bad for these phals or whaever they are> I will get some photos up ASAP but it might be a week before I have my camera back ;(

[mayres]

Can you post a pic of your plants? It takes a long time for a phal to turn yellow leaves from underwatering. Before that phase they will start to loose turgor - wrinkle and turn limp though still green. Underwatering is always preferable to overwatering on a phal IMHO. You need to depot your phals and inspect the root systems - even if you just put them back in the same pots for awhile afterwards. Inspect the roots for any soft, mushy, black, dried, etc. They should be fat and plump. If the root system is poor/nearly gone the plants will appear to be underwatered even if you water them plenty. "Soft" bark indicates the media is breaking down and should probably be replaced. Good bark will retain moisture but is also quite firm and provides good air spaces between pieces so that the roots can breath through the media.
You mention "pruning" - the only thing that is ever pruned on a phal is the flower spike - and no matter where you cut the spike it should not affect your overall plant health, so this makes me question if you have a phal or not? Hence - pics would be good!

[justloveorchids]

I have rescued some 10 totally neglected orchids .........phalenopsis and in my humble experience the worst potting media that causes trouble is moss

Given the state you describe of your orchids i would very carefully take them out of their pots rinse off the potting medium and see what the state of the roots are ..............trim away any squishy roots and repot in a good potting medium ...........whatever you do do not mist or allow water to get onto the leaves as this causes crown rot .........but even that disaster i have recovered a phal from which now has 2 flower spikes ............once you have depotted them take photos and we can all help furthur

[yellowleaves]

thank you - I can post pictures tomorrow. All the leaves have dropped off of one (I just moved the pot an inch this morning and the whole plant broke) it seems to be crown rot. I think this is the case for both of my dying phals. Strange because I was careful not to get water on the leaves. If all the leaves are gone and it is just a stump can it be saved? the other one will be a stump soon too. if they can be saved, what kind of soil should I buy?

[yellowleaves]

BTW - the roots look healthy for the most part, so I might be able to repot, even with no leaves? just please recommend a medium for repotting. Thanks!

[PhalPal]

Yellowleaves when you say 'soil' what does it look like?? Sometimes gift orchids will be potted in something that is not for the long term benefit of the plant. As stated above, yellow leaves are usually overwatering. I struggle to keep my humidity over 40% and my phals (and other types) do okay with it. My bottom line opinion - I think your orchid is potted in something that retains water at the root level and it is staying way too wet.

And Welcome to the forum!!! You can do this! It's a matter of getting just a few basics in tune with your conditions.

[yellowleaves]

all the leaves are off now. for the future, what potting medium is preferrable for phals? mine is mostly moss and some dirt at the bottom. should I give up on the stumps or repot them? the roots are okay but there are no leaves now and the top is soft and rotten looking. I think they are dead.

[mayres]

You can probably get at least 4-5 (and maybe 2-3X that amount) of opinions on what type of potting media is best for phals. Since they live in nature with NO media - the medias we choose are for OUR benefit - the trick is to find what works best with your environment and plant culture methods. Since phals are relatively inexpensive I recommend you purchase a second one - lots of them available during Valentine's season - and discard your leafless plant. Even if you could get it to return from the dead it would be literally several years until it would reward you again. When you get your next one take a pic and let us follow along with your on its progress - mike

[justloveorchids]

Sounds like your phals were wrongly treated by the shop/supplier
and maybe this is where the crown rot occured

If the roots are healthy then you have one long shot chance

Pour Peroxide over whats left of the crown ......you should get a lot of white fizz

repot in a specialised Orchid compost ......they tend to be a bark and coya mix

Keep the remains of the orchid in a constant warm temp and not draughty place in good light .............only water the potting medium once a week and ensure the pot is well drained and not standing in water

If the base of the crown is not too badly damaged in about 6 months you might find new growth

Otherwise i suggest you find a totally different supplier and buy orchids that are not in moss ..........IMHE small orchids tend to be potted in moss the larger ones are in a bark /coya type mix

[Marih]

what does the peroxide help for? Sorry if it is a silly question. I'm extremly new to all of this.

[articuno75]

Peroxide will kill any bacteria that's in the media and on the plant. It will not hurt the plant and is safe.

[kmarch]

Dear yellow,

Orchid culture is a balancing act. It involves adjucting out habits and various aspects of our care with the variable conditions people have in their homes, offices, sun rooms, porches and decks, etc., etc. For example:

Originally Posted by yellowleaves

The AOS sheet say the phal is NOT to dry out between waterings,but I have been letting mine get rather close to dry before watering which I thought was correct care.

Phals do expect to be kept evenly and gently moist like the AOS culture sheet says, but the way we provide that need can vary greatly depending on where you live, what your phal is potted in, how warm your growing area is, and how humid your growing area is. Let me explain, if your phal is potted in a mix that dries out fast, you will need to water more then if it is potted in a mix that holds water. If it is warm, the mix will dry faster and if it is dry (low humidity) your mix will dry out faster too. Orchids potted in clay pots dry out faster than those in plastic pots.

Sometimes the mix will look and feel dry on the top surface but still be wet inside. This is why people like the skewer method because it allows them to see how wet the mix is inside the pot. Furthermore when we say phals like to be moist, it means gently moist, kind of like a wet sponge that has been wrung out, not soggy or dripping. Maybe "damp" is better to describe what phals like.

Originally Posted by yellowleaves

my number one suspicion is the pruning - does anyone know if that can kill a phal? I think this may have been my fatal mistake,

Originally Posted by yellowleaves

...potting medium...mine is mostly moss and some dirt at the bottom. should I give up on the stumps or repot them? the roots are okay but there are no leaves now and the top is soft and rotten looking. I think they are dead.

This raises questions about the kind of orchid you have. We don't prune phals. In fact I don't know of any orchid that gets pruned, so now I'm not even sure of you have an orchid at all. And being potted in dirt, not very many of the commonly grown orchids grow in dirt.

Before going any further recommending care and advice we really need to know what kind of orchid you have if ti is indeed an orchid at all.