help! orchid left out in freezing weather!

[msbailey]

hello -- i was given an orchid as a present and set it out for the day to get some sun. i forgot to bring it back and it got very cold that night.

the entire plant is very wilted and limp, the leaves are draping over the pot and, without the aid of the support stick, the entire plant would most likely fall over. is there any hope for my orchid?? if so, what do i need to do?

[Sharyn]

A number of us have recently had the same problems. There is excellent advice on this forum from the experts. See the following posts and good luck with your orchids.

New plants - nearly frozen leaves
Orchids left out in freezing weather

[TamTam]

Hi, I'm in the same boat...left my orchid plant in the car overnight and its indeed winter. The stem looks healthy but the flowers are drooping over and so are the leaves I REALLY need some help because I really want this orchid to survive...is there any hope at all for it??

[Filb]

TamTam, what kind of orchid is it?

If you make a total of 5 posts, then you'll be able to post a photo. That will help us in assessing the damage and helping you figure out if it is salvageable.

[TamTam]

It's a phalaenopsis...sorry not too familiar with the types of orchids

[TamTam]

Also it's looking worse then yesterday...

[katrina]

Sorry to say, a Phal can not survive being frozen. I'm afraid your plant is a goner.

But, this is a good reason to go out and pick up another one. You know...to soothe the pain of the loss.

[TamTam]

Here's the pic...I'm trying to stay hopeful since this was supposed to be a gift to someone...and I had bought a second orchid for myself and its doin just fine. I should've of known better then to leave it outside in the winter time

[TamTam]

hmm sorry can't figure out how to post a pic..

[Filb]

When you hit "post reply", below the area where you type is a box for "additional options."
There you can click manage attachments and it will pop up a window where you can select a photo from your hard drive.

[TamTam]

Thanks found it, so yea heres the pic...I'm so ashamed=(

[katrina]

Yeah, that looks really bad. As I said, a Phal can not take being frozen. I'm sorry...it's a goner.

[rcb]

Originally Posted by TamTam

...I'm so ashamed=(

Don't be ashamed, we've all done things like this. And we go on to be better right?

[TamTam]

I must admit this is like the 3rd or so orchid i've had...and I've never been able to take care of em right

[katrina]

Originally Posted by TamTam

...I'm so ashamed=(

I didn't catch this until I saw Renee's post. She's right...no need to be ashamed because we all make mistakes from time to time. We learn from it and move on. My best learning experiences came from some of my worst mistakes.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by msbailey

... it got very cold that night.

From the look of your pic, your orchid was frozen. This is unfortunately fatal to most orchids commonly grown in the home.

Originally Posted by TamTam

I must admit this is like the 3rd or so orchid i've had...and I've never been able to take care of em right

It sounds like it would benefit you to understand the culture of orchids before buying any more. Your orchid was a phalaenopsis. Go to the orchid care section of this forum and read the cultural info on phalaenopsis orchids. Also read the culture sheet on phalaenopsis found at AOS | Members Only Area. A culture sheet will tell you what conditions (light, temperature, water, etc) your orchid needs to live and grow. Give those culture sheets a read and let us know if you have questions. Don't give up, just prepare a little more for your next one.

[rcb]

TamTam, look around the forum, you will see all of us have made mistakes.

And all of us eventually admit we killed our first ones or many orchids as well. It's part of the learning process. But I've been growing for years now, and every plant I killed, I learned from. That's the important part.

And I have to add - it was soooooo worth it.

[loreley]

TamTam, I'm by no means an expert, just a little more than a newbie, but I tend to fight for things in life, so I would give it a shot. Take it out of the pot and see what the roots look like. Who knows? Maybe the poor phal has a fighting chance You know, hope springs eternal...