Help. My orchid is dying

[catanisiancestry]

Ive had my orchid for a little over two months and the leaves are dropping and turning a dark green (as of two weeks ago). i think i overwatered my plant and the roots look soft and not very lively. It still is potted in the plastic container from home depot inside of a clay pot. I probably should take it out of the small, plastic pot?

What can I do to fix my orchid?

Thanks.

[tom499]

could do with a picture. dark green leaves sounds like lack of light. overwatering can be ok if you just leave it for awhile to dry out somewhere warm.

what orchid is it? that will help with the roots issue. phals will have green roots. dens and similiar have white ones. all should be firm roots though, not squishy.

[mayres]

You could just cut back on the water as tom499 suggested and see if it revives. If it were mine I'd pull it out of the pot completely, remove all the media and remove all the soft squishy and dried up roots - leaving only the plump firm tan/white/gray/green ones. Put it back into the thoroughly cleaned pot (some would say use a new one, but if you do, be sure and keep down the size to what the roots will just fit in). The type of media you can use will vary - if you use a bark based mix be sure and soak for 24-48 hours first and then probably soak the whole pot and plant roots for the next few weeks when you water too - to make sure the bark is getting a good start in absorbing water. One of the advantages of repotting is that you will then know that any future root issues are based on your care and not someone elses. Good luck. mike

[kmarch]

Dear catanisiansestry,

Before we give any recommendations we need to know what kind of orchid you have. Does your orchid have any kind of tag in it or lable that says what kind it is? If not, take a look at the Identification Guide on this forum and see which plant/flower is most like yours.

Any cultural/care advice depends completely on what kind of orchid it is.

[catanisiancestry]

thank you everyone for replying.

the orchid i has was a Phalaenopsis.

I checked the roots and they are brown, black and squishy, so theres no hope = (

i threw the plant away last night. my plant was fine, but "someone"! had told me that i was underwatering it so naturally i added more water. i loved it so much that i have to buy another one and try it again. does anyone have any recommendations where i can get one, other than Home Depot?

i have a clay pot that holds water on the bottom and i was told that there should be water sitting on the bottom so the plant can absorb it as it need it and for humidity purposes. is that true? should there be water on the bottom?

thanks

[jerrymeola]

You should have water in the saucer only if you are potted in hydroponic rock.

It was not since it was from home Depot.

You want to let Phals almost dry out between waterings.

[kmarch]

Dear catan...,

I do encourage you to try again with another Phal as you indicated you wanted to do, but this time around only take culture advice from reputable sources like a recommended book on orchid culture (I recommend Ortho's All About Orchids); culture pages found on the American Orchid Society website; reputable, reliable orchid nuseries; or established orchid forums like this one.

Also look up to see if there are orchid nuseries in your area and visit them. You might pay a little more than at HD but you will also probably get better quality, healthier plants.

Cheers!

[justloveorchids]

Phals are fine if cared for correctly

I have several all bought from supermarkets plus some that a friend had neglected which are now doing fine

standing in water and over watering is what causes roots to rot

1) do not water from the top

simply put the pot into a bigger bowl of RAINWATER about 3inches deep

leave for 4 hours then take it out and put it in a ceramic container

only water every 5 to 7 days depending on the heat in your country

spray / mist with rain water or diluted Worm Tea once every day this will give it the humidity it needs

In the winter you can lengthen the time beteween watering to 10 to 14 days