buds falling off

[theorist]

Hi, I'm new to growing orchids and I have a Phalaenopsis that has 5 flowers, and 3 buds. However, 2 of those buds have recently fallen off and the last one is looking a bit weary... one of the flowers looks a bit shrivelled on one of the petals... what do I do? Is it too dry? Not enough light? Is this natural?? help please!!

[fred]

hi and welcome to the forum
I hope that you enjoy your stay here with us
have you just bought the Phal ?
also can you please go into your user settings and update your Profile with your Location as this will help us with giving you the right advice for your location as we have members from all over the world with different growing conditions
also you can read the Culture link from the AOS you can download the link to your pc
http://www.aos.org/aos/orchids/page01.aspx

[theorist]

I'm from Canada, and I bought my Phal in late August... right now it's starting to get cooler in weather over here, but i usually have my windows closed because I read that orchids like humidity? What should I do? I've attached photos of my orchid to help diagnose the problem.

[MariahK]

well the root looks like it got to much water, so that could be a possibility, but without pulling it out and checking all the roots I can't say for sure, but it seems the plant is stressed and that next bud looks like it will fall off shortly. It can be any # of reasons such as to much water (wet roots) or else it could be the drop in temp. The pics are kind of small but if I had to guess I would say repot and take a look at the base and roots. Your problem could very likely be there and you cant see it

[robb]

theorist: welcome to the forums, your phalaenopsis looks reasonably healthy, though i agree that it may have been overwatered (more likely the potting mix is retaining too much water, read through the forums on potting medium for more information/suggestions). as we are in the northern hemisphere, we are actually coming up to the blooming season for phals, so your plant has been force-bloomed out of season. it is normal for the flowers to last a few weeks, shrivel up and fall off. when the flower stalk dies off (turns brown, crunchy, etc) it is time to cut it off and get the plant ready for another season. since your plant is out of cycle, it probably won't bloom again until this time next year. if you are lucky, it will put out a new spike now, and you'll have flowers again right away.

[jbigio]

Welcome
When buds turn yellow and fall off, that’s called bud blast. This can be caused by not enough Humidity, change in light or temp this usually happens when a new plant is brought home or moved. The outer root from what I can see look ok but I would pull the plant out and check the rest of the roots. Any roots that look dead and or are soft should be cut. Phal like to be moist but not wet. I let mine almost dry out before watering. I have a humidifier that runs in the room with the plants and it controls the humidity at around 65%. As for the flower it may be a result of the plant being stressed or it may have just run its course. What is the plant potted in? How long has the plant been flowering? What do the leaves look like? If they are soft, limp or wrinkled then there are problems with the roots, and or the way it’s been watered. If you could send some pic of the leave and medium, that would also help.

[PhalPal]

Hi Theorist and welcome to the forum!! The most important bit of information here is 'did you just bring your orchid home?' Bud blast is very normal if this is the case, and as noted above it is blooming out of season. There are many threads on the forum addressing rotten roots and new phals. Many of us have adopted the practice of taking a look at the roots right away. Some growers bloom and pot phals as 'gift' plants and not necessarily for the long term health of the plant. Get back to us and let us know how long you have had the orchid and what the potting material looks like, as well as the roots. (gently!!)
Looking forward to chatting with you!

[theorist]

no, i brought home the orchid about august 20th or so, and it had seemed to be doing quite well until i had gone away this past weekend and came back only to find that one of the buds had fallen off (and subsequently another the day after). i'm ridiculously new at growing orchids (or anything at all for that matter) so i don't know what it's in or how it's potted--and i'm slightly scared to take out the plant because i don't know how to do it properly and i dont have anything to repot it with afterwards. anyway, here's some more photos that you've requested attached.

thanks for all your quick help, everyone!!

p.s., i should note that i've recently watered my plant so it is rather moist looking. how do i go about unmoistening it?

[MariahK]

From what I can see of them your roots look ok but it is what may be underneath that can be the problem, When they are rotting they are black and mushy, repotting is easy here is a link http://www.easyorchids.co.uk/site/content/view/27/69/
It could just be stress of the move or something else, but if your truely concerned try repotting and checking the roots as they are the best way to check the health of your plant. I always repot right away as alot of growers put spagh moss at the base of the plant and for me this almost always kills them unless I remove it and place my own potting mix in

Oh also how do you water and how often?

[fred]

here is a link to the potting medium recommended by one of our members ( Mike) for Phal,s
Phal Repotting & Media

[jbigio]

Ok the leaves look ok from the pic. The roots look ok. The medium looks a bit weak but that could be from the fact the picture is of wet bark. Any good nursery or home depot or lowes has Phal mix that you can buy. You need to just turn the plant over and in most cases it will come out with out much fuss. If not a few LIGHT taps on the bottom should do the trick. Any mushy, soft or dried up root should be cut. A good root is firm when you squeeze it. They could be green, white or tan. If all is well try to get the old bark off the root as best as you can with out breaking roots. If you do break a good root don’t panic, it will actual send out new roots from that point. The bottom leaves should be about level with the top of the mix. Put mix all-around the plant and tap the pot on a hard surface to get the mix down into the roots them put more till it’s full. Don’t feed the plant for a few weeks. Keep it moist but let it dry out a little before watering. Good luck

[theorist]

Oh also how do you water and how often?

I water my orchid every 7-8 days but I don't plan on watering it anytime soon anymore since the suggested reason has been that it's far too moist. What is the best way to water an orchid by the way? I've been suggested several different methods by friends/family and I'm not sure if what they suggest is best.

Also, do you think my bud blast is due to really quick changes in the temperature? Where I am in Canada, we have ridiculously humid and hot weather in the summers (feeling like 42c), and once autumn rolls around, we have lows of 9c and highs of 26c.... it's quite some fluctuation... how do I get my orchid through the winter if it's also blooming out of season?

Oh, and how long does a single bloom/flower usually last?

[tizzycat]

Skewer use for watering of orchids.

Theorist, the leaves and visible roots on your phal look nice and healthy I would let it almost completely dry out and take a look at Cynthias Skewer method for watering. This works a treat. Take a look at the link above.

[PhalPal]

Theorist - If your plant has been in your house for only a month it is new to the environment. You have some great advice above, especially the skewer method. There is no hard and fast rule as to how often to water. The type orchid, the environment and media all influence how fast your plant will dry out. I have been growing phals for a few years and I still use the skewer method. It is difficult to know what is going on at the root level; very often the top will be dry but the roots are wet. I water any where from every five days to every two and a half weeks. Conditions are constantly changing.

When you water your phal, take it to a sink and run lots of water through the entire pot and media, avoiding the crown (the center where the leaves originate). With lots of drainage you will not overwater with this method. Do not water it like a house plant, giving it little sips every day. The easiest way to kill a phal is OVER watering.

Just one more thought...don't be fearful of taking your plant out of the medium. We put orchids in pots for OUR convenience, not for the better good of the orchid. In the wild they attach themselves to something and acquire their water from the air and rain. Orchids are not as delicate as many believe, especially phal hybrids. Make a copy of the AOS culture sheets and follow it; this is your best first guide. Good Luck! and welcome to orchidom!!