Mother Has Ruined Her Orchid Gift!!!

[MissConnie]

For mothers day I bought my mum a beautiful White Phal. Only just now *back at parents house for a long visit* one dying leaf is all jelly like and another, which shouldnt be dying is all jelly like! *ive removed them* Ive been in the search and had a look that this can mean rotten roots...let me go run down and have a look at the phal!
*runs down*
OMG!
Poor Orchid is sat in water! Took it out the nice pot and a pool of water! I told her to take out of the pot, to water and leave to drain before returning to the pot!!!

Will it recover! I will have stern words with her when she gets home! I have it all draining in the sink now to let all that water flow out

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[FLaCo]

When I started my orchid hobby I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I would put them on direct sun, then switch them to shade...over water, everything. Those plants are still with me they are my original Phal and my DenPhal. Although, I have over watered my orchids I never sat them in water. My suggestion to you will be to hang it bare root and let them air out. Don't let it dry to the point where the roots look like they will crack. After it's aired out but moist remove rotten roots (gray/black roots) leave healthy roots on. Re-pot with a new orchid mix and make sure not to over pack the mix inside the pot just work the bark pieces into the root cluster. Also, I wouldn't think of using fertilizer for a while until the plant picks up again.

I am no expert but I have had trouble with rotten roots because of extremely moist conditions. I did this and it worked out fine I have pics to prove it. I am sure you know this...orchids are about balance.

[articuno75]

Oh No! I hope it'll make it! Are all the roots mushy? Be sure to give it good air flow. So sorry. Don't be too hard on your Mum. She probably didn't know any better.

[MissConnie]

I still have it draining. I will have words with her again on what I told her. I cant see all the roots as its all in the pot but the one at the bottom poking out fell apart in my hands. Even some floating roots are mushy
I will tell her what has been suggested and suggests she goes to buy some Orchid bark tomorrow and repots after allowing it the night to try out!
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[FLaCo]

Some people, myself included sometimes go into things not knowing exactly what to do. With a guide by her side you mom will be able to grow an orchid successfully.

The only reason I suggest on grabbing new bark is because the original may have fungus growth and repotting the orchid back into the same bark may rot the rest of the healthy roots.

[MissConnie]

the thing is, I told her about 4 times how to water the Orchid. I also told her to contact me if she was ever unsure. Im no expert but I have two phals who are both doing fine, one I even accidently broke a new spike and it "sub spiked" and has beautiful flowers in bloom! the other is pushing out leaves *misses the beautiful flowers*
I have a basic understanding and care and also I have access to this forum, so if she ever asked me something I didnt know, I could always come here.

But she didnt listen/forgot how I clearly stated on watering and seems she just poured water in like watering a normal potted plant *even then I take those out and let them drain!*
She has had it a week and a day! I bought it on the 1st March, she was home from holiday on the 3rd and I was there on the Tuesday to tell her how to water, but on the phone I told her what to do! but I had watered it on the 1st so it wasnt dying for one unless it had dried out...anyhoo!
She hasnt had it long and already its in need of some help!

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[jerrymeola]

Mother's Day is coming and I am starting to get ready for the common complaint 'my mother over-waters and kills everything'.

It is true that mother's (worst grandmothers) put food out to us and all children at every chance. Orchids do not like it.

I pot large Phals in clay orchid pots with slit cut sides and glue a clay saucer to the bottom so it can not be removed. I then pot in s/h (semi-hydro clay pellets). I then tell my customers that when watered the excess water drains out the slits and can not be any higher than the saucer. More water hits the floor and when it does mother will stop, mothers learn fast.

Premix some fertilizer in a weak gallon solution and tell her to water with it, and you have done all you can.

[MissConnie]

its currently on a table drying out! I will tell her a weak mix when its all been repotted!
she watered it 2 days ago! doesnt take it long to suffer damage eh!

I have learnt now from this mistake. No more will I buy her a living plant that she can destroy!
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[NancyG]

I guess she is just not a plant person??? Don't get too mad at her.

NancyG

[BunnytheOrchid]

The last time I went home from college, I was setting up my orchids and my mom comes over to say something to me and knocks over one of them I thought it would die, but it ended growing more roots and a spike. So once it dries out, I would choose a nice bark mix. It won't hold as much water as sphagnum. That might give your mom a little more wiggle room with watering And if she's anything like my mom, she will feel very bad and apologetic! No one wants to kill an orchid

[waldofrumpki]

Don't be too hard on mom, she was probably just trying to be kind to it. I imagine it'll recover after it dries out, just remember to remove the rotted roots and repot in a fast draining mix so if she does overwater, it won't do too much harm.

[PhalPal]

The biggest problem I have with non-orchid growing people is that they want to water an orchid like a house plant. They give it gulps every day and keep it sopping wet and then call me crying when the crown rots off three weeks later. Would they listen to my care advice to begin with????? Nooooooooooo........apparently they know more then I do about growing Phals!

[MissConnie]

She seems to be very sorry for her mistake and seems to have actually really taken an interest to care now!
She now says she will listen to me and will water the Orchid the way I suggested and has promised to leave it alone.....after cutting off some floating roots *rolls eyes*
Fingers crossed this Orchid will be hardy!
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[PhalPal]

Poor Mum. I'm sure she will do better now.

[mehitabel]

All plants people have given a beautiful plant as a precious gift to someone, and then been disappointed when they didn't care for it properly.

I finally realized that if you give a plant, you have to do it with pre-forgiveness if they kill it. Just goes with the territory, however much you love plants or hate to see them die.

This may be an unpopular view, but it hardly seems like a gift to *her* if she is required to check with you all time about how to care for it. It's ok to give it with instructions, I usually print some out. But after that I believe you should let it go. It belongs to *them* now, not to you. A true gift comes without strings attached.

I would be very sad to have a daughter chiding me over an orchid "gift".

Sorry if this sounds harsh. That was not my intention.

[PhalPal]

I always include printed instructions with gifts and the receiver is always happy to have them. Usually they are getting an orchid as a gift from me because they have admired my own. They have always verbalized they would like to give orchids a try. My gift receiving friends also have no problem calling me and asking for further instruction, sharing their worries, trying to do it right, and I am happy to help.

Part of my 'gift' to them was not only the orchid, but my coaching and instruction of how to care for it and make orchid growing a success for them. Miss Connie's gift to her mother was the same, a gift of love in the hopes she would gain the same joy from orchid growing as she. I would hardly call that 'chiding.'

[mehitabel]

Hi, phalpal. Sorry if the word "chided" seemed too strong to you.

Naturally, any giver wouldn't withhold help or instructions that were asked for. I don't believe that was the point I was trying to make--

I wasn't trying to scold Miss Connie. Just offering another point of view about what a "gift" means. I still hope it might cause some people to think a little about the meaning of the words "to give".

[MissConnie]

Phalpal you know and understand what I meant by giving my mother the gift and she too understands that now.
She has admired my Orchids and shown an interest and to be honest, what more a lovelier gift then a beautiful Orchid.
I didnt print out care for her, I told her watering care and said if she needed any help to contact me. She didnt go by my advice and she now has learnt from her mistake because she now knows that sometimes, daughters are meant to be listened to hahahaha, who would have thought it eh :P

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[Mazrus]

Hello, I am new on here and know the problem with giving orchids as gifts. My children have all received orchids as gifts in the past and when they finish flowering, I ask if I may look after them and bring them back into spike then let them have them back. This seems to work well. I usually swap their plants for one I have in my home which is in bloom. I remember seven years ago my daughter giving one of her Phal Miracle Gro and within a few days it turned yellow....She realised her mistake and flushed the plant through and that plant has continued to give her much pleasure and is now in spike again..I returned it back to her yesterday after I nurtured it through its non spike stage in my conservatory. I hope Mum will get the Orchid bug it is a wonderful hobby....Marion

[MariahK]

I thought I'd add my story my first orchid my three yr old watered it and I didn't know and when I found out it looked alot like your moms. Mine did not survive but as long as your moms has a least one live root it can recover.

[MissConnie]

4 roots were rotten and the rest were fine. Hopefully it will recover.
I will be visting my parents on Thursday so shall have a looksie

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