Soft spongy leaves

[CharliesAngel51]

I have an orchid which I bought in bloom. After the blooms fell off all of the leaves fell off. Then it started to get new leaves around the sides. Now these leaves are getting soft and turning brown. what am I doing wrong? I am really new to orchids. I also have another one that was given to me and it is shriveling.I think both of my thumbs are brown. HELP!!

[patticake]

First off, Second, we need more information. There are many types of orchids. After you post 5 posts, you can put some pictures up- That would be a huge help. We need the type of orchid, the light, watering habits, material it's growing in, etc...We want to help. We just need some more to go on.

[CharliesAngel51]

Thanks Patti Cake. They are both Oncidium. The one with the spongy leaves is planted in bark. I try to water it when the bark feels dry. I soak it and let it drain in the sink before putting it back on the saucer. the other one that is shriveling was planted in moss when it was given to me. It stayed wet all the time so I repotted it into bark, however I didn't pull the moss away from the roots as I was afraid of damaging them.it still seems to stay pretty moist where the moss is and the bark dries out. I have them both located in east facing windows so they get some morning sun and light. I try to feed them every 2 weeks. I read cynthias tip on the skewers so am going to try that. I really hope the one that is shriveling can be saved as it was given to me by my husbands Hospice nurse after he died las year and it is special to me as she is.

[patticake]

AOS | Oncidium
^
Try this link. I would check the roots again on the one with sphagnum moss. If you're really careful, you can tease the moss away without breaking any roots. Up where I am, they drink a good amount, but they're in well draining mix. (Schultz) Good luck- Keep us posted!

[digitalgate]

Use a skewer to test if the media is dry. Put a bamboo skewer into the media, pull it out and check if it is wet. Just don't use the same skewer for different plant. On the other
hand , are the plant have enough light?U might want to update your profile as there is
different advise for different area.

[CharliesAngel51]

Thanks again Patticake. I will check out the link you sent . Also thanks to digitalgate. I will update my info. I live in So. Calif.

[Vivienne]

WELCOME to OrchidGeeks!!!

Can you confirm that they are both Oncidium? I'm having troubles envisioning soft spongy leaves on Oncidium. Pics will be a great help.

[CharliesAngel51]

Vivienne, the stakes that were in them says oncidium. One is Rustic Bridge Hot Lip and the other is Margarete Holm. The first is yellow with rust and the other is a pale lavender with dark purple spots. actually the soft spongy part of the leaves are at the base of the leaf.

[Orchidementia]

Originally Posted by CharliesAngel51

Vivienne, the stakes that were in them says oncidium. One is Rustic Bridge Hot Lip and the other is Margarete Holm. The first is yellow with rust and the other is a pale lavender with dark purple spots. actually the soft spongy part of the leaves are at the base of the leaf.

Margarete Holm is an Odontioda, which is Miltonia x Odontoglossum. I have one; they're beautiful:



These type of plants can sometimes get soft at the base of the leaves due to being too damp or because the leaf is ending its time on the plant. If the color is good, dampness may be the problem. A picture would help with the guessing game!

[CharliesAngel51]

Thanks Orchidementia, I guess my problem may be overwatering. The leaves were new ones just coming out. They seemed to get soft and spongy at the base of the leaves. This morning I checked and they were so bad that a genle tug on the end of the leaf pulled them right off. It lookes like I can see the tiny tips of new leaves coming out the top of the bulbs or whatever you call them. I am trying Cynthias tip with the skewers. Hopefully that will help solve the water problem.I guess I need a book on the anatomy of an orchid . I don't even know what the parts are.

[Orchidementia]

Miracle Gro's Complete Guide To Orchids has a nice illustrated guide to basic orchid anatomy; others like Ortho's All About Orchids.

If the new growth is blackish or dark at the bottom when you pull it out, it has what I call 'water rot.' Water has been sitting in the leaves of the new growth, which as you've discovered, isn't good for it. Let it dry out for a few days and water only on the bark, not on the leaves, and it will probably put out another new growth in 3-6 weeks.

[CharliesAngel51]

Thanks Orchidementia, I will look for those books. I didn't notice any black at the base of the leaves that I pulled off ,they just look brown and mushy.I'm sure I was getting them wet . I was watering them as I would any house plant not trying to keep the water off of the plant. I'll have to be more careful. Maybe with the help of all the experts on this board I will learn how to grow orchids. Everyone seems so willing to help. That's great!

[Orchidementia]

Blackish, brownish ... you're getting the idea! Most orchids aren't that extra-picky, but new growths on oncidium-alliances (which is what you have) are very sensitive to having water sit in them any time of day (no orchid likes water on it at night!). If you do get some water on a new growth, don't worry; just swab it up with a paper towel. I twist up up the end of a paper towel into a point and stick it in the new growth and let if wick out the water for a few minutes if I've been sloppy. Don't worry if it's not bone-dry; that doesn't matter - get out as much as you can and be sure your plants are either getting some air from an open window or from a fan blowing on them, and they'll be fine!

Onc. alliances are really fun to grow, since they can take a lot of abuse (trust me - I've abused plenty!), grow fairly fast for orchids and have such pretty flowers.

[articuno75]

CharliesAngel51

Another thing to remember about Oncidiums and the Alliance is AIRFLOW.
Oncidiums love lots of airflow over themselves. More so that what a Phalaenopsis likes. This airflow over the leaves helps dry out the plant and prevents fungus from forming on the leaves.

Suggestion would be to increase the airflow over your plants. This will help with both drying time and the orchid enviroment.

[CharliesAngel51]

Thanks Jenny, I have been putting them under a ceiling fan for a few hours every evening. I'm sure my big problem is getting them wet when I watered. I treated them like any other houseplant. Now I know better. Even if I can't save the two that are sick, maybe I can do better with future plants.