my first orchids

[Filla]

Hi. Cool forum

I bought two phalaenopsis at Canadian Tire the other week. They both had 2 blooms and both have died and fallen. No worries. It was a long drive home and my car heater is busted and I think one may have suffered a little frostbite. Over the past 10 days or so the bottom of three leaves wilted, wrinked and turned yellow. The chlorosis was uniform in development. Anyhoo, I pulled that leaf off. Should've I? Other than that the leaves feel ok. Not warm or cold, pretty firm, solid green. The other plant has four leaves and there is some red around the edges. I think I sun burned it a bit. Ignorance that's all. Still have a lot to learn They were packed in sphagnum and foam peanuts. The roots had no air and there were fungus gnats in the medium. The roots looked pretty savage too. Most of the sheath was peeling off and pretty black. I cut back anything that wasn't white or green. I repotted it in a round 5" pot with equal parts fresh sphagnum and shredded pine bark. I hit'em with a dose of an organic 3-3-3. Mild solution. Only 5ml/gallon. Both plants are about 5" under 250wHPS and 6-40w WS fluoros. The sun burned plant is half buried in a terrarium under these lights also. There is a cattleya in there too The terrarium is about 90% RH at the top and my room is about 40ish%. I'm not too worried if I dont get them to rebloom. They were only a buck a piece on a clearance shelf:lol: Even if they just veg and act as foliage plants that's cool My lights are on 14/10 right now so they won't rebloom right? Orchids have a short-day photoperiod I think eh?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The cold may be the cause of the leaf problems, Phals don't like to go under 55F. They grow well at 65F and above. Phals like about half or less as much light as Catts. So you might want to put these a bit lower down relative to your Catts. Phals set blooms spikes in fall/winter (shorter days and cooler temps), so I don't expect your plants to bloom until next year since I assume that these were blooming recently.

In the future, to decide which roots to remove, feel the roots. If they are firm, don't cut. The color can be quite dark from age or fertilizer, so color is not always a good indicator. By the way, pine bark is not a very good substance for orchids. Among other things, it decays too fast. If you buy 'orchid bark', it will or should be fir bark, and will have been steamed for one reason or another. Don't remember right now. If you are having a problem getting good orchid bark, you may want to try what I use. 3 parts small perlite to 2 parts coursely sifted peat moss. You will have to repot every year, but the mix gets removed by washing it out with a hose and then refilled and gently pressed in. The end result is that the plant doesn't even know it has been repotted, and I can do it any time, in bloom or out. The only caviat is that if you are going to divide a plant, and have to untangle the roots, the damage to the roots will mean that sympodials, with the exception of Paphs, must be repotted at the exact right time, when the new growth is producing a flush of new roots. Good luck with your plants, Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[jerrymeola]

for clearance table orchids they do not seem to be doing too bad. They were on clearance because the store wanted anything before the store killed it.

Removing the yellow leaves and cutting the roots is one very common way of caring for it. It is what I do commercially for damaged plants.

You seemed to have given your plants every possibity of surviving.

I am a little concerned about what you meant when you said they were half buried. Orchids need air circulation around their roots. That is why clay 'orchid' pots have slits on the side. It is more for air circulation than drainage. If yours are buried for looks or stability you might put some more air holes in the top of the pot. It is probably plastic, since phals do well in plastic pots, so use a hot glue gun to drill holes in the pot (this suggestion was in an American Orchid Society magazine article)

[Filla]

thanks cynthia. i'll try the sphagnum/perlite bit

jerrymeola i have a few roots sticking out of the surface while the rest are buried. should ? lighten my medium and put in in a net pot? should my catt and moth be potted in in identical containers?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Filla, don't confuse Sphagnum moss with Sphagnum peat. Sphagnum Peat is Sphagnum moss that has been rotting in a bog for a few hundred years. I use peat, not moss. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ