HELP!! Something's wrong with my orchid... pics included

[Tygre]

Hi! My name is Tygre and I have FINALLY received my first orchid! But I think it is dying. =( I came across this website while researching what could be wrong with it and how I might be able to fix it and I feel very confident that someone might be able to help me! I have pictures and was going to post a thread but I have to write a few more posts before I can put up the pictures.

[jay]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If you need help and want to post a picture, just post a couple of posts here so you have the minimum amount.

I look forward to hearing about your orchid. What kind is it?

[patticake]

Is your orchid the one in your avatar? It's good to have you with us! We'll try to help! As Jay said, post a few more times in this thread, and then you can post some photos!

[Tygre]

Thank you! It is a Phalaenopsis. I have two more posts after this and I will submit the thread! Yay! Because I cannot figure out what is going on with it... =(

[Tygre]

Originally Posted by patticake

:Is your orchid the one in your avatar?

No... that is not my orchid unfortunately. The avatar is a picture that I took at the Franklin Park Conservatory a few months back. (1 more post to go! *laugh*)

[Tygre]

Hi! I am a new orchid owner and something is wrong with my orchid. I tried to do some research online and could not find anything but came across this forum and there appears to be a lot of very knowledgeable people on here!

Anyway, I got the orchid for my birthday. My nana had it for a week until I could pick it up. It was growing beautifully and even had a new stem... but on my way home, we stopped to go shopping and it was left in my car, with the windows cracked. After an hour or two I noticed the leaves were wilting (it was probably about 75 degress F outside so inside of car was a little warm). So, my Nana, who has taken care of many many flowers but new to orchids as well, suggested we drip a little water onto the petals and leaves and that should help them out... it made sense and we put just a little bit of water on them. Well, by the time I got home, the leaves and buds that were starting to appear starting turning black!! Can anyone help me please?!

Thanks in advance!

[Tygre]

Oh, and the orchid stays in the corner by this window (it's an Eastward window with blinds and the corner is pretty much in the shade), I just moved it over for the pictures. Besides the time when I put water on the petals, it hasn't been watered and the moss is still moist.

[Tygre]

Alright, so I posted the thread with pictures! All suggestions and advice is greatly greatly appreciated!! I don't want my orchid to die. =(

Here is a link to the thread:
http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...-included.html

[fred]

well I am sorry to say this but you should not have gone shopping and left the orchid in the car the heat in the car has caused the most part of this secondly putting water on the petals would not have helped due to the stress the plant was under.

the leaves look pretty good
here are some helpful links AOS | Phalaenopsis

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...f-orchids.html

[dounoharm]

a sad death to a brave flowering......but maybe the plant will survive and bloom again...check freds links on care of phals.....and please dont do that again!

[Tygre]

Oh I won't!! Since the leaves are still healthy, should I cut the stems down?

[orchidlover55]

You may have lost the blooms but the plant still looks good Just stay on Orchidgeeks and you may have new blooms again before you know it.. I couldn't do it without them ..... Welcome and Good Luck

[lmartiny]

Beginners luck maybe. But your plant will be fine. Give a good soak every few days if no rain. (roots, not whole plant)
Welcome.

[Tygre]

Good news! I repotted my orchid because the moss that it was in looked moldy (not sure if it was suppose to look like that, but went ahead and repotted it anyway). I quickly found out that it was in fact two separate orchids!! So I potted each in it's own pot and now I have something growing from the little stem (not sure if it's a branch or flower yet) and two things growing from the other one (again, not sure what it is). But I am very excited! I have noticed that they are growing really low, just above the leaves. The tips of the orchid are now very black and I'm still not sure if I should cut it. Any advice will be much appreciated!

Thanks again!
Tygre =)

[tocarmar]

Tygre,

Welcome to the forum!! It is kind of hard to tell what you are describing without pics. It could be a few things! 1) It could be more spikes. or 2) it could be new roots.

[orchidlover55]

Is the tip of the leaves or tips of the stem that the flowers was on? If it is the tips of the stem. I wouldn't cut the whole stem you may have one to shoot off that one , I had one that did.

[Tygre]

Here are some pictures

[brookn]

Hi, on the one with the dead flowers and ends, I would cut the infloresence to just above the new growth. Other than that it seems to look okay. Is the plant itself in good shape?

[Tygre]

Thanks! I think so, the leaves look great and everything else looks okay, just the tips turned black.

[Tygre]

Hey Orchid Geeks! I just wanted to share some exciting news that my orchid is getting some buds!! I now have a total of four! I am so excited! After reading and hearing about orchids, I was sure it might take up to a year before it bloomed again but I guess not! Thank you for your help! Here are some pictures. I will update again when it finally blooms!

[tansyflower]

Congratulations, it looks like you will get to see flowers this year after all

[fred]

congrats good news after all
nice to see

[mehitabel]

Congratulations on your spike and buds. Sometimes you just can't keep them from blooming-- if one tip goes, they just grow another.

BTW, your plant looks very healthy.

[PhalPal]

YEAH!!! I am so happy your phal is recovering!!! The first time flowers fade it looks like a catastrophy to a newbie. Good new is - your leaves look great and you have a subspike! I can't wait to see your flowers!

And Welcome to the forum!!!

[vcuchick]

good recovery! great gowing! have fun!

[Tygre]

Thanks guys! For the encouragement and advice! If it wasn't for those leaves, I would have been sure my plant was doomed! I am very excited about it's fast recovery and will update when it blooms!!

Thanks again!

[kusdra]

congrats tygre, cant wait want to see it blooms

[Anton]

If a plant has that much will to live, it's a "keeper".

The stem that has the dead flowers and a bud half way down the spike, it'd cut it off to the second node down the stem from the flowers. That way the plant isn't using unwanted energy needed for flowering, trying to keep the top part alive.

Leaves are in excellent condition, and I would suggest maybe getting some Superthrive to give it a little boost and help the plant regain some energy.

[Corey21707]

Congrats~!!!!!!

[Tygre]

My orchid has it's first bloom! (Since I have been reviving it when I got it in May). I am so incredibly excited! Yesterday my husband and I were getting ready to leave when I noticed the bud was starting to open. I have been watching it everyday and taking pictures along the way so I grabbed my camera and took a couple of shots before we left. This morning it had opened! I'm so ecstatic! It has four other buds and the other orchid has two spikes growing off the main one with a total of 8 buds. It is also growing some new roots and maybe another spike??? I'm not sure yet. I just noticed it was between the leaves unlike the roots.

I finally cut off the dead parts of the spike on Thursday. I was worried about doing it right (and today I watched a video on aos.org and paranoid I did do it wrong... uggg.) But I did sanitize the shears before and after cutting and then sprinkled cinnamon on the cuts...


Thanks everyone for your support and advice! I am learning so much from you!

[syndywindy]

Beautiful! Great job saving your orchid, it was well worth the effort!

[PhalPal]

Oh My! She's Beautiful!!!! Congratulations on a great job saving her!!!