HELP

Good morning one and all Ive a cpl of questions as a new gardener ish ..firstly is to do with bought cut flowers ..every two weeks we buy some Alstromeria flowers cos we like them lol and have never had issues with them but yesterday we bought two bunches 1 white and 1 red and on coming downstairs this morn three of the red ones had flopped over in vase ..is there anything we can do ???

Secondly we had an orchid which we have had for two yrs and it flowered well in first 18 months and this week we noticed that the flowers had died and leaves have died and the one new shoot that was visible had also perished , is there anyway of saving this ie cutting right back etc or is it doomed

regards

Nash

 

Hi Nash,

You could try snipping a little bit off the bottom of the stems and then put them back in the vase. Sometimes the base of the stem heals over which prevents them (any type of flower) taking up water.

I'd tip the orchid out of the pot and see if there's any life further down. If you think there is it may be a good idea to re-pot it with new compost or soil. Nutrients only last for an average of six weeks in compost, from then on it will be down to you to feed it.

 

Teaspoon of sugar in the water is supposed to work for cut flowers. Not tried it myself though.

 

I always put a drop or two of Miltons and a teaspoon of sugar into the water for cut flowers and change water every 3 days or so. Seems to work for me.
Seems odd that both flowers and Orchid are suffering. Have conditions at home changed ie a window opened, creating a draft or over heating. It could be work on water mains have changed the usual balance of your water. We once lost 5 house plants when co incidentally work was being done on our mains. No association we were told! Never happened before or since!

 

Hi Nash, I have a friend who always puts a bit of sugar in the water of cut flowers she says it keeps them going for longer!
As for the orchid, it could need some orchid feed? You can buy it in most garden centres, it lasts for ages as you only need a small amount added to water. I'm told that orchids shouldn't be put in a pot other than the clear plastic pot that they are sold in! Apparently the roots need light, over a period of time if the roots are in the dark the plant suffers! I hope that helps. Good luck & I hope your orchid soon looks much healthier.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies , We have now trimmed the bottom off the offending cut flowers and put sugar in the water and touch wood all seem fine this morning , As for the orchid I checked root system and seems like there is life there so i re potted in new compost and will look at getting some Orchid Feed . So once again thank you very much

 

Any idea as to what kind of orchid it is.
Orchids tend to die slowly, once they show signs its often too late.
Biggest problem is usually overwatering, or low temperatures.

 

to be honest havent a clue ...bought it about two years ago for now wife who hasnt the best record with plants shall we say but we both learning every day lol