Is it an Orchid?

Or a dead stick? :D

It was given to me with a rather apologetic look and a, "Can you do anything with it?"

It was sitting inside a ceramic outer container that was 1/2 full of stagnant water and it looks in a very sorry condition. At the moment I'm just letting the water drain out of the pot in a cool place out of direct light.

 

Looking at the sticks, it looks very much like an Orchid of the Phalenopsis type.
What I would do is to take the pot with plant in to the kitchen sink and gently squeeze the sides of the pot to try and get as much water out of it as you can.

All the dead twigs need cutting back to anything that looks green.

The top photo shows shrivelled arial roots that needs to be cut back to the healthy stuff.

Gently take it out of the pot, and cut back anything that looks dead or shrivelled,but if in doubt leave it.

You will need to buy some special orchid compost, which is free draining, but you might be able to use the same flowerpot.

Hopefully if you keep it in a place where it gets light, but not hot sun, you might be lucky to find it shooting within a couple of weeks.
It all depends on how far gone it is, but the fact that it has some healthy arial roots stiking out the top looks promising.

Don't bury the arial roots if you can help it, they really need to be outside the pot.

Let me know how things go.

Goodluck.
Kandy

 

Thanks Kandyfloss

I'll get it out of the pot tomorrow and have a look for some orchid compost. I've never grown an orchid before but this was a present for someone (which I guess cost a fortune delivered!) so it would be nice to try and rescue it.

 

Hi again.
If it was a present, then somebody has been ripped off if that is the state it was in when delivered-- only joking

Since a lot of these plants have now been micro- propogated by the millions they can be bought for between �£9.99-and �£14.99 they are now quite reasonable, though if delivered, that would push up the cost.

I would love to know what colour this one was. They are usually white, but now come in some fantastic colour ranges.