Orchid

Hey all,

Just wanted peoples thoughts as to what's up with my Orchid. It flowered fine last year, and then on the advice of people, I cut down its flowering spike back down to the plant (it was two years old and looked out of shape) to promote a new spike for the next year.

It began shooting out a new spike, then after the spike reached about 15cms tall, the middle of it started withering, so I cut off that spike, and it's not been quite right ever wince. Leaves have gone floppy and creased: I'm feeding and watering as usual, but it's just not looking right, any ideas what's wrong? I cut the original flower spike off at the end of September, and the new one that withered about 3 weeks ago.

Cheers!

 

withered stems and leaves could be lots of things,
under or overwatering (more likely over with an orchid particularly this time of year when they need very little
Was it somewhere realy cold in the recent cold spell it would have to have been pretty cold)
The roots above the surface look okay but are the lower ones a bit rotten, have a feel in the pot see it the roots are firm.

Let us know if any of the above sound plausable

 

It sits on my windowsill (north facing but the window's obscured by the next house, only place it's ever been). I gave it a gentle pull and as you noticed, the roots are a bit rotten and it wasn't very secure in it's soil.

 

i think i would suggest a repot...into proper orchid compost...when you do it shake off all the old compost and trim any rotton roots down to firm growth, it may be that you have to put some of those horizontal roots down into the compost. Be very careful with watering for a while afterwards (ie not too much). Good luck.

 

Sounds like overwatering to me. Orchids prefer to be misted rather than having water poured over them. If the roots are brown, get rid of and start again.

 

You will certainly know if your Orchids have green roots they are healthy I shall post someof my orchids.

But check to see if your Orchid compost is rotting .

http://www.davidsteadorchids.co.uk/

I went to his talk at Scone Palace Orhid Festival last year.

 

Another tip on Orchids to see if its alive scrape stem and if its green it will still grow.

I have doen that before.

 

Thanks all - done a bit more research and apparently the soil is supposed to be changed yearly? Is there any preference as to which Orchid prefers which compost? I'm told some Loam or something is suited to my Phalaenopsis, not sure how true this is, and where can I get it from?

 

http://www.davidsteadorchids.co.uk/

This link will help you Archdoodler .

I went toone of his talks last year when he was in Scotland and bought his orchid bark.

And I personally find it better to the the levingtons orchid bark what I had used before.

Good luck.

 

Very interesting and useful on orchid care.

http://www.repotme.com/orchid-care/Phalaenopsis-Care.html