Very sad Orchid needing emergency TLC

Design Bod · May 2018

Hi there
Hope it's ok to ask about a houseplant but wonder if any of you Orchid gurus could possibly administer a little A & E emergency advice as my Orchid is fading fast.
I don't have a lot of luck with Orchids but do love them. This one has lasted a whole month so far (which is good for me!) and I've been following a friend's advice just to give it half an eggcup of water weekly with a few drops of Orchid food. (Previously, with other orchids, I'd followed different advice to stand it in water weekly for an hour, but that was never very successful.
Anyway, a few days ago, I noticed the exposed air roots on this one had started to shrivel so assumed my egg cup watering had not been sufficient (plus it had been standing on a sunny window sill). So I stood it in water for an hour. That hasn't helped and now the leaves are schrivelling and the heads look like they'll drop imminently.
Is there anything I can do or is it too late? 😞🌷

hogweed · May 2018

Orchids don't like sunny windowsills. I keep mine on a north facing windowsill and water once a month!

Design Bod · May 2018

Oh no! Well that will be the problem! Has it shrivelled because it's had too much water then?? Seems an odd reaction.

Bijdezee · May 2018

I have success with mine by watering once a week and making sure the water drains away. They dont like sitting in water. The other secret is misting the arial roots every day with a spray. They like moist air.

Mine bloom twice a year and one of them has two flower spikes on the go. I've had them about 3 years. I feed them a weak solution of orchid food every 3 months.

I might not be doing everything as the experts say but its working.

Design Bod · May 2018

Oh no! Well that will be the problem! Has it shrivelled because it's had too much water then?? Seems an odd reaction.

Design Bod · May 2018

Ok, so seems like too much water AND too much food! Do you spray the roots with tap water or distilled?

Bijdezee · May 2018

No. It needs a good soak once a week but not to stand in water. Most of their water is taken from the air which in their natural habitat would be very humid. Misting the arial roots is the key.

Some say rain water is best but i use tap water most of the time. Dont worry, yours will perk up.

Fire · May 2018

Oh, unhappy plants. I put my finger in the bark mix medium and see if mine are slightly damp. If not bone dry, do not water them. I don't soak mine any more - it's just too much water. Orchids tend to die from over watering if anything. I just drip a bit of water in until the damp turns colour slightly. Then allow the water to fully drain off and empty the saucer.

They don't like direct sun. A north facing window sill is fine. I would (personally) take the pot out of the ceramic pot so that 1) the roots get light and 2) you can see when to water (the roots go silverwhite). Check your medium. Do you have special orchid bark chip (recommended)? If you have moss or something else, I would change it. Don't worry too much about the aerial roots.

Have a look on youtube for some expert orchid (phal) UK growers. There are lots. Do some research. Lastly, have some patience. The great thing about phals is that they are so slow - flowering for months, growing flower spikes over years and dying back slowly. So you have to go at their pace

Inglezinho · May 2018

I've seen a lot worse. There are two big problems growing orchids in UK. One of them is not lack of light (in this case). As long as it doesn't burn it's fine. The two things that they resent are 1. low temps, especially Phalaenopsis (this one) You might be surprised how low the temp can get even indoors 2. Low humidity. Why is this such a big deal? Because if you increase the temp generally you lower the humidity. If you're serious about growing these pesky things, I suggest you invest in an orchid case (mini indoor greenhouse - they can be quite decorative, but not cheap unless you are a carpenter) where you can use the house heat without drying them out. Soaking them is not the answer. Morte subito!

Design Bod · May 2018

@Bijdezee Do you water from above or just stand it in water briefly?

Inglezinho · May 2018

Sorry, that sounds flippant and I get like that because it is so easy for me to grow orchids where I live. Your plant has flowers and that's a very good sign. If your plant is alive and I believe it is, as soon as the flowers fade, cut off the flower stem half way down, not to the base, as it will often reflower from the same stem. Then get it out of the pot and look at the roots. A healthy plant will have fresh roots with green (sometimes lively buff-colored) root tips. If it has, repot it into a a special transparent orchid pot. They are not easy to find in UK, but I have found they do more than anything to keep Phallies healthy, as the roots photosynthesize. You can also see what is going on below. Big advantage.
If there is nothing, still don't give up. Keep it out of any pot for at least a week. Dry it out totally. Yes, this is dangerous, but by now we are in Intensive Care, remember. The idea is kill any pathogens that may be in the substrate. Then, and this is the key to your future success: repot in a transparent pot (as above) in SPHAGNUM MOSS and if you want to go for the button, a few clay pebbles. Bark is not good because it decays very rapidly and hosts pathogens. You will have difficulty getting Sphagnum moss in UK - it is not the same as lawn moss and most of it comes from Ecuador, which incidentally is one of the best places to see orchids. It is wonderful stuff and has healing properties. You may need to go to a specialist orchid nursery. My nearest one was 50 miles away!
GOOD LUCK! - Ian

Very sad Orchid needing emergency TLC

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