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How can I rejuvenate and help this orchid in a jar? (pics included)

TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
edited February 2022 in Plants
I am a complete orchid novice, and I have this orchid in a jar which I'd like to nurture.

I have looked online but I can't find out how to fix or rejuvenate a plant like this.

It did produce a couple of flowers last year (they are bright pink with a little white, small ones, but I don't know the variety), and I think the plant generally looks kind of healthy?

There are a couple of small new fresh leaves being produced in the centre. All I have done is give it a small amount of water every couple of weeks and kept it out of direct sunlight mostly (it might have got some direct sunlight).

I have posted some photos, where you can see there is a half browned leaf and another with browning.

I don't know what to do in this situation to give the best to this plant, such as:
 - should I take it out of the jar?
 - are those brown leaves a bad sign, should I be doing something different?
 - should I fertilise (I have some babybio orchid food, which is old but I assume still OK), and how often?
And is there anything else I could do for it?!

Thanks so much for any help.













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Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I'm no orchid expert, but I think it probably needs to be in a pot with drainage. As I understand it, when you water then you should let the water drain through the coarse barky compost. It looks as if you might have got a wet layer in the bottom.
    I think @Nanny Beach grows orchids, so maybe she can help.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
    edited February 2022
    Thank you JennyJ!
    The actual little plastic pot it's in, inside the jar, seems really small too. There's no room for the roots to spread out.
    It's hard to see from the photos but it is in a small plastic pot, placed into the jar with more chippings under and all around the little pot
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Got your message, JennyJ. I think it would prefer to spread it's leaves
     Winter watering, every 2 weeks,rain water don't let them sit in water.  Spray the leaves with rain water.I stick mine on the draining board,let the water run through. Remove the brown leaves. They don't like direct sunlight. If you can give it a few weeks in a cooler room,it will be happy at 10c, give it a holiday. 
  • JessicaSJessicaS Posts: 870
    This is a Phalaenopsis, and agreed, not too bad condition. I agree with what Nanny suggests above. Dont need to repot it, they like being potbound :)
  • TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
    Thank you JessicaS, that's great to have it identified. Glad you think it looks OK!

    I would have guessed it needed repotting, so that's really good to know it's better not to. So that tiny little plastic pot it is in inside the jar, and the roots growing upwards, are not a problem?

    But I should take it out of the glass jar, right?
  • TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
    Nanny Beach, thank you for your post! I replied with some questions but it's awaiting moderation. Some are answered now, and I've been looking up rain water for orchids, how interesting. I'm going to try collecting some.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Apparently roots growing outside the compost is normal - https://www.orchid.org.uk/phalcult.htm
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    edited February 2022
    An orchid is an epiphyte which means they grow on other plants like trees.  Yes, their roots growing outside the coarse bark like compost is normal.  They need air and super super efficient drainage.

    Yes, take it out of the jar but orchids like to be in a glass container.  Repot with three quarters roots in the compost mix and some of the roots (which are rhizomes) on the top.  The ones on the top should be creamy green like yours are now - healthy. 
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
    Thank you so much tui24. Epiphytes - I can visualise them growing on something else, that really makes sense now.

    OK so I'd take it out of the glass jar, and out of the plastic pot.
    And then get a new larger plastic pot with drainage holes, and a new larger glass jar to put the new pot in? (not sure where I'd find a new glass jar though!)

    Could I reuse the chippings in there? Maybe it would be best to buy a new "coarse bark mixture with added charcoal, perlite (and sphagnum moss, or horticultural sponge, if in quick drying conditions)." (I got that from JennyJ's link).
  • TinyTreesTinyTrees Posts: 7
    JennyJ that's a really good link, thank you.
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