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Orchid Help Please!

Vbkid

Getting There...
So I've attached some pictures of my girlfriends orchids which she has been slowly accumulating. She recently switched to a east facing window after the plants weren;t doing so hot in a west facing one, but I just wanted to get some input on their health/what needs to be done so they don't die!
The smaller ones have been repotted in an orchid mic, but some larger ones are still in the mainly moss mix they came in which seems to retain moisture for a while.
Some facts: She uses an orchid fertilizer in the water at the recommended proportions. She soaks them about once a week in the water, but some of them seem to stay quite damp at the weeks end.
Any suggestions based on the photos as to what they might need?
Thanks,
Kyle
 
Seems the photos have not made it into the thread.

Depending on the species, if they are still wet after a week, dont soak/water them. The types I grow on windowsills are mostly Oncidiums and Cymbidiums, and they are in a heavy bark mixture with little to no sphagnum. I soak for half an hour every 10-14 days depending on if its been really sunny or cloudy. When we have had a few cloudy days I wait longer as there has been less evaporation in the media.

I had trouble at first with orchids since I was trying too hard to take care of them. In other words I drown them to death with water. Ive found its better to neglect them then to baby them. They do better with too little water then too much water.

But try and repost the photos as it will give us better ideas of what needs to be done depending on the type of orchid.

Andrew
 
Phalaenopsis. I seem to kill them, but they have thick roots which dont like to stay wet for too long. If it was me I would repot into a bark mixture and water only once the media has become dry. When repotting cut any dried or rotted roots. East window will be fine.

The new leaves look fine, but the older leaves are showing a lack of water intake. Now I find this often means the roots have rotted, making them useless for water intake. Also being potted in a moss mixture makes me guess this is the problem.

Once she gets the conditions right they will flower 2+ times a year with some hybrids flowering non-stop.
 
I agree on the rotted roots. I grow my phals in a well drained mix or mounted, no sphag. Also she should only feed at 1/4 of the recommened strength..the rule of thumb in feeding orchids is weekly-WEAKLY.
Finally..orchids can be as fussy about their water as cps can, I use distilled, RO or rain water for mine, but, do not use distilled or RO with fertilizer unless the fert is labeled for such, orchids can't handle the Ph shifts well.
 
chibae: I do the 1/4 strength as well because I use normal houseplant fertilizer. She is using a fertilizer branded for orchids specifically which I have never used. Do you still need to cut the strength down? I would think the manufacturer would have already done this.

Andrew
 
You'd think..but unless it's a very specific brand such as MSU, don't trust it. most of the stuff from places like Shultz comes from the same vat and is rebranded.
 
I agree.

Vbkid: I would compare the nutrient levels of this fertilizer with the one your girlfriend is using and adjust accordingly. Remember though this is for use with water containing low disolved minerals. If she is using tap water you may want to use slightly less. Like water, its better to err on the side of caution and use too little, rather than too much.

Andrew
 
One follow up question:
So the Phal. Orchid Mix i purchased off amazon and transplanted the orchids into is mainly pretty fine bark with some moss and other stuff mixed in. It is very difficult to tell (for me at least) if it is wet or not...how should I go about knowing whether to water them or not? They were last watered last sunday.
 
  • #10
I usually go by the weight of the pot. You will notice a big difference between wet and dry. I also use clear pots which helps. I've also heard of people using skewers and by pulling them out you can tell if the bark is still moist by looking for condensation on the skewer. I would assume wooden skewers would work the best.
 
  • #11
Repot every orchid when you get them. They are packed with so much moss there is no air flow so the plants don't come unpotted in transport. The spots look like sunburn and secondary fungal rot. Phals can take being moist but best bet is to have them dry out. Don't allow water to stay in the crown. And Personally I do not like LFS for orchids. There are some exceptions but phals get a seedling mix.

Shouldn't use house plant fert on orchids. The Nitrogen is in the form of urea and has to be broken down in the soil to be turned into nitrogen. Does no good for orchids. Then the motto for fert is weakly weekly. 1/4 strength of whatever the dose says on the package. once a week. Orchids HATE fert salt buildup.So when you water water the bejesus out of it flushing the pot good. Then don't water again till you can stick a bamboo skewer in the middle of the pot and it comes out dry. Again there are few exceptions like paphs and phrags but the pics you shown were of phals and they need to dry. There are only a few that like to stay moist and they are species.

Repot those babies. Get them into some high humidity and you might save them. The wrinkling int he leaves is dehydration but phals can take loosing roots and be saved. They just need to go into an infirmary so to speak. If you cannot provide high humidity. Repot into fresh mix that has soaked a while in water. Place in a ziplock back and seal. Place in low light so it doesn't over heat and wait till you see signs of new roots growing. Open the back every other day or so. This trick can be used on back bulbs to get new growth started on cattleya or other sympodials. Get those guys out of the LFS. In the case of orchids it is not your friend. You can even grow them in the miracle grow mix. DO NOT get the phal mix. It is a heavy peat moss mix and it is a totally different try of growing.

---------- Post added at 10:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 PM ----------

YOU SHOULD NEVER Water with just a little water!!!!!!!

You CANNOT give an orchid too much water at one time!!!!! NEVER that is the biggest misconseption ever!!!! The way you over water an orchid is by watering them too frequently! If you give jsut a little bit of water the bark doesn't soak anything up and what doesn't get soaked by the roots imediately will got to the medium and allow for fert salts to build up! This goes for ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY other plant as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGG I have had so many people ask me why their plant looks dehydrated. I ask how much you watering it. A gallon at a time but it still looks like it is dying. Bone dry soil will have water just run threw it and it will not retain any moisture. Same goes for orchid bark. When you water water the CRAP out of it. Set it in water for ten min. When I water I water once and when I am done I water again. Or I wait ten min and water again, but I water the bejesus out of things. Then don't water again till dry. I cringe every time I hear the walmart TV say just place an ice cube on your plant to water it. A sure way to KILL it. Learn your plants. In the wild it doesn't rain just a gallon it rains a bunch. Use the skewer trick it works for beginers. If it comes out damp you don't water if it si dry water the mess out of it.

I will say it again. You cannot water too much at a time. You over water by watering too frequently. This goes for Everything you grow.
 
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