wilting petals and roots

[emsta]

Hi, Ive just joined this forum, I bought an orchid a few weeks ago. Ive just watered it a little as the woman said to water a tiny bit every 2 weeks. I have 11 flowers on it alltogether,but the early petals are wilting and the roots are becoming a kind of light whitey green and dry on the ends. I live in spain so do i need to water it a little more. Thanks for any help.

[tuvoc]

Welcome aboard, emsta. We need to know what kind of orchid you have, and your growing conditions, before we can really help. Pictures also help a lot. Post any you have, and ask away. Above all enjoy your time here, as well as your new orchid.

Kim

[emsta]

Hi, hopefully Ive attached the photos right. I hope I can revive my orchid somehow, and its not dying. Thanks for the help.

[bonsai1504]

it loosk like it needs a little more water.

[emsta]

Ok, ive just watered it quite a bit. About a cup full. Maybe I should water once a week rather than every 2 weeks. Thanks.

[bonsai1504]

i pot mine in a clear pot and when the roots turn white i water. very simple.
(looks like a good root system!)

[emsta]

Thanks, Im just too scared to over water. Its so hot here now though that I prob need to water more.

[sucuz]

It's not so much that you are putting too much water on it as not letting it sit in water. When you water, water throughly. The white roots will turn greyish-green to quite green as they absorb water and begin the process of photosysthesis. Let the plant stand in the sink for a couple of minutes so that the water can drain out of the bottom of your plastic pot. When the dripping stops, your plant is ready to go back to the spot where you are growing it. When the roots turn white again, it's time to water again.

Your wilting flowers could be a result of lack of water. Could be that they are mature blossoms and it is time for them to drop off. They usually (though not always) begin dropping from back to front as that is the order that the blossoms open when your phal goes into bloom. The 'stem' of the mature blossoms will usually darken, turn pinkish, or yellowish before they drop off, which may clue in to that they are just done blooming and not something that you did wrong.

Don't panic. You're doing fine.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by bonsai1504

i pot mine in a clear pot and when the roots turn white i water. very simple.
(looks like a good root system!)

I do the same. When we got the first Phal a few years ago my husband was really impressed that this plant could tell us when it needed watering by changing root colour.

How often you need to water varies based on so many factors. I have three on the same window ledge and one needs watering more often that the others because it's in new bark when the others are in older bark. It looked from you photo like you had a clear pot so using the root colour as a guide is probably the best way.

I usually water really thoroughly, sometimes even standing it in water for an hour or so. But it is very important to ensure the water is drained well afterwards.

I use an outer decorative pot which is one and a half inches taller than the inner clear pot and has a ledge inside arround one and a half inches above the bottom. (I think it may be specially for orchids as it was being sold alongside phals in the shop.) The inner pot sits on the ledge clear of the bottom with it's top level with the top of the outer pot. This is great as any excess water can drain into the outer pot and be far away from the plant. After watering I hold the plant over the sink until most of the water has stopped running out, then leave it in the outer pot to continue dripping.

[emsta]

Thanks so much. Ive got it in the sink draining and ive noticed a difference in the roots already, they look more plump, and the stem of the flowers are yellow so the flowers have just run there course. Thanks again for the great advice.x