Help...first time owning orchids and i am trying to rescue... - Orchid Board

melissaluedi · #1 (**permalink**) 05-31-2009, 10:52 PM

hello all....
so i am new to orchid ownership and i have taken on some rescues. I bought 3 at the grocery store that were pretty much dead but they were a dollar so i decided to take the challenge on. When I got my 3 home i repotted them and trimmed away all the brown roots. The leaves are very soft and floppy and wilted looking. I have been keeping them in the kitchen window near the dishwasher and sink. They get filtered sunlight never direct. About a week into it i went to check on them and one just completely broke off from the roots so sadly that one got tossed. Oh btw the way one says it is a little sunny and the other says dtps I-Hsin Panada. I have no idea what either one is suppose to look like. I have had these orchids for a few months now and the roots look good....nice and white and green and i have been watering every few days never going longer then a week. I had to trim the spike basically to the leaves because it was brown all the way down.

So my question is what else can I do? Today I transfered them to the bathroom window in hopes that the humidity from the shower will do them good. I am planning on going to get some fertilizer for them too. They are in clay pots and I read to start the humidity tray too. I started that this morning and the water has been drying up fast. I have had to put more in 3 times...given that it is a small clay saucer so there is not much room anyways. There does not seem to be any new leaves attempting to grow or a spike.

I also have another one that was given to me when I told someone I bought some. This one looks good as far as the leaves and roots. Nice and green and shiny are the leaves and nice looking roots. looks like there is a new leaf trying to grow. One leaf ripped/broke and fell off. The roots seem to be growing but there is no evidence of a spike trying to form at all either. The person said before they have almost had it a year and hasn't changed. I think this one is just a phal orchid.

Also would I would like to know is when to repot again? I read something that will young new plants to possibly repot every 3-6 months. I have all of them in the orchid mix with charcoal, bark and styrofoam. The 2 pitiful looking ones have moss around them. I am very careful to water with warm water and no to let any get on the leaves and to let the water drain through. sigh....any advice is very greatly appreciated. My grandmother had a gorgeous one with multiple blooms and she says she does nothing to it and I am sitting here all worried about mine. i do not know what i am doing wrong....

thanks for all the help....melissa

Ranchnanny · #2 (**permalink**) 05-31-2009, 11:15 PM

Melissa, welcome to the OB.... first of all do not over pot them meaning the pots should not be to big. I would remove any moss that is around the roots etc. It stays to wet and can rot roots. I only repot my orchids every year or two unless the medium is breaking down. The roots like lots of air circulating around them. I have a tendency to let them dry out a bit so as not to over water them. Avoid getting water in the crown to avoid crown rot. I am sure you will get more advice from other here on the OB. I am growing orchids now for about 4.5 years and I am still learning. You must remember not to let the pots sit in water. Most of mine are in S/H medium (hydroton). Its a learning process for sure. Good Luck

Sheridan

melissaluedi · #3 (**permalink**) 05-31-2009, 11:23 PM

thanks....i have been super careful about not getting water on the crown. and i was hesitant about the moss. i will take that off. the two little ones are in small pots. i was also thinking about getting some of the plastic pots to put them in as well. how can you tell when the medium is broken down? and if i keep them in the bathroom with the humidity from the shower should i keep a humidity tray too? me and my boyfriend normally shower in the mornings and we like hot showers so there will be lots of humidity. i do not want to over humidify (if that is a word lol)

Zoi2 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-31-2009, 11:38 PM

Hi Melissa and welcome to the Orchid Board. If you could post a few pictures of your plants, it would help in answering your questions.
Humidity is good, but the plant and roots also need good air circulation.
Joann

Blueszz · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 05:51 AM

Hello Melissa, welcome to Orchid Board!

Mastiff · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranchnanny

Melissa, welcome to the OB.... first of all do not over pot them meaning the pots should not be to big. I would remove any moss that is around the roots etc. It stays to wet and can rot roots. I only repot my orchids every year or two unless the medium is breaking down. The roots like lots of air circulating around them. I have a tendency to let them dry out a bit so as not to over water them. Avoid getting water in the crown to avoid crown rot. I am sure you will get more advice from other here on the OB. I am growing orchids now for about 4.5 years and I am still learning. You must remember not to let the pots sit in water. Most of mine are in S/H medium (hydroton). Its a learning process for sure. Good Luck

Sheridan

I can only add don't feed them with a fertilizer untill they are totally recover. When they are not in good shape is safer use only water.

Good luck!

melissaluedi · #7 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 09:58 PM

ok i will work on some pictures....it is not stuffy in the bathroom because the doors stay open the the air/fan are on but that room seems to be the warmest and i figured with the humidty that is good....the roots look good to me(i have been comparing them to other pics on here-thanks for those) it is just the leaves....they are not healthy....and there looks to be no leaves or spikes....but i see new roots...yea i think