orchid emergency

[halation]

i had two orchids when i moved into my in-laws' house. i don't think they've liked the light (too indirect, and not strong enough) but there's not much i can do about that, as they have been on my desk under the window with the best available light... the other windowsills in the house are filled with my in-laws' plants.

going through a rough time, i don't think i watered the orchids as often as i should've in recent months. it's possible i let them sit too long in the sink when i watered/fed them--30 minutes to several hours (on a couple of occasions when i forgot to set a timer). i also just discovered i've been overfeeding them, as i've been doing it 2-4x/month. whoops. one of my two orchids died.

today, i was going to reposition the remaining orchid in its pot, because it has come away from the bark, but when i did so, mold was growing all over the bark/soil media. this poor orchid is down to one tiny emerging leaf and a few short roots. it used to be so healthy. i removed the orchid from the pot, trimmed the dead roots, and set it in a damp paper towel. now i need to repot it. we bought an orchid potting mix at home depot, but it just occurred to me that the orchid is probably way too small for the pot that i have.

this orchid was a gift to me from my boss in chicago in 2002. i don't want it to die. i need some quick advice from someone who knows a lot about orchids. what can i do to help this little one regain its strength? any advice is appreciated. it's so small--what size pot should i use? should i feed it right away? what can i do to nurse it back to health? i'm so worried!

thanks so much!

[katfemme89]

I'm not that experienced but I want to try to help...

I would probably let it dry out for about a week before you water it again, since you said you have a mold problem. dust the roots that you trimmed with cinnamon to avoid infection... as for the pot... just buy a smaller pot. I'd say a 5 inch diameter should be good. Don't feed it for a few weeks. Cause I've heard too much food can kill it.

Welp, there's my two pence!


-Kat

[Lagoon]

G'morning

Its hard to know what pot size/ inches you will need without any photo of the roots.
But go with this .... plant tightly allow 30% of extra room for the new roots to grow in.
Theres nothing wrong with feeding your orchid every week, but the amount of the fertilizer your giving.

What are you using and how much per feeding?
The lighting source: what direction does this window face?

[phalaephila]

If possible, get a desk lamp fitted with a compact fluorescent bulb to supplement light for your plant. I have mine on for 13 hours (on a timer) at this time of year. More light will definitely help an ailing plant.

jeanne

[CodiMN]

Do you have a picture of this little guy? Sounds like it could be a phal?
What kind of fertilizer were you using? Until you feel confident, you may want to mix it on the weaker side to ensure you don't burn your orchid. I like to "feed" my orchids with a spray bottle of fertilizer after I water them.

Have you considered maybe mounting the plant on epiweb, or bark, etc? This might help prevent overwatering or having the orchid sit in water too long and rot the roots. Also with this way, you can "hang" your little orchid near a lamp or light source without taking up a windowsil. And just spray it's roots w/H2O to keep them happy.