Gifted an Orchid & Afraid to Touch It, Need Help!

[Mxewest0099]

My fiancé gave me an orchid (2nd time he’s done this) I put the first one in the window years ago and watered it like a regular plant, it died. 5 years later he got me another, as I’ve got a few house plants now I guess he thought I could handle it. He bought a pot and orchid mulch, and followed the instructions the salesperson gave him and repotted it before he gave it to me. I am reading now, this may jeopardize the plant. I have no idea what kind of orchid this is, and it’s roots are sticking up above the mulch!! I can still see the dirt from previous pot, & I’m not sure if there’s enough mulch/soil/potting mix covering it. I’m afraid to touch it since they are so sensitive. Should I try to repot him and stick those roots back down in there? He’s already appearing to wilt and close up on me and I don’t want to kill a second one. I understand it may not be my fault since he was trying to be nice and put it in a pretty pot for me and not give me “more work to do” by giving me an unpotted plant (lol), but I want to do what I can to help keep this one alive, it’s so pretty! I will attach pictures. Please help me! It makes me super sad when I kill a plant due to lack of knowledge, and I’m a little overwhelmed with the amount of info. On orchids when I try to research it myself. Thank you so much!

[Lady Oscar]

I'm only a beginner, but from my limited experience:

1) Your orchid is a Phalaenopsis. They're very sturdy, so you will not kill it by touching it, or even repotting it!

2) Phals are epiphytic, meaning that in nature, the roots are all just out in the air clinging to trees, rocks, etc. Potting an orchid with medium lets you water less often, but the roots do not need to be in medium, and any air roots that are stuffed into the medium will not do well. Don't worry about covering all the roots.

3) The pot with the holes in it looks good, as do the big bark chunks. The dirt-like bits around the bark aren't a good thing, since the roots want air circulation around them and to pretty much dry out between waterings. Whether it's worth repotting to get rid of it I don't know.

4) Water it thoroughly (for example, by taking it to the sink and letting water run through the pot for 30 seconds or so), then let the plant dry out until the roots are silvery rather than green.

5) There's lots more Phal advice in the "The Phal Abuse End Here" sticky post at the top of this board.

6) For the more knowledgeable people here to give you advice, it would help to know your general location and growing conditions.

I hope some of this helps with your pretty Phal!

[Mxewest0099]

Thank you soooo much for the info! I will wait to figure out if it’s worth repotting or not.

[Mountaineer370]

Welcome to the board! To echo some of Lady Oscar's comments, first, don't be afraid of your orchid, they aren't as sensitive and delicate as some of us are led to believe. You won't hurt it by simply touching it.

As mentioned, you have a Phalaenopsis, or Phal for short. And it's true, those roots sticking out into the air are very normal.

Here's a link to the sticky thread called "The Phal Abuse Ends Here," which has a lot of helpful information for beginners. It's long, so don't try to absorb all of it at once. But I think you might find it helpful:

The Phal abuse ends here.

From the pictures, it looks to me like several of your flowers are already starting to wilt. I'm not sure why that is, since I didn't see the condition of them when the plant was bought and before it was repotted, but I just want you to know that, just because the flowers dry up and fall off, it does not mean your orchid has died. There is a natural blooming cycle, and with proper care, yours will bloom again in a year or so.

[Keithj]

Phalaenopsis are a great beginners’ orchid as the hybrids you find in many shops are very robust. They are perfect for windowsills that get plenty of light but not direct sunlight. They like the kind of room temperatures we do so if you’re comfortable your orchid will be, too. As the outside temperature falls they’ll get enough of a signal through the glass to trigger their blooming cycle.

I water mine once a week pretty much all year. I’m lucky that my tapwater is not very hard and all my orchids do well with it. If you suffer from hard water you’ll need to find an alternative supply for your plant because, in the wild, they only see rainwater.

So don’t be frightened of your orchid and don’t be afraid to ask questions here. As you’ve seen, there is a lot of experience to pick up on.

Keith

[Arizona Jeanie]

Hello and Welcome, Mxewest!
You're in the right place to learn how to care for your orchid. I started out 5 years ago about where you are now. I had to learn a lot. Now my 5 phals are healthy and blooming. There are many on this board who have a lot more plants and more experience, I'm sure they'll advise you also.
It sounds like you've had some success with other houseplants, let me tell you that Phals are different, and need different care. The one thing they aren't is super-delicate, just different.
You've already noticed the roots. You don't normally see the roots on other plants. Learn to take care of the Phal roots and enjoy keeping an eye on them. The roots need light and air, what they don't need is soil. Make sure when you re-pot that you only use an open medium such as bark, don't add any soil or fine material that clogs it up. The aerial roots are normal, no need to force them down into the pot or cover them up. In nature, they would be out helping anchor the plant to the side of a tree.
The flowers will fade and drop, but with proper care it can bloom again next year. Basic care starts with the right potting medium, then includes proper light, water and feeding.
Please keep asking questions here, you'll get a lot of helpful advice.

[Leafmite]

Good luck with your new orchid!