Cirrhopetalum Lovely Elizabeth questions - Orchid Board

kiki-do · #1 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 10:03 AM

I'm hoping someone can help me. I received an orchid in the mail from Minn. on Wednesday. It is a gift from a dear friend. It's a Cirr. rothschildianum 'Red Chimney' x Elizabeth Ann Buckelberry' in a 4" solid pot with holes on the bottom. It had two blooms. I believe it is in NZ moss. It was still nice and damp when it arrived. (Shipped Monday and arrived here in Maine on Wednesday afternoon).
I kept it moist but did not add much water as it was damp. Friday one bloom fell off, and yesterday the second fell off. The rhizome that holds two pseudobulbs looks woody and thin. The pseudobulb that hosted the blooms looks good, the older older one has dark around the base of it and the root/rhizome part is up out of the moss loose and is dark. It's all somewhat unstable...not snugly rooted like it should be. I know it's tramatized from the trip, and that is probably why the blooms fell off, but it looks like a plant that was just stuck in and packed with fresh moss.
Questions: Should I use the "wait and see" approach?
Should I take it out and put it into a small hanging 4" wooden box (which I do happen to have) with spagnum moss? Does this sound like improper packaging... I don't know because this is my first mail orchid. I tried to take a picture but it didn't come out well. How long does mail order companies give you to notify them?
I am stumped and not sure what to do about this gift. I really want it to make it! Thanks for any help. kiki-do

kiki-do · #2 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 10:14 AM

Hello again, I am going to try to attach a couple pics to see if you can get an idea. I'm not doing well capturing the base of the plant. Oh well, here goes. kiki-do

ennery · #3 (**permalink**) 10-18-2007, 11:27 AM

Kiki
what happened to you plant just come across
your post??it looked like when it bloomed they cut it off
the main stem ,

kiki-do · #4 (**permalink**) 10-21-2007, 09:46 AM

Hello Ennery, Thanks for asking about my orchid. She is still alive. It's not doing much of anything. I have her in moist NZ sphagnum moss in a wine basket for good air flow and mist her daily. The rhizome is brown and woody, but plant is still green. I am going to try to attach a picture. I think you are right about them cutting off the main stem. Again, thanks for asking and giving me some imput. kiki-do