Lowe's Clearing Out Orchids

[Desert Orchid]

I want to so badly, but no one in my family will want to drive me to any of them.

[Myrle Diefendorf]

When I get a "bargain" phal from Lowe's I always check out the roots and will buy if they are white or green, then immediately go home, soak it in a weak fertilizer solution for half hour or so, then pull off all that old sphagnum for discard and repot in a bark mix, usually from Fafard's. Mine are all outside now, and get the hose every few days or a weak fertilizer dip once a week.

[butterfly_muse]

Originally Posted by Myrle Diefendorf

When I get a "bargain" phal from Lowe's I always check out the roots and will buy if they are white or green, then immediately go home, soak it in a weak fertilizer solution for half hour or so, then pull off all that old sphagnum for discard and repot in a bark mix, usually from Fafard's. Mine are all outside now, and get the hose every few days or a weak fertilizer dip once a week.

I checked the roots, I thought they were okay, it turns out what looked fat and happy was hollow and rotted. And there were actually some green roots in the top of the mix that I thought went further down. Now I see that they were very short roots that belonged to one of two plants that were potted together to look like one. =(

[KrissieLynn]

Originally Posted by butterfly_muse

Do ittttt. I am so sad, my Lowes doesn't care about their orchids at all. =( They put them outside in high 40s low 50s weather on a cart with all the other clearance plants. I wanted to yell at them, but instead I just rescued as many as were salvageable. I'm a sap. And I'm also new to the orchid world so I won't feel so bad if a few die, lol. They were inexpensive anyway.

The Lowe's I got my two from the other day has a lady who is interested in them so they're semi taken care of. The other two that are close by aren't fortunate enought to have some one who enjoys orchids enough to try. I have yet to discover any orchids outside at any of these three (yay!).

[Myrle Diefendorf]

Oh well, just cut off the bad ones and dust them with dry cinnamon (antibiotic, anti fungal) and repot whats left in a small pot with moist new sphagnum and bark mix that been dampened, put it where it gets either fluorescent light or morning sunshine, and mist the leaves every so often. You may have luck yet. I have no qualms about taking a plant apart I. the store to really check it out before buying.

[butterfly_muse]

I forgot the cinnamon, dangit (still learning). I actually posted in another thread, that one had white fuzz growing all over it...literally 24 hours later. I dipped in peroxide. Should I try cinnamon?

[Myrle Diefendorf]

Wow, that was a problem. I have used Neem Oil, which is totally harmless to people, as it seems to take care of fungus, scale, mealies etc. You get it in the plant pesticide section and dilute it whatever the directions state in a gallon of water, add a little dish detergent (few drops) to act as a surfactant (spreader)' and either dip the plant in it or spray it on with one of those little hand sprayers, leaves roots and all, but not the flowers.

[butterfly_muse]

It was only on the base of the plant. Would I still spray on the leaves? Is it even worth it for a plant with no roots? Lol. I'm doing sphag and bag with it.

[Myrle Diefendorf]

Sometimes it works with no roots, but not usually.

[Dendy83]

Originally Posted by Myrle Diefendorf

Oh well, just cut off the bad ones and dust them with dry cinnamon (antibiotic, anti fungal) and repot whats left in a small pot with moist new sphagnum and bark mix that been dampened, put it where it gets either fluorescent light or morning sunshine, and mist the leaves every so often. You may have luck yet. I have no qualms about taking a plant apart I. the store to really check it out before buying.

From my understanding you don't dust all the roots because the cinnamon has a drying effect. I use a toothpick on the cut ends of the healthy roots to cauterize the end to prevent any kind of infection to the cut end.