Phalenopsis - Help needed :(

[Nach_]

Thanks a lot again.

Actually, just reading in other posts, I decided to make a bunch of additional holes in each of the plastic cups. I have the feeling that the initial single bottom hole may not be enough to clear the moisture or to allow enough Oxygen to circulate. Also, I realized when making the holes that the moss is super tightly packed, so I think that the holes may give some relieve and it's a non-risk move.

[SouthPark]

Nach ...... good call with punching more holes into the bottom of the cup. Also, the method of firmly packed sphagnum provides some (cliche term) 'wicking' effect of water around the pot. As long as the moss is not near any water saturate level, then the moss can quite effectively support small orchids and big orchids. The key is in the grower knowing just how much water to add (and when to add) - and maybe even also - when to refresh/renew the media.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Nach_

Hello, thanks again for the very detailed replies! Seems that so far there are no more flowers (or petals) wilting, but I think the new buds are starting to dry out.

I'm very tempted to water the orchid, but I think I should restrain myself from it because I can feel the media is moist when I put my finger a couple of inches inside. Roots are very green also. Hence, I received the orchids 4 days ago and did not do any watering thus far (again, Im really tempted but I guess that if soil is moist, should wait a bit more).

As promised, I'm sending a few pictures more. 1st two pictures are from the same orchid. 2nd picture the 2nd orchid that has more buds that seem to be drying. The 3rd orchid (last 2 pictures) seems to have healthier buds.

Regarding the Monstera, I live in Jakarta (Indonesia). Here, in general plants are quite cheap:
- Monstera Adansonii is ~2/5 USD
- Monstera Delicisiosa is ~3/7 USD
- Each Phal orchid is ~3/6 USD blooming

Yes, that's bud blast. Much easier to see with the up-close pictures. Happens often with Phals when it encounters a change in its immediate surroundings. All the buds you see that are a reddish color with a yellowing stem are likely not going to open. That tightly packed sphagnum moss is mostly used by commercial growers.

You're right not to water. Wait until the roots you see start to get a grayish silver color, then water. In your humid environment it might not be often. When I'm given an orchid potted like that, I might only be watering it every 10 to 14 days.

Do I see two more little Phals in that last picture? This would be a good time to repot them and get your practice in. What sort of medium do you have available there for repotting orchids, and did you already have ideas about how you're going to grow them? Like in bark, etc.

Monstera adansonni here... a small cutting, around $10 to $15. A decent sized plant with several leads around $45-$60. Ridiculous, because they grow so quickly.

[aliceinwl]

I have a few Phalaenopsis in moss like yours, when the roots get that close to silver, I water mine. Even if the moss is still moist the plant needs water. The extra ventilation holes in the pot are a good move, I do that with mine too.

[Nach_]

Hello guys, thanks for all the advice! Quick update:
- Indeed, it was bud blast. Both orchids lost all the "baby buds" but the ones that were grown up kept healthy so far, and I got 2 flowers blooming
- Overall, the condition of the flowers that were wilting did not deteriorate, only the petals that wilted before
- Regarding the 2 "juvenile" orchids, the shop send them as a gratitude. I think is a good idea to repot them and I order different media in order to do so.

Now, what worries me is that one of the 2 small orchids has developed some yellow spots in one leaf, and it feels quite sticky to the touch. Im worried it's some kind of pest but I'm uncertain what to do.

Thanks again!

[SouthPark]

Give that leaf a spray of isopropyl alcohol ----- and gently wipe away the sticky whatever-it-is with a soft tissue. Then dispose of the tissue. Don't let it touch other parts of the plant.

If you have a growing area with gentle air-movement, then that can be beneficial for the orchid.

[Roberta]

Just to add to SouthPark's suggestion (alcohol will go after pests) take a look at the underside of the leaf - scale will often do its actual attack on the underside of the leaf (it is visible as a white or yellow spot), that pulls chlorophyll from the top too. If you don't see evidence of a bug on the underside, it could be old damage - if a leaf gets bug-damaged, the bug can be killed, but the damage to the leaf doesn't go away, but won't harm anything.

[Nach_]

Guys, thanks again for all the advice! The orchids look stable, dropped some buds, open others. The baby ones seems to be okay as well, cleaned up the wound and realized that it's not new, it was already there in the pictures I took when I received it.

I checked with the orchid nursery and I guess that I found the potential reason of the bud blast. They had much more light before than what they have in their new home. And here the complexity (and additional advice seeked) comes .

So, I live in Jakarta. This is pretty much on top of the Equator, and that has implications. Days last 12 hours pretty much the whole year as you all know. Now, the sun, the sun here is different. 5 months a year it comes from the north, 4 months a year it comes from the south and the remaining 3 pretty much with little angle (from the roof).

What this implies is that my apartment with south-facing windows is as of now getting what I consider is insufficient light. I measured it using a camera and its basically ~200 FC tops.

Now, in December, that will highly likely become up to 5000-10000 FCs, gradually.

My question is, in this super complex and changing environment , how do you think orchids can thrive? Is this okay for Phals to be healthy and manage to bloom? What about Den Phals?