Phal Flower Wilting

[Aya]

I just received a Phal orchid as a gift 2 weeks ago.

Just yesterday, I noticed one of the flowers started wilting - but it wasn't the newest or the oldest, it was right in the middle of the stem.

Is this normal? If not, what could be causing it and what can I do to help the plant?

I appreciate any and all help! Thanks!!

[mayres]

Phals are notorious for prematurely loosing their flowers and/or buds (sometimes called blasting) due to a change of environment from where they were prepared for sale - usually a greenhouse with near ideal conditions - usually quite different from both store and home environments. It usually doesn't mean you did anything at all incorrect. There are some things you can do to minimize the effect (sometimes). Some people will not even purchase phals in bloom for this reason. If you can give the plant good air movement (not cold or hot from an air conditioner or heat vent), keep out of direct sunlight, try to keep in the temp range of 60-75 or so - don't leave in standing water (over watering is the #1 cause of premature phal death), etc. Sad to say many phals have been abused by folks at the place of purchase before they are gifted or purchased and they often begin suffering effects from PRIOR abuse at the time they are acquired as well. Good luck!

[JennS]

Well, with age the flowers will wilt and fall off, not always in order either. Does your plant still have any un-opened buds? If so, the wilting flower is happening for some other reason then age (usually).

I always remove any wilting flowers from at the base of the shoot because I like to tell the plant to stop putting any energy into the dying flower. You don't have to do this, but I like to think it helps.

As for the reason for the wilting flowers, it could be a number of things. Ripening fruits will release gases that cause orchid flowers to wilt and die prematurely if they are kept close enough to the plant. Also, just the change in environment from the store it was purchased in to your home could cause the flowers to start dying earlier. Another contributor could be lack of water or too much. Have you watered it since you have had it? Finally, roots could be an issue. Have you checked on them since you got it? I tend to notice (especially with Phals) that by the time I get the plant the roots are seriously degraded because the medium is usually very broken down, or because they were kept somewhere for sale (like Home Depot or Lowes) that doesn't really know how to care for orchids so they get over watered or under watered.

I would check the roots first to see how they are. I have had a few cases with Phals were there was barely any roots left, but the flowers dropped pretty slow considering what was going on root wise, but faster then an otherwise healthy phal would.

[Aya]

Originally Posted by JennS

Well, with age the flowers will wilt and fall off, not always in order either. Does your plant still have any un-opened buds? If so, the wilting flower is happening for some other reason then age (usually).

I always remove any wilting flowers from at the base of the shoot

Another contributor could be lack of water or too much. Have you watered it since you have had it? Finally, roots could be an issue. Have you checked on them since you got it?

I would check the roots first to see how they are. I have had a few cases with Phals were there was barely any roots left, but the flowers dropped pretty slow considering what was going on root wise, but faster then an otherwise healthy phal would.

Thanks for both of your responses!!

I still have unopened buds, which is one of the reasons I was concerned.

Thanks for the advice to cut it off - I wasn't sure if I was hurting the plant by leaving it on.

Before I watered the orchid, I tried to research how much water to give it... but all I could find was how often. I've watered the plant twice since I received it, both times with Poland Spring from a full bottle to the top of the label. (Is that a reasonable amount? I'm really guessing here)

I did check the roots (they don't seem rotten or anything like that) but in terms of the material they're in - I really don't know what it should look like. What color should the roots be by the way?

[mayres]

It is not the amount of water you give WHEN you water, but the frequency of watering that is an initial challenge. You can't water too much volume - in fact it is good to flush through a good quantity thgouth the pot every few months to wash away any buildup of mineral deposits in the media. Just be sure and make certain that water that flushes through does not stay underneath the pot and become available/continue to keep the bottom portion of the pot/media wet.
When to water is a little more difficult to determine for newbies - there are a lot of factors that affect this - media type, season, where you live, size of plant, etc. Some people find it helpful to use a bamboo skewer poked into the pot along with the plant - pull out the skewer and if it is still damp - don't water. You will soon learn to judge the water retention by the weight of the pot/media/plant as well - if still heavy - also, do not water.
Roots are typically grayish colored when aerial. Roots in the media they often are light tan, or even green if in clear pots. Very dark brown or black is what you don't want. They should be firm - full/plump with obvious growing tips. Not stringy, mushy/soft.

[Aya]

Thats a relief that I can't put too much water... I will try the skewer in the pot trick, thanks!

I touched one of the roots that was sticking out of the material and it's dried out feeling. Is that normal? The color seems to look as you described.

[cabnc]

This was implied but to be sure Aya understood. Be sure the pot the orchid is in has open drain holes. I am surprised how often there are none. Take that pot into a sink and pour your water into the pot media, not on the leaves, and allow all the excess water to go down the drain. You want to give the phal roots a good long shower, not a soaking bath. After the pot drains, dry it off and you can put it back into it's decorative pot where you are displaying it.

Charlie

[Aya]

My pot has holes, but it isn't elevated, so I'm not sure how much use they will be for draining if I put a lot of water.

[sucuz]

Originally Posted by Aya

My pot has holes, but it isn't elevated, so I'm not sure how much use they will be for draining if I put a lot of water.

If you want a little elevation to be certain that your plant doesn't sit in water, you can add something under the plastic pot to raise it a bit. Pebbles, marbles, etc. I use a couple of bottle caps saved from milk jugs or vitamin bottle caps. Just a bit of height in case there is still some dripping, flat enough to be stable.

[Aya]

Originally Posted by sucuz

If you want a little elevation to be certain that your plant doesn't sit in water, you can add something under the plastic pot to raise it a bit. Pebbles, marbles, etc. I use a couple of bottle caps saved from milk jugs or vitamin bottle caps. Just a bit of height in case there is still some dripping, flat enough to be stable.

That's a great idea!! Thanks Sucuz.
Everyone on this board is no quick and helpful - I've never felt so welcome in a forum!

I think I should post a picture of my roots & material tonight. I just watered the plant on Friday but I'm not sure if I'm drying my roots out too much.