I'm Clueless!! Please Help!!

[pmitchOC]

Hi Everyone & thanks in advance for any help I receive ... I've sort of inherited 6 orchids through a let's call it a house sitting situation. I am TOTALLY clueless about orchids let alone careing for any indoor plants. I don't even know if I'm watering them correctly ... YIKES!! There seems 2 be 2 different types here, 4 - SLC. Jewel Box "Scheherazade" HCC/AOS & 2 - Cym. Minneken 'Pink Peak' (pumilum x Rosalita).

I water them once a week but the water runs right through the potting medium so I have no clue if they're getting enough water. I fertilize once a month with a soluable fertilizer, but again, with the liquid running straight through, I don't know if the plants are receiving any benefit.

One of the Jewel Box is deffinitely not healthy. The leaves are limpish & this morning one broke off leaving something what I'll call a little pod (?) on the stem. Picture #3.

So as you can see, I really am clueless & need HELP! lol I just want to know how to keep them alive before learning how to ensure they bloom ... (when the heck do orchids bloom???)

THANKS!!

[masda]

The plants look healthy enough, perhaps you should feed them weakly,weekly with a good orchid food, also the water should run through the potting mix as plants don't like wet feet. The Slc like a wet dry cycle so don't overwater them and they flower mostly from Spring through to Autum. The Cym will flower in spring mostly but requires heavy feeding from mid Autum and then a rest period over Winter. In the warmer months you will need to water more often, keep an eye on the potting media and water if it looks dry.Good luck and always read the forum as all the growers here are great people and will not hesitate to answer questions.

[BikerDoc5968]

Just a point and not to offend, but Masda is from down under so there seasons are not ours and since I'm not terribly familiar with this specific cymbidium, I offer this feeding advice with tongue in cheek.... Cymbidiums usually get more water and food during our (norther hemisphere) spring and summer months. You may find these links helpful: Cymbidium Society of America: Cymbidium Culture

AOS | Cymbidium

As for the pic of the catt....maybe uproot the plant and see what's going on with the roots. The medium looks ok and yes, water should run through.....

[quiltergal]

I agree with Doc, check the roots on the Slc. I had one that started looking that way and it had total root rot. I ended up losing it. If it does have rot you'll need to trim the rotted roots off and repot ASAP and cut back on your watering. If the roots look good then you probably aren't watering enough, that's why the leaves are shriviling. The rest look good!

[Royal]

Welcome and congrats on the new plants! Here's my It looks like you're doing pretty good. The humidity tray is a good sign, and assures us that they're not soaking or sitting with "wet feet". Most orchids hate that, so you're on the right track. As Doc said, water will and should run strait through. Orchid roots need air, and will rot if kept soggy. I'd bet that Terry is right about the Slc. Jewel Box - It may have lost a few roots which is making it wilt. I'd say that your conditions are good, I saw a healthy new root on the big one in one of your pics. That's a good sign. It may take a while to bounce back, but your setup looks good. Just let them dry almost completely before watering again.

The ones with wide, thick leaves are Phalaenopsis. If they're happy there, than the others may not be getting enough light. If they look a little rough, you may want to move just the Phals to a shadier spot.

[masda]

Originally Posted by BikerDoc5968

Just a point and not to offend, but Masda is from down under so there seasons are not ours and since I'm not terribly familiar with this specific cymbidium, I offer this feeding advice with tongue in cheek.... Cymbidiums usually get more water and food during our (norther hemisphere) spring and summer months. You may find these links helpful: Cymbidium Society of America: Cymbidium Culture

AOS | Cymbidium

As for the pic of the catt....maybe uproot the plant and see what's going on with the roots. The medium looks ok and yes, water should run through.....

Yes you are right, the feeding I mentioned for the Cym should have been increase feeding from late winter till flowering time. not autum. oops

[pmitchOC]

WOW!! Thanks for the great responses! As I suspected they set my mind to churning in the right directions & read the night away. I learned that I'm watering & even feeding in a good fashion but it lead to another question. In clay pots, how can i discern if the medium has dried enough for the next watering???

Royal, to give you an idea how clueless I am ... I didn't realize it was a humidity tray ... duh! I added an inch or so of water. Also, from everything I read, I think you're right & I have 3 Phalaenopsis with the suffering plant the only Slc. I suppose we'll see with time how "Julie" progresses.

Terri, I repotted Julie this morning & the roots didn't seem to too bad. Probably wasn't the best time to repot as I watered yesterday & the root structure was a little soft from being damp. I cut out the obvious & the 2 leftover flower stems, so we'll see. Probably just me wishing but I think she enjoyed it. Her leaves seemed to gain some riggidity. Is that possible?

Doc, the links were a great help! Masda, enjoy your summer. I'm in southern NJ & I think our seasons are exact opposites.

Thanks again & expect me to be pestering you all again. LOL

Pete

[BikerDoc5968]

I used to use clay but changed over to clear/translucent plastic because the clay are just too heavy and it is hard to tell when to water. But like with plastic when the pot becomes lighter in weight, it's time to water. About all I use the clay for now is to "show" the plants when I bring them into the home or during the summer when I hang them from my outside deck.

[masda]

It dosn't matter when the seasons are, the orchids require the same care regardless of the time zone, Happy growing.

[priz_m]

Originally Posted by pmitchOC

In clay pots, how can i discern if the medium has dried enough for the next watering???

Pete

Pete, you can stick a wood skewer in the media and test it against your lips, if it looks/feels moist, hold the watering until it comes out dry. It works on phals