what have I done?

[libbybnb]

I was given an archid for my birthday and was told to place the pot in a dish that would hold water and fill it with water, to let the plant soak it up. I did this and the petals are now wilted and turning brown. Does anyone know what happened and better still can it be fixed?

[cb977]

Hi Libby

I moved your thread into the Beginner forum, I think it will get more attention here

Sounds to me like you may have rotted the roots of the orchid. Are the roots brown/black and mushy or do you see any that are whiter with nice tips?

If you could post a picture of the plant and roots, we'll be able to help you better.

If you need any help, let us know

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

For most commercially available orchids sold in places like Trader Joe's or the Home Depot, the general rule is not to sit the potted plant in a dish of water.

If you see where they grow in nature, it'll make a lot more sense. Some orchids grow on trees, and the one you have is most likely either a Phalaenopsis hybrid, Dendrobium hybrid, Oncidium hybrid or Oncidium inter-generic hybrid, Cymbidium hybrid, or Cattleya hybrid. The ones I mentioned except for the Cymbidium are all epiphytical plants growing on trees.

I highly recommend checking out the Orchids in the Wild forum of the OB. Many members have posted lots of pics of orchids in the wild.

But...

To address your issue, what kind of potting media is the plant growing in?

What does the potting media look like now?

What kind of orchid is it?

What are your growing conditions like? Include temperature ranges between night and day, and all the seasons your area experiences. Light exposure is important information as well. Relative humidity is good to know as well.

What general area do you live in and what is the USDA zoning?

Do you grow indoors or outdoors?

Is there air circulation?

Do you keep it near an air conditioner?

Did you ever cut the living roots back because they looked unsightly crawling out of the pot?

Like Susanne had mentioned, what do the roots look like now?

How big of a pot are they in?

What kind of pot are they grown in? Does it have drainage holes?

What condition was the plant in when you got it? What condition is the plant in now?

Do you have pics of this plant? It helps answer many of the questions I asked.

Have you ever grown orchids before? I only ask to know for sure what your track record is so far, even though I really believe that this may most likely be your first one or first few ones.

Lastly, do you have books on how to grow orchids? If not, would you like the members here to give you recommendations?

[libbybnb]

I have never owned an orchid but thought that you watered them about every 14 days. The guy that gave it to me gave me those instructions(ha). The only info on its type was removed, I guess when he repotted it before giveing it to me. He also said that he trimed off the roots as they were sticking out of the pot. I may just have to mark it up to experience and try again with yu guys for directions. don't know

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Trimming living roots is not good. Orchid roots help the plant grow very, very strong.

Orchids, unlike many other plants, breathe primarily through their roots systems.

Like most plants, however, the orchid's roots provide not only a way to anchor the plants, but also is part of a complex water storage system and nutrient super highway.

Trimming the roots to an orchid is to me like me cutting off your arms at your elbows and your legs at your knees. Then stapling your mouth into a hole large enough for a straw to get through. To top it all off I'd grab a clothes pin and put it on your nose. All because I thought it'd make for a "neater you".

Doesn't sound very good does it?

It also sounds ridiculous, don't you think?

[TylerK]

Some other questions to consider:

How long have you had the plant?

How many times have you watered it?

Did you ever get water right on the flowers?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The plant's not dead until the "fat lady sings" btw.

Forgive the dark humor if you're offended by it. Maybe too grisly of an illustration to a point I wanted to make.

Also pretend that you can eventually grow your limbs back and take the clothes pin off and remove the staples from your mouth. You know, just like how a plant can grow new roots.

[RosieC]

Hi Libby and welcome to Orchid Board

First of all the advise to keep it in a dish of water is not good. It's exactly what should be avoided for most orchids.

Can you post a pic of your orchid? That should help us to tell what broad type it is and give you more advise.

If you have problems posting pics take a look at the link below.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...chidboard.html

[WhiteRabbit]

I used to water my orchids mostly by soaking the pots - I got my first orchid from a grower and those were his instructions - don't think I ever killed any that way. I did not leave the pot sitting in water at other times. I do think the water 'every 14 days' would likely not be enough during summer, if its potted in bark. Tho I don't know about in moss.
Please post pix if you can.
Also you said the petals are browning and wilting - how does the plant look?

[RosieC]

I should clarify that I also water mine by soaking. Actually more by dunking them in water up to the top of the pot for about half an hour.

But as WhiteRabbit said, it should not be left standing in water for long periods of time.