Well, I have killed my first orchid. I feel worse because it was my mother's, and I've been reassuring her for months that she won't kill it! I was right... she didn't but I think I might have.
Last weekend all the flowers fell off, almost overnight. Turns out my Grandmother had turned the heating up during the day and then overnight the temperature had dropped quite significantly. I trimmed the spike, and repotted in bark with perlite. It had been in loose sphag, and some of the roots weren't in great shape, so I trimmed them too. The leaves looked great, and I moved it upstairs to a bedroom on a shaded east facing windowsill. Mum didn't water it again till this morning when she noticed all the leaves were just lying in the bark!!!
What I'd like to know is where you think I went wrong so I can make sure I don't do it again! I'm not 100% sure what this one has been a victim off - my first thought was crown rot, but I wonder if it's root rot? There is a big mushy mess where the leaves have fallen off. There was a white furry mould growing around the base of the roots and crown, but I rinsed it off to get a better look. Some of the roots are black, smelly and mushy, too.
Mum has ask me to rescue it... I've told her that I don't think that the whole of Orchidboard could put this humpty back together again!
I've got 8 thriving (I think) phals myself, and have repotted all of them without a problem. However there are some things I did or didn't do this time, which may have contributed!
1. Didn't dab the cut roots with cinnamon.
2. Didn't sterilise the scissors.
(I always do these things usually - I have no idea why I didn't this time!!)
3. Potted it quite deep in the bark - can the crown rot from lower down??
Could those have been the cause in just 7 days? Or do you think it started earlier, before I repotted?
The pics below aren't some creature from the deep... they actually are the remains of this poor fella.
If you've any thoughts I'd be glad to hear them!
Nicky
Phal post-mortem...
Threaded Mode
