Please save my orchid's life.....

[kgburt]

Im a total newbie to orchids. I was given a beautiful gift at Christmas of a 4 foot tall plant with tiny purple yellow spotted orchids...sort of look like little butterflies. The plant was spectacular with many, many blooms. I tried to read everything I could to make sure I was worthy of this wondrous creature. All was well for about a month...I had it about 2 weeks and then put it in a steamy room. I read orchids like humidity. Then I watered it letting the water drain through. The pot has other things in it as well as the orchid....a small fern and some ivy which seems to be fine. It gets indirect sunlight all day long so I waited about 12 days to water again. The day after that 2nd watering, all the flowers started falling off. OMG, it was like they jumped off the stem to get away from me. The following day, the rest fell off as well. That was a week ago and now I noticed one of the large leaves is starting to yellow. Sooo, I read some more....too much water, too little water, too little sun?? What have I done? Should I leave it alone, move it, give it up for adoption.... Its a plant for heaven's sake and this can't be this difficult. I asked my mom who has a green thumb and she just laughed....said, she killed every orchid she has ever had. Not very encouraging. I am determined to give this orchid a good home. I need the reader's digest condensed version education on how to heal this poor plant. Thank all of you sooooo much!!

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board.

Do you have any pictures of your orchid. There are so many different types that it can be difficult to know what you have without a picture.

Also when they are ill a picture can help diagnose the cause.

If you need help posting pictures take a look here.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...chidboard.html

Having said that your description sounds a bit like one of mine. Does it look anything like this one (don't worry about the colour, but rough shape & flower shape)?


Does it have large bulb like bits amoungst the leaves (called psudo-bulbs or p-bulbs for short).

[RosieC]

Having asked about a picture, because I know that will be needed by people trying to help, I hope someone else will be able to help. I only bought this one in December and I am new to this type of orchids (I grow mostly Phalaenopsis orchids which are completely different) so I'm learning about these myself.

Getting us a picture is really the first step so we know what we are dealing with.

A bit of general advise with any new orchid which has turned sickly is to take a look at it's roots. Are they rotted (mushy) and not many of them, or are they looking healthy and plenty of them.

[slipperfreak]

As Rosie said, we will definitely need to know what kind of orchid it is before we can give you specific information, but the first thing I'll say, is that it's not a good idea to have an orchid potted with other plants, because

1) The other plants will rob the orchid of any nutrients in the pot, and
2) Chances are if you've got a fern and ivy in there it's not in a growing medium that is suitable for most orchids, because these plants need more moisture, such as what you would get with a potting soil.

If you've got the plant in a steamy room I can tell you the high humidity will be detrimental without air movement (i.e. fans blowing).

If you can post a picture and/or type what the tag says out for us, we can tell you exactly what to do.

[kgburt]

I dont have a picture and judging from your photo, the leaves look the same, but the flowers were smaller....about the size of a quarter. Its hard to tell, but your flowers look larger. The leaves start from the bottom in one big piece and then spread out. Looks quite interesting actually. I will see if I can figure out what kind of orchid this is to make this easier. I take it there isnt a one stop answer for why my leaves are turning yellow!! LOL!!

[kgburt]

Ok, well I just picked up the pot -- and was quite surprised to see there is no drainage hole in the bottom. When I watered it, water came through the bottom so Im not sure how that happened. I also checked under the moss and sure enough there is soil in there. I take it this isnt the right thing for orchids? Why would someone plant it like this? Likely figured I would kill it in short time and never notice....LOL!! Well, now what? Repot it? I love the look of the fern and ivy with it, but I suppose I will just have a dead orchid and fern and ivy soon, so probably should replant....yes? Is it too late to save it?

[RosieC]

Unfortunately the orchid family is HUGE and there are so many different types which need different conditions

In general the condition of the roots is a good starting point and as Joe said, it may be that high humidity with little air movement could have caused a problem in the leaves.

Is there any way you can take a photo, that really is the best way to understand what is happening to your orchid.

[nenella]

Hi,
I'd be inclined to say the orchid got too wet...
It would really help If you post a picture as Rosie said... Orchids often loose their blooms when their environment is changed...
In order for us to help you please take a photo of your plant (so as to identify which type it is) then take a photo of the leaf (It is normal to for a Bottom leaf to turn yellow ).... also take a photo of the roots...
the other thing I would say is that you DEFINITELY need to repot it Seperately from the fern /Ivy etc....
I am sure that it can be saved!

[RosieC]

I think you need to repot. Most likely it is a sort of orchid which would like a bark orchid mix (although some don't so without knowing what it is it's hard to say).

I tend to think that while there is life there is a chance and I never give up until an orchid is completely dead. I would still say that first thing is to look at the roots.

[slipperfreak]

Originally Posted by kgburt

I dont have a picture and judging from your photo, the leaves look the same, but the flowers were smaller....about the size of a quarter. Its hard to tell, but your flowers look larger. The leaves start from the bottom in one big piece and then spread out. Looks quite interesting actually. I will see if I can figure out what kind of orchid this is to make this easier. I take it there isnt a one stop answer for why my leaves are turning yellow!! LOL!!

It may be an Oncidium, if your plant looks like Rosie's but has smaller flowers. If it has round green "bulbs" at the base (called pseudobulbs), then chances are it is.

I would recommend going out and buying some orchid bark. You can buy it at most greenhouses that sell orchids, including places like Home Depot. You want a medium grade, with chunks that are maybe 1/2"-1" long (quite chunky, but not huge pieces). These mixes also include perlite and charcoal most of the time. Then, soak some in a bucket of water overnight, and tomorrow, repot the plant. You'll want to remove any dead (mushy) roots; live roots will be whitish in color and firm. Put it in a plastic pot with drainage holes that allows for an inch or so of space between roots and pot. You can find more information on this here: AOS | Members Only Area. This is the American Orchid Society website, where you can download culture sheets that will make it easier for you.

I hope this helps.