My Flower died before it opened?

[Becca]

Hi again everyone. I have a Lc. Merry Song I just received in the last couple of weeks and it looked healthy. It came in spike with a flower that looked like it was about to open. I keep it at work so it may have been not as bright as it would have liked during the day on the weekends since the lights are off during the day, but it is sitting across the room from a window, which is already filled with other orchids. I do not have a humidity tray for it yet either, but that is next on my list to do. Anyways, back to my question....I came into work today and found that the bud was turning black and the sheath (name?) that was protecting it turned yucky black brown as well and the psuedobulb is a redblack, now more black, color as well. The plant didn't look sick when I got it. Any idea? It was shipped to me, so maybe it just took time for it to show the signs of stress from shipping? I am so disappointed, I was really looking forward to seeing it bloom!

[Ross]

Just a guess. It's been cold outside, right? My guess is you just experienced what we call bud blast. This is common for many species this time of year when the blossoms look goreous in the store but the buds/flowers fall off a couple days after getting the plant home. Orchids really need pretty consistent temps and humidity/watering condions to successfully bring the buds into blossoms. Not to worry, the plant is probably OK and will bloom next year (given proper care.)

[justatypn]

the bud was turning black and the Sheath (name?) that was protecting it turned yucky black brown as well and the psuedobulb is a redblack, now more black, color as well.

Bud blast indeed, but what I am not understanding or way of verbage..."yucky black / the psuedobulb is a redblack"...I am thinking you might mean mushy???...if this is the case I am going to sway toward overwatering without good air circulation.

Where you have it located is there good air circulation? The over the weekend light discrepancy should not have a huge barring on what I feel might be rot.

[Becca]

The more I look at it, the pseudobulb is a blackish color....I wish I had a picture to send, maybe tomorrow. It is still hard, just a black color with some small amount of green variation. I am not sure if this color is normal or not, the older pseudobulbs are green. I have a fan circulating the air that I leave on all the time. I have barely had the plant for a little over a week if I remember correctly.

[smartie2000]

Could it also be something that might be fungal....

[justatypn]

That's my line of thinking Fren...it is going to be a hard call until we can get a visual..... please!!!

[Tindomul]

Have you checked on the roots? I recently got a Blc. with black roots. Looked healthy on the outside, with blooms and all.

[Becca]

Yes, the plant was sent bare root. Some of the other plants sent to me with this plant I posted questions on previously and the seller as actually sending replacement plants for the two that were in such bad shape. I think the plants just got severly dried out, but this one didn't look as bad as the other one's. The roots were all really white, but I think they were more white because they were dried up.

[smartie2000]

These roots are usually white on these types of orchids....
If they were dried up they would have been wrinked

[Tindomul]

Dried up roots look wrinkly and are stiff and brittle. And not a pretty white.