Did I freeze my orchids??

[orphansparrow]

So, today I bought my first 2 orchids. On the walk back home, I think they may have froze. (frozen?)

They are two, very small (2 inch pots) Phalaenopsis.

I set them on the counter when I got home. After a while I could see that the white one's petals were turning translucent.

I felt the pots & the petals, and they were freezing cold.

What should I do?

Will they make it?

Any advice for me?

Thank you so much.

---------- Post added at 09:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------

oh, also, I just went to check on them just now, also the petals feel very thin and floppy, and I can now see some transparency on the fuchsia colored one as well.

[Bud]

pictures would have been nice to help you better...Phalaenopsis are tenacious plants I dont think they will freeze in 20 min of walking home...unless you walked home for 6 hrs...
transluscent leaves is kind of scary even opaque(Phal leaves are bright apple green while young and turns deep green as they mature=transluscent?=you cannot see through them even if you put them under lights)...freezing wont do transluscent but radioactive meltdown maybe...
dont get worried...they didnt freeze...
maybe water them from your sink with tepid water next week...
I assumed that you have already watered it...what is the pot media? is it in moss or coarse media?
look up Phalaenopsis culture and discover a watering regimen that works for you...
sta fe has bright sun so put t in a shady part of the window...heater...humidity tray and youre set

[orphansparrow]

hi bud,

Thank you so much.

No, it's not the leaves that are transparent, but the petals. The leaves look normal dark apple green.

The substrate is just some sort of bark.

I didn't water it yet, but I will right now.

I will try to get a photo tomorrow.

And you're right, the walk was only 15 minutes, but the petals do look quite a bit different than they did in the store.

[Bud]

Trust in your instincts...the store dont water them much..so its best to water them immediately when you get home...I even repot it to look at how the roots are doing...but let me have you research and get acquainted with your plant first and soon you will want to replant ...I would like to see the pictures because I want to know if the media is fresh or is it decaying>...if fresh no worries at all...but if its in a moss thats cramped into a big clump of mass...I would be worried because a mass under the roots will give it root rot as time passes(might as well repot now)

[silken]

Welcome to Orchid Board! I didn't realize you had freezing temperatures in New Mexico! Was it freezing as you walked home? If so, it is possible that the delicate petals suffered from the cold. If they are limp and translucent you may lose them. But with luck you will have some more buds develop and hopefully the leaves and roots will be OK. Phals are a tropical plant so cannot tolerate temperatures near freezing. Hopefully your walk was short enough that it will be fine.

It is a good idea to repot your Phal soon after bringing it home. Often even if they have bark around them, there can be a ball of wet moss in the centre of the root ball. Most orchid roots need some air and if the roots are constantly wet, root rot can set in very quickly. Many people pot their Phals in medium bark chunks, or coconut husk chunks or like me, I mix sphagnum moss and some bark chunks and mine are happy that way. They need to become nearly dry before watering and be in a pot that has some air holes. They should never sit in water either. Once you check the roots. If there are any dead or rotten (brown and mushy) ones, cut them off. Only leave firm white or green roots. They are kind of silvery white when dry and turn green when wet. They should be in a pot that is only large enough to hold the roots. Over potting also leads to root rot because it can't dry out fast enough. Good luck with your new orchids!

[orphansparrow]

Originally Posted by silken

Welcome to Orchid Board! I didn't realize you had freezing temperatures in New Mexico! Was it freezing as you walked home? If so, it is possible that the delicate petals suffered from the cold. If they are limp and translucent you may lose them. But with luck you will have some more buds develop and hopefully the leaves and roots will be OK. Phals are a tropical plant so cannot tolerate temperatures near freezing. Hopefully your walk was short enough that it will be fine.

It is a good idea to repot your Phal soon after bringing it home. Often even if they have bark around them, there can be a ball of wet moss in the centre of the root ball. Most orchid roots need some air and if the roots are constantly wet, root rot can set in very quickly. Many people pot their Phals in medium bark chunks, or coconut husk chunks or like me, I mix sphagnum moss and some bark chunks and mine are happy that way. They need to become nearly dry before watering and be in a pot that has some air holes. They should never sit in water either. Once you check the roots. If there are any dead or rotten (brown and mushy) ones, cut them off. Only leave firm white or green roots. They are kind of silvery white when dry and turn green when wet. They should be in a pot that is only large enough to hold the roots. Over potting also leads to root rot because it can't dry out fast enough. Good luck with your new orchids!

thank you so much Silken.

well, it's not quite freezing temperatures here, it's about 13 degrees. however, when i came inside the house my fingers were red and numb. so, cold enough i guess.

i'm just really sad that the petals are droopy, and thin, and translucent now, since i just got the plants.

however, i will not give up on them, and will repot them asap. i do not have pots here at the ready, so i will get some tomorrow or the next day. i will also buy some substrate and fertilizer. and then i will inspect the roots. and thanks for your advice on pot size. i would not have known that!

poor little guys, i can't believe i hurt them so quick!

i hope they forgive me soon.

[RosieC]

It sounds to me like the flowers maybe blasted in the cold, meaning you will loose the flowers. But if the leaves of the plant look OK then I think it they will recover and you then have the fun of getting them to bloom again

Phals are warmer loving orchids, but 20min walking home should not have killed the plants. Flowers on the other hand can blast easily with just slight changes in conditions, sometimes even in good weather just bringing them home from the shop can cause it.

[silken]

orphansparrow, you may not even need a new pot depending what yours are planted in. If it is a flimsy clear pot then you will likely want to change it. But if its a firm plastic pot then the roots will likely fit back into it. Just make sure that it has drain holes so water can drain and some air can get in there. repotme.com is a source some people use for pots and good fertilizer, potting media etc. Even if the flowers blast, don't cut the bloom stem until it turns brown and dies because it may send out another branch or continue to bloom from the tip.

[orphansparrow]

Originally Posted by RosieC

It sounds to me like the flowers maybe blasted in the cold, meaning you will loose the flowers. But if the leaves of the plant look OK then I think it they will recover and you then have the fun of getting them to bloom again

Phals are warmer loving orchids, but 20min walking home should not have killed the plants. Flowers on the other hand can blast easily with just slight changes in conditions, sometimes even in good weather just bringing them home from the shop can cause it.

good to know, that makes me feel a little better. poor little cold things.

Originally Posted by silken

orphansparrow, you may not even need a new pot depending what yours are planted in. If it is a flimsy clear pot then you will likely want to change it. But if its a firm plastic pot then the roots will likely fit back into it. Just make sure that it has drain holes so water can drain and some air can get in there. repotme.com is a source some people use for pots and good fertilizer, potting media etc. Even if the flowers blast, don't cut the bloom stem until it turns brown and dies because it may send out another branch or continue to bloom from the tip.

they're in sort of a flimsy clear pot. and thanks for the website, and the advice on not cutting the stem. we'll see what happens!

[Merlyn]

Since we're digressing into advertising plugs, I must recommend QuarterAcreOrchids.com as a reputable source for orchid supplies.