Phaleonopsis Harlequin Orchid Yu Pin Pearl

[Edwin Reffell]

My daughter gave me an orchid for father's day. It is I have discovered a harlequin orchid Yu Pin Pearl. Although I have tried to care for it the buds are dropping off. Every week I immerse it in room temperature tap water for several hours. Then I let the water drain off. Is this the correct way to water it? Does it need a lot of humidity? Since it is winter here and gets dark in the afternoon I have it on a table before a window facing south to get as much light as possible. Thank you for any help for the care of this orchid. I am a complete beginner but would like to look after the orchid as best I can.

[Orquiadicto]

First of all, welcome to this board. You've come to the right place. Here are many people eager of sharing their knowledge.
Before giving you some advice, first a few questions:
- in what medium is your plant planted?
- is it in a transparent pot?
- can you see the roots inside the pot?
I'd say watering it every week immersing it for several hours is way too much water. If you can see the roots that are inside the medium, have a look at them. If they are green, don't water. If they are silvery/green, water it (immerse it for some minutes, not hours). If the roots look dark, they may have rotted.

[Edwin Reffell]

Thank you for your reply. The medium looks like bark. It is in a transparent pot and I can see the roots. They are green. Previously I watered it by holding the pot under the tap a few minutes but all the water ran out immediately. That is why I immersed it in room temperature water for several hours. Will the medium get moist enough if I only have the pot immersed a few minutes? Perhaps it does not need to soak up a lot of water contrary to what I thought. This is the first time I have tried to look after an orchid properly so I am grateful to you for any advice you post.

[Orquiadicto]

If the roots are green, your plant is OK. When you say the buds drop off, do you mean unopened buds, or wilted blooms. How long do you have this plant. It is quite normal that a plant looses some buds when taken home from the nursery. This is caused by the change in light, humidity and temperature between the nursery and your home. Could you post a picture of the entire plant, so we can see what it looks like?

[Edwin Reffell]

It is small undevelopened unopened buds that drop off. I got the orchid on Sunday November 11th this year. The only camera I have is the webcam on my computer and I do not know if I can take a picture of the whole plant with that. The image I attached was one I found on the internet when I was looking to see what the orchid was called and how to look after it. I know nothing about orchids. The plant I have has 3 large and 1 small leaf, 4 stems, 9 opened flowers, 3 large buds, 1 flower that looks like it has finished flowering and a few very tiny buds which I fear may fall off before they develop and flower. It is about 25 degrees centigrade in my flat and the air is not dry since I keep the door to the balcony open. The kitchen window where I have put the orchid to get most light is not exposed to draughts or the cool air from the balcony.

[Edwin Reffell]

Thank you for your excellent advice. Now that I have been doing as you said the white orchid I got from work on retiring has 5 large buds, 2 smaller and 2 very small. If I can take a picture with my webcamera I shall post one of both my orchids to the site but I do not know if that is possible.

[james mickelso]

First you are watering the orchid waaaaaaaay too much. Orchid roots are covered with a spongy covering called velamin and this material absorbs water just like a sponge and keeps it available for the actual root inside the covering to absorb. Just running water through the media for a minute or so is sufficient for the velamin to absorb enough water. The temperature difference between the tap water and the room temperature roots can be enough to make the buds "blast" or fall off prematurely. Also room dryness or humidity can blast buds. Once week watering may or may not be sufficient to keep your orchid growing happily. Here's what I do to guage if the orchid is thirsty. I water the orchid very well and then let it drain for 10 or 15 minutes. I then pick it up and "feel" how heavy it is. Then a week later (sufficient time to allow it to become completely dry) I pick it up again and "feel" how light it is. Then I water it again and "feel" how heavy it is. Once I know the difference in weight (easy to do if you practice it) I pick it up once every couple days and "feel" how heavy or light the pot is. If it is significantly lighter, I water it. Until then I just enjoy the flowers or in my case the growth of the orchid. Right now the phalaenopsis is growing (if at all) very slowly and doesn't need much water. Once the sunlight levels start getting higher, it will start to grow more rapidly (for orchids anyway).