How many did you kill? - Sad but make us feel better thread!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Ok, I am pretty sure we all did it. My friends did it, my orchid sellers did it, gardener that takes care of some houses with hundreds of orchids told me he did it. BUT, it is always sad, and in some way upsetting for all of us to LOOSE one of our orchid babies, especially if it is due to our mistakes! I DID KILL 2 THIS YEAR, and one is handing by a thread right now. Oncidium that was going down for quite some time just gave up in March, and my newly purchased gorgeous big Cattleya did not stand our Florida 3 week rain stream as well:-((( Both of these were MY FAULT, did not catch over watering on time I have unfortunately another baby pretty bad sick now, my Dendrobium Heterocarpum, also purchased not even a month ago, and yet over watered again! This one is still fighting though, so I am hopeful and thinking positive thoughts! OK, TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER, I know there are members here with a few orchids, as well as members with a few hundreds (or maybe even thousands???) - Please, can you share, on average, HOW MANY ORCHIDS did you kill, in your lifetime, in a year, or recently? Just though this will make US, still beginners in the process of learning, feel just a little bit better, to know that IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE! Thanks for sharing.

[bellini girl]

Killed a few in the early days. Less now, ever since I hooked up with OB. Lots of great advice here stopped the downward spiral. I once met a big time grower who told me he had " a book of the dead". go figure. You're not alone ...for sure

[DweamGoiL]

OK, I'll bite. I killed 1 in the early 90's and decided against ever even looking at an orchid again. And then recently, I killed a beautiful Phal. I am an overwaterer and I fight that impulse with every ounce of my being every single day so I won't kill any more.

[nenella]

Well, I moved 400kms further South than where I had been living for the last 6 yrs... and I'm at -5 orchids. Seem to have all "stabilised" for now.
I had an Onc Spacellatum flower for the first time as well as my Miltonia spectabilis (project plant) flower for the first time.... So just shows how conditions can change.. also I admit I didn't /haven't been looking after my 'chids like I used to... My Neo falcata is flowering now with 3 spikes; last year flowered a lot earlier in the year and had 7 spikes.... just to give a few examples...

[catherinecarney]

I was at a show once and I mentioned to a breeder that I had killed a lot of orchids. He said "You're not an orchid nut until you kill 10 in a year." My thought was "Well, this is going to be one EXPENSIVE hobby."

I will say I'm doing better--I'm down to about three fatalities this year (Enc. polybulbon, Tolumnia velutina, and a no-ID multifloral phal). All three were doing well until we had a power outage (THREE DAYS due to the incompetence of our power company) after a thunderstorm that knocked out the lights and fan in their terrarium in 90+ degree heat (can we say fungal rot boys and girls?). I was NOT happy....

Over the years (until I discovered OB) I killed a lot more. And, knowing me, I will probably still have losses when I try new plants. I just branched out into begonias (cane/angelwing types and species) and sinningia and have experienced a similar mortality rate. Sigh.

Catherine

[jesscorine]

I finally gave up on a rescue phal...I just cracked the bloom spike and tossed it in the trash. The roots were black, leaves were wrinkly, and I had enough others that were doing better. Now I'm watching my Den Spectabile...I have no clue what's going on. It's shriveled and yellowing in spots but the leaves are still smooth. I have a feeling it might kick the bucket, but I'm not ready to toss it yet. I've actually unintentionally nursed two phals back to life that I had given up on. They both have new leaves and roots so I'm just watching them. The last in question is a phal with great thick, green roots but persistent black rot on the leaves/base. It's so hard to give up on anything!

[Orchidgirl83]

Well, when I first tried to grow orchids I killed two Phals and two Catts from overwatering and neglect. recently when I got back into it, I killed two rescue mini Phals that had no roots.

Oh, I almost forgot the Bellina seedling which also had no roots that died last month

[Joseia]

There is one less Paph in the world because of me. I can't even look at a Paph when I go to my local grower without the poor things trying to grow legs and run away. Almost killed the first two phals I owned, but they finally pulled through - in fact, one has a 12" flower spike growing.

A Neo Stylis Lou Sneary Bluebird got close enough to death to see the Pearly Gates and hear the choir singing. Neostylis - easy plant, they said; forgiving plant for beginners, they said; so easy you can just stick it on a windowsill, they said. Yeah, right! Almost killed that one three times. It's finally doing well in an aquarium under the MH light and I think it has a new baby fan starting. But who knows, Ole Bluebird could still end up being Deader Number Two and start pining for the fjords any day now.

[catherinecarney]

Gotta love the "easy for beginners" trap--yes, there are lots of tolerant plants out there, but IME they are not easy for me! Ditto for aquarium fish (especially killifish and goodeids)--I kill the "easy" ones, but the supposedly "hard" ones thrive. Go figure.

Bottom line is to figure out what you like and what works for you and your plants/animals/whatever and go with it.

Catherine

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by catherinecarney

I was at a show once and I mentioned to a breeder that I had killed a lot of orchids. He said "You're not an orchid nut until you kill 10 in a year." My thought was "Well, this is going to be one EXPENSIVE hobby."

I will say I'm doing better--I'm down to about three fatalities this year (Enc. polybulbon, Tolumnia velutina, and a no-ID multifloral phal). All three were doing well until we had a power outage (THREE DAYS due to the incompetence of our power company) after a thunderstorm that knocked out the lights and fan in their terrarium in 90+ degree heat (can we say fungal rot boys and girls?). I was NOT happy....

Over the years (until I discovered OB) I killed a lot more. And, knowing me, I will probably still have losses when I try new plants. I just branched out into begonias (cane/angelwing types and species) and sinningia and have experienced a similar mortality rate. Sigh.

Catherine

Hi
and thanks for sharing. Wow, can't imagine to kill 10 a year, that would be really expensive, and also very painful. I think I did kill maybe around 10-max 15 in the lifetime, which means for me probably last 5 years growing orchids. You are so true, this OB helps us all, and in a month plus few days I am a member,, I did learn so so much, so THANK YOU ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE who shared your opinions and advises with me and us all. I am doing definitely much better in last few years, however every year few goes, and as I said, with me it is mostly always over water. Your power outage truly sucks, but I would not consider that your fault at all, there are some things we can not control, unfortunately! Lets hope for all of us, we will get only better and the numbers will go only down from now on!

---------- Post added at 06:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:16 PM ----------

Originally Posted by jesscorine

I finally gave up on a rescue phal...I just cracked the bloom spike and tossed it in the trash. The roots were black, leaves were wrinkly, and I had enough others that were doing better. Now I'm watching my Den Spectabile...I have no clue what's going on. It's shriveled and yellowing in spots but the leaves are still smooth. I have a feeling it might kick the bucket, but I'm not ready to toss it yet. I've actually unintentionally nursed two phals back to life that I had given up on. They both have new leaves and roots so I'm just watching them. The last in question is a phal with great thick, green roots but persistent black rot on the leaves/base. It's so hard to give up on anything!

hi Jesscorine
and thanks for sharing. I am definitely at no position to give any advise, still learning myself every single day how to correctly care for my 70+ babies, however I have maybe similar experience so I may chip in little. First, regarding your Phals, since these were of course my first ever orchids, the "black rot" at the leave base, I did have one with the same issue, and after some research I did learn that Phals actually HATE to be misted, especially if they are growing the regular vertical way. In nature, mostly they are growing in angle, which means, that when they do get rain (or MIST in the house), the water does not store at this base we are talking about! This is what is most probably causing your problem. If it has healthy roots, I would very strongly suggest to hang it or position it in the3 way the water will be not stored at the leave base! and no misting or spraying. Regarding your Dendro, it sounds like the issue I have right now with my Dendro Heterocarpum, if you are talking about yellowing of the canes? Mine started shriveled and yellowing of the bases of the canes, plus yellowing of the leaves. It was of course the sign of over water! I did take it out of the pot and mounted it for now on the tree fern only, trying to see if I can save it. Hope this little help.

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Joseia

There is one less Paph in the world because of me. I can't even look at a Paph when I go to my local grower without the poor things trying to grow legs and run away. Almost killed the first two phals I owned, but they finally pulled through - in fact, one has a 12" flower spike growing.

A Neo Stylis Lou Sneary Bluebird got close enough to death to see the Pearly Gates and hear the choir singing. Neostylis - easy plant, they said; forgiving plant for beginners, they said; so easy you can just stick it on a windowsill, they said. Yeah, right! Almost killed that one three times. It's finally doing well in an aquarium under the MH light and I think it has a new baby fan starting. But who knows, Ole Bluebird could still end up being Deader Number Two and start pining for the fjords any day now.

Thanks Joseia, I love these they say SO EASY TO GROW, they say cattleyas are so EASY TO GROW in Florida, hahaha, and I truly killed every single one I had in last 5 years, except the ones I got this year and I finally learned how to better care for them - again, over water kill, and they are REAL EASY to over water! So I do not go by that easy to grow, or great for the beginners, cause it does not work for me at all. I have orchids that they say are hard to get to bloom, and hard to grow, and they are thriving and doing awesome things at my balcony, and than I have these BASIC ones, like cattleyas, vandas, and no matter what I do I can not make vandas bloom, and I can not keep cattleyas alive:-=))))

---------- Post added at 06:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 PM ----------

Originally Posted by catherinecarney

Gotta love the "easy for beginners" trap--yes, there are lots of tolerant plants out there, but IME they are not easy for me! Ditto for aquarium fish (especially killifish and goodeids)--I kill the "easy" ones, but the supposedly "hard" ones thrive. Go figure.

Bottom line is to figure out what you like and what works for you and your plants/animals/whatever and go with it.

Catherine

So true Catherine!

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