Stupid Question! Will orchids survive long in wrong conditions?

[Biohazard156]

I realise this is a really dumb question, but I have only had orchids for a relatively short time, and I do have the fear that I might be providing less than adequate conditions for some/all of them!

Basically, will an orchid continue a new growth it already has, or open buds which are already formed etc when you get it home even if the conditions aren't right?

Most of the orchids I have have come with the hints of buds/new growths/new roots, and I wondered whether since they had started it, they would continue growing...or would they soon decide they weren't happy and die off or stop growing?

I keep doubting whether I'm doing the right things, so I think I need some reassurance that they would be showing me big signs that they weren't happy?!

Some examples ;

New Cattleya had about 4 inch new growth on it, had it for a few weeks, has grown since, two leaves are starting to separate and can see something in between them too...(would this have just halted if it was unhappy?)

Masdevallia bought at the same time, three flowers open, 4 spikes have matured since and now opening and new leaves now opening (would this have happened?)

Sounding like a crazy person now!!

[Optimist]

Each cultivar and type is different. Masdies are cool lovers, catts are warm lovers. It is hard to have every orchid that would suit every condition you can provide. With the catts you may have more trouble providing the high light situation they need.

Will the buds or flowers drop? Answer: It is a case by case situation. You do not know what happened to that plant in the days and hours before you took it home. many stores are netorious for killing orchids. Shipping them can also set them back. Placint them too near to furnace or cooling vents can cause them to drop their flowers.

[Orchid Whisperer]

It depends on how far off from optimal your conditions are, and how tolerant the plant is. So, there is no one "right" answer. For example:

1. An orchid that is getting less light than needed for blooming may not bloom, or bloom poorly, but can survive for years.

2. A plant that is getting less than optimal water may also under-perform (but will likely do better than a plant that is over-watered, and will have more roots)

3. A plant kept way too hot (back seat of car for 4 hours), or too cold (frost), or way too wet (suffocating roots), or with continually changing growing conditions, will likely end up on a speed rail to the trash can. I read a lot about new growers struggling with trying to match the "best" condition for a plant, with the plant suffering because the grower keeps changing growing medium, fertilizer, supplements, water, etc.

IMO, best advice is when you get a plant, learn what is most likely going to be a good growing situation for that plant. If changes in the container/mount/medium are needed, make that change as soon as possible after you get it - change it once, let the plant have a chance to adapt to the new conditions, give it a year before making further changes.

Regarding temperature & light, those changes should occur gradually, try to avoid extremes.

---------- Post added at 10:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 AM ----------

BTW, your 2 examples sound like they are doing OK - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[Biohazard156]

Thanks for the replies, I do feel a bit dumb at times with this!

My temps at the moment are 20C (68F) during the day and about 19C (66F) at night. This is not heated at the moment as my heating hasn't come on for winter (I try avoid it for as long as possible!). Humidity is 60-80%, varies during the day.

A Month ago, the temps were 21/22C (69-71F) but it's cooling down now.

I have them split between two rooms, and had plans to split the plants to the rooms which they may prefer (can heat or cool as needed). I have mainly phals and oncidiums.

I water (if needed) once a week usually, if needed, more if the plants is dry before then. I have reported a few of them once they've been out of flower (phals and Oncidiums) into medium bark and I can see new roots in most and new bulbs appearing/leaves so was just hopeful that they weren't just struggling on.

Rambling again now!!

[Daethen]

Many will continue to put out new growth in bad situations but can be very hard to flower unless conditions are closer to what they want. Some just don't seem to care what you do to them they just keep going and others seem like they refuse to do anything no matter how perfect the conditions seem to be.

[Cym Ladye]

My advice would be to identify each orchid you have as to what genera it is, i.e. Phal, Den, Paph etc. and then find out what these genera want. However, keep in mind that there may be culturally different cultural requirements within the genera.

Hopefully you have the whole name of the plant on a tag in the plant. Try Googleing the whole name and see what happens.

[Biohazard156]

My list is probably haphazard but here goes!

8 NOID Phals
Oncidium Sharry baby
Oncidium sweet sugar
Miltoniopsis herr Alexander
Masdevallia BV Cotopaxi
Zygopetalum sensation
Denndrobium phalaenopsis banana chocolate
Aliceara Pacific nova butter buds
Burrageara nelly isler
Cymbidium NOID (lives outside at the mo)
Cattleya NOID

Bearing in mind I live in Scotland, UK, which is not known for its soaring temps, nor Antarctic winters... It is fairly easy to keep a very reasonable "even" room temp between 20-25 most of the year during the day and not lower than 16C at night.

I've been hoping they'd all be fairly comfy at that temp range, but the Catt is the biggest worry. I guess time will tell!!

[801229001]

I think the temperature should be fine for the cattleya

[AnonYMouse]

Your temps are adequate but not ideal. I couldn't get my Phals to do much under similar temps. I got them heat mats. Adding lights also helped to raise the ambient temps.

And Daethen's right, sometimes they are inscutable.

[lotis146]

In my limited experience, yes they will show you if they're unhappy but also show you if they are. If you're getting spikes & blooms then I would say they're happy right now! Like OrchidWhisperer said, If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

To give you some examples of plants letting you know they're being neglected, I'll share a couple of my experiences.

I have Zygolum Rhein 'Moonlight' and it arrived in bud (though suffered in transit) with 4 little new growths. I accidentally killed one of the 4 but then the other three continued to grow. Before too long only one of them was really growing, the others seemed stunted. Then that one slowed down and has never spiked, but the 2nd one started growing again and produced two spikes. My lesson: Zygos like a fair amount of water and I wasn't watering it enough.

I had a Paph double spike, then it slowed down, again not enough water. Started watering more and the spikes finally opened.

Didn't water a Tolumnia enough, forgot about it, and its buds blasted. Left the spike, started watering it more often and its got one teeny tiny bud now.

Two Phals left outside for summer, got a fair amount of rain, last bloomed in Feb/Mar are both in spike, one double spike with one bloom open. Problem being since it cooled down and they've been inside more - not getting as much water - their spikes seem to be taking A REALLY LONG TIME to develop.

At the end of the day I'm learning that I just don't water enough and I notice it with blasted buds, slow spikes, no spikes, limp wrinkled leaves, or slow or halted new growths. And still I've managed to rebloom many plants, many of them blooming for the second time this year (several Paphs, Miltoniopsis, several Phals, Zygolum, one Catt). I've learned as well that you don't have to be such a worry wart, but rather as others have said, pay attention to your plants, give them time to show you. If it's the growing season and nothing seems to be growing then question your methods.

Good luck, oh and post some pics!