I'm still scared of killing all my plants. How do I get over it?

[astrid]

Hey everyone!

So, I've been growing orchids for a year and a half and I am still scared of killing my plants all the time! The only way I can deal with it is by pretending to myself that I am ambivalent when really I am not. I have about 25 plants now, and I am the most scared of killing my paph niveum hybrid and my dracula lotax seedling and so on.

Thoughts I have about killing orchids:

"OH MY GOD THIS VIDEO IS SHOWING GETTING WATER ON THE LEAF THE WHOLE PLANT WILL ROT TO DEATH IN 1 HOUR!!!"

and

"OH MY GOD THE PSEUDOBULB IS SLIGHTLY WRINKLED ALL THE ROOTS MUST BE DEAD!!"

and

"OH MY GOD MY PHALAENOPSIS ISN'T PUTTING OUT A NEW LEAF EVERY WEEK AND IT IS GROWING SEASON AND SO IT MUST BE DYING!!!"

and

"OH MY GOD IF I LET THIS WATER-NEEDY ORCHID DRY OUT FOR ONE DAY IT WILL JUST TURN YELLOW AND SHRIVEL UP LIKE A CUTE LITTLE GRANDMA!"

So guys, I am sure at least a few of you also panic about your plants. There's a reason we call them our "chids!!"

But what I am hoping you guys will do here is (1) commiserate with me or (2) give some sage wisdom as to how you overcame this orchid-terror. If I worry this much about plants just imagine if I had kids! haha

Any words?

Edit: Guys!! I have already killed 2 or 3, but I still stress out about it, haha

[Subrosa]

Kill one.

[campchi]

Kill it and get it over with hehe..

[Paul Mc]

The best advice I've ever heard regarding this was the following from a grower and seller:

I can't tell you how to keep them alive, but I can surely tell you how to kill them. You know you are a true orchid grower when you've killed more than you can keep alive!

[lotis146]

Know that they're far more resilient than you think. If you buy some that are more needy then expect the worse and hope for the best. Just think that if you do keep it alive AND bloom it you'll have reached a whole new level. If you kill it then you'll have already been expecting that so it won't be new.

On the plus side, losing an orchid means room for another.

I've managed so far so keep more than I've killed but I've killed at least a dozen, half being mini Catts. None of those mini-Catts had bloomed yet so I was bummed I never got to know what they looked like; in that way I didn't know what I was missing out on for the better and the worse. The only plant I've REALLY cared about killing was my named (can't recall right now) yellow Phal. I dehydrated time and time again until finally the little plant couldn't take it. All the others who suffered the same fate survived. So now I slap my forehead every time I think about it and dream of another pure yellow Phal with a white center. In the meantime I'm worrying about plants I have that I've learned are difficult to care for. Of these Andy at Andy's orchids told me there's a lady who continues to kill and then re-buy the same plant.

[My Green Pets]

Goodness, just look at those comments. You see how heartless and jaded orchid growing will make you?

At some point, a plant will die on you. It probably won't even be your fault. You'll probably have a plant that came diseased or infected, and you'll watch it slowly (or quickly) fade before your eyes, despite your efforts. And that'll be your opportunity to realize that you can only do your best, and your best won't be enough to save every plant. But it will be enough to rebloom that one stubborn Paph, or to watch your first mounted Phal attach its newest roots, or coax a new growth out of some old, withered backbulbs. And that will definitely be enough.

And the best part is that the OB will be here to share your ups and downs, because many of us are going through the same crap! So good luck, and keep us posted!

[theflyingkitty]

Sometimes you just need to realize that they're still living and there's your proof!

[dangerouseddy]

I'm still worried about killing my plants since ive only been growing them for about 5 months.

got nearly 50 now but killed 10 more.

haven't killed any in a while ,the dead ones did help me learn how to take better care of my plants esp. seedlings of which ive about 25.

at least I learnt something from them and can alter my care according to my conditions, which I think is important for each grower as we all have unique growing areas.

[campchi]

I've kill about 10/30 orchids that I've owned so far...so yea. It's a good learning experience. Now I know how to keep em alive after I killed em.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

It for sure goes away after you kill some 50+, than you do not even count anymore, and you are fine with it :-)