Help!!! Pseudobulbs shrivelling

[thezeeester]

Hi I'm Zee. I have been so fascinated with orchids I started my own collection. When I bought them they were in sphagnum moss I repotted them in bark and sphagnum moss. It's been 2 months and I notice that the bulbs aren't filling up and now it's ending over what should I do. Please help me.

The 2nd pic is another orchid

[rbarata]

What's your watering regimen and where do you live in the US?

[thezeeester]

I looked up YouTube and was told to water twice a week and soaks them for 30min-1hr. I don't know what to do

[rbarata]

The shrivelling means the plant is not getting enough water. Two reasons for that are:

- insufficient watering
- root rot. Roots are dying so their not absorbing any or little water.

The conditions on which you are growing them (temp, relative humidity and medium being used)are important because they will determine your watering regimen. Can you provide us this info?

[thezeeester]

Thank you soooo much. I am in NYC. When I was repotting them the roots were not good soft and kept shredding and left these thin hair like white roots. I repotted them in bark and sphagnum moss. I also have them in good light and humidity trays. How do I get them to grow roots. What should I do please. I have also have being putting fertilizer in the water mix when I soak them. It's between 68-78 in the apartment I keep a temp gage it says 72.

---------- Post added at 01:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 PM ----------

I posted a pic of the other orchid I have too I really appreciate all the help you are offering me

[bil]

I wouldn't panic just yet.

With quite a few of mine, the pseudobulbs are only fat and smooth at first. Once they have flowered they shrivel a bit, to a greater or lesser extent.

If the leaves aren't concertina-ing then I personally wouldn't worry too much.

When you start with orchids, or try a new type of orchid, you worry, you obsess over detail. Not saying you shouldn't pay attention, just chill a bit.

[rbarata]

Looking at the photos the leaves seems to be fine.

It's between 68-78 in the apartment I keep a temp gage it says 72

.
Do you mean 68-78% relative humidity (HR) and temp 72 F?

[thezeeester]

Thanks Bill

Rbarata. Thank you for your help. I just checked it 74 degrees temp and 55% humidity. Also How do I encourage root growth. Should I soak them daily

[bil]

Originally Posted by thezeeester

Thanks Bill

Rbarata. Thank you for your help. I just checked it 74 degrees temp and 55% humidity. Also How do I encourage root growth. Should I soak them daily

Like I say, relax. You can't force them to do anything. Read about using a wooden skewer to test for dampness, (there's a thread in the sticky section of the beginners' page) and don't overwater. My thin leaves at this time of year are on two waterings a week, possibly dropping to one if it gets cooler. I use a very low level of fertiliser, google 'first Ray's' and read everything he has on his info sheets as to fertiliser concentrations. Natural is best, and in the wild, they will get very low levels all the time.

To much fertiliser will scorch the roots.

[rbarata]

With those temps and HR my oppinion is that you're overwatering. The temps are not high, humidity is ok and the sphagnum moss is used to retain water/humidity in the media. So, once per week would be enough, no need to do it twice plus soaking because it will promote root rot due to excess water.

Do you have a photo of the roots? Or one taken near the pot so that we can look closer how they look like?