My first orchid

[Ryuka Navali]

A friend gave me an orchid as a present about a month ago. It had 2 purple blooms on it. I did some researching on the internet to try and figure out what type of orchid it is and how to care for it. Based on what the flowers looked like, I think its some form of Phalaenopsis, but I'm not positive. Anywho, I've been following the general care instructions and the plant seems to be doing well. 2 days ago however the flowers withered and fell off. Was I doing something wrong or was it just their time to wilt? And what should I do about that?
And when I got the plant, the largest leaf has a long crack almost all the way across it. Should I do something about that or just leave it be?

[jrhennek]

The plant that you are showing is a Phalenopsis orchid. The flowers will last 3 to 6 months on the plant.It doesn't sound like or look like you have done anything wrong. The plant looks healthy. The crack in the leave is know big deal. This probably happened when the plant was shipped to the retail store. A good source for a Orchid Culture Sheets on the Phals. go to aos.org look under fact sheets and print out the sheet for the Phalenopsis orchid.

Jayme

[Dorothy]

Ryuka
Glad you have joined us here at the OB
Your Phal seems very healthy ..
You might want to take a look at the condition of the root system .. It looks like it's in a mixed medium
If the medium has broken down .. where it begins to resemble 'dirt' and is no longer chunky ... you might want to consider repotting ..
My personal perference is getting a clear slotted container - it allows you to view your roots at any time ..
When buds fall off , it can be caused by bud blast - which is due to some environmental change .. - in lighting, temperature, humidity or watering for example ...
The flowers will wilt over time and naturally fall off .. are you talking about a premature wilting?
I would leave the leaf .. the plant will abort it on it's own .. besides I don't see any sign of disease .. ( it's just a little beat up)

[Ryuka Navali]

Thanks for the info! I'll just leave the leaf alone then. I thought it would dry up because its barely even attached still, but its still hanging on. And I'm not sure if the flowers wilted prematurely or not since the plant already had them when I got it.
The stuff its planted in looks like bark, pumice and sphagnum moss, and seems to be fresh. About how long does it take to break down usually?

[Dorothy]

Depending on how fast the bark breaks down .. anywhere from 1 to 2 yrs on the repotting ..
If the medium smells funky (rotten) .. don't wait ..

[Ryuka Navali]

It doesn't have any odor, thank goodness. But I'll keep that in mind for the future. Thanks!