New to Orchids Mold and Yellowing Leaves - Orchid Board

lieuz · #1 11-24-2015, 11:08 PM

Hello!

I am new to orchids and new to this forum. My fiancee and I just moved to a new house and was given an orchid from my mom! It was such a nice gesture, she is an avid grower of orchids and this orchid is actually from her own collection. It sprouted two spikes and from them beautiful white flowers bloomed and has been blooming for about 2 months. My mom told me the name of the orchid is a phalaenopsis that has white flowers. It was such an amazing 2 months being able to see such beautiful blooms. Being my mom, she came to our house and looked at the location of the home because as a family of avid gardeners she knows that a good facing home has the greatest of advantages. I myself grow bonsai and I grow all sorts. I'm just new to orchids. Anyway, recently I noticed that the flowers from where the first blooms started to wilt and being 2 months into the house I figured it's time for them to wilt. My mom said that they can wilt by the end of 2 to 4 months. So no harm no foul, until I started to notice the newer blooms start to wilt and I know for a fact they have been there for only 2 weeks or so. So I go in to inspect and I noticed that the leaves are starting to turn yellow. The top leaves not the bottom (just yet i'm afraid). The orchid leaf crown have fallen out because it just became super decayed so I took it out. Just a few days ago the leave yellowing is now REALLY pronounced and I simply just touched it and IT FELL RIGHT OFF! I am so worried! Upon closer inspection I notice there is a furry mass by the roots! I believe it's mold and when I inspect the medium it's slightly damp.

With that said here are my specs:

Our house is a southern facing home we get sun ALL day in the front and being winter the sun is most direct into our front bay window where most of our vegetation is at. The orchid is about 9 feet away from that window and we have a white curtain that diffuses light when we are away at work while the window is kept wide open (blinds that is).

I water about once a week when I feel the top inch of the medium is dry.

When I water, I take the ENTIRE plant and submerge it in the sink.

The house is kept at a constant 70 since it's started to get cold we have had the house around that temp.

I do not fertilize and have no attempted to use any fungicide. What are my options here?! I'm really worried about this plant!

---------- Post added at 10:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------

I also forgot to add that I did do mistings on the leaves and now that I think about it, I'm so dumb because I just realized the crown probably decayed due to me constantly misting the leaves and it pooling right in the crown. Sigh...fail...

estación seca · #2 11-25-2015, 12:04 AM

Welcome to the Orchid Board. Tell your mom we forgive you and we know you will do better next time.

When the top leaves fall out like that, it's a goner. I would toss it, get another, and realize you now have some experience.

If you use moss, the moss needs to be almost dry all the way down to the center of the pot before you water again. Just the top inch dry means you probably overwatered. If you go to the Beginner forum and search on Skewer you will find a way of checking plants (and cakes) to see whether they are moist inside.

70F is a bit cool for Phals. Most hybrids like it warmer, though people in cold-winter climates figure out how to keep them alive through the winter at temperatures like that. At that temperature watering once a week in moss is probably too often; that's just not enough time for the plant to use the water, and it's too cool to dry that fast.

Misting is not a good idea when it's cool, or when the leaves and crown can't dry completely before nightfall, unless it's closer to 80 F.

There's a whole thread in the Beginner forum called The Phal Abuse Ends Here. You will find a lot of useful information there.

Good luck with your next orchid. You will bloom one soon, I know it.

WhiteRabbit · #3 11-25-2015, 08:03 PM

Depending on the condition of the roots, and the extent of the crown rot, it's possible the plant could get new growth from the base, tho even in that case it could possibly be a long time before it might bloom again (I have one that I crown rotted 6 years ago - it started a new growth shortly afterwards, but has never bloomed in that time) :mad:

It happens, unfortunately, even if you've been doing this awhile

Optimist · #4 11-25-2015, 08:40 PM

To be fair, please don't be too hard on yourself. I think anyone now who is now a confident grower of orchids destroyed quite a few early on. It is a high learning curve. These plants are not like others in their care. if you have a trigger finger on the spray bottle or watering can then mount them sideways, upside down, mount them in rocks, with a small pot within a large pot or in a hanging basket or mount.

look up or Google orchids in the wild. They are up in tree branches where water retention is minimal or perhaps only a day or so. Having an orchid wet for a whole week, unless it is a moisture loving orchid can be its death. Phals, like vandas like their roots in the air. Many people mount them in pots, but it is their natural state to be in a wad of debris in a tree.

Cntry · #5 11-25-2015, 10:25 PM

I would contact your mom and have her look at the orchid. See if there is anything she can do to help save it. She may have all the items you need to save it on hand. An I am sure she would help you learn all about orchids to. Its something you both now have in common.

lieuz · #6 11-30-2015, 05:26 PM

Thank you so much for all your replies. I do have a bit of an update. I have stopped watering the orchid, it seems like it's been about 2.5 weeks since I've watered it by complete immersion and the whole root mass is drying out. The mold mound is also starting to subside which is a good sign. It's still there and some of the mold is inbetween the leaves. No other leaves has turned any shade of yellow. With the top two leaves fallen off, the main stem is visible and I do see a cavity where I can visibly see some mold growth.

About my mom, when I saw her yesterday she asked me about the orchid and she more or less laid down the law. She said: "YOU WATERED IT TOO MUCH! DO YOU KNOW I ONLY WATER IT ONLY 1 A MONTH AT MOST?!" Basically I felt like a kid and she had a bamboo stick in her hand like I did something bad haha. Anyway, she said she has a package of replacement coconut husk and medium for me to replace the substrate should I want to. She highly encourages me to do so.

As for the blooms and overall health of the orchid, each progressing day I do notice the blooms wilting. The old blooms at least. The new blooms are starting to show some signs I'm afraid. I'll try to take some pictures. So far, it SEEMS, the orchid has stopped its self destruction. But as an avid bonsai hobbiest, looks are often deceiving.