HELP...I think my Orchids are dyng!!!!
 

My daughter gave me several beautiful orchids 3 yrs ago. All have bloomed beautifully, appeared happy and healthy until about 4 mths ago. The leaves on all of them started wilting,turning yellowand falling off. Several did bloom, but the flowers did not last long and the stems turned brown and dried up.
I read somewhere on this site that my roots could be rotten due to the medium they were planted in ... the spongy moss. That my roots should be green/silvery. If they were brown or mushy the roots were bad and that I should remove the medium, remove the troubled roots by cutting them out with a knife dipped in alcohol and letting the plant dry out before re-potting. So that's what I'm doing right now.
I have bought Miracle Grow Orchid potting soil (Barked) now I need advise as to how to re-pot. Should I buy new clear pots? How much soil should I use? Should I pack the what roots remain tightly? I"m afraid that I will kill them all... PLEASE HELP!!!

moss and any media mix can decay and turn into soil like substance and retain a pool of stagnant water in the center of the pot and rots the roots....
you can go to YouTube and search for orchid repotting videos and learn how to properly repot.
also, you must provide us with your grow zone and the environment where the orchids are located....temperature and humidity ....the light source....pictures will help us advice you better....

I would be carful with the Miracle Grow I rotted all the roots off my orchid when I used it.

Go to aos.org they should have a video on repotting.

You don't need new clear pot you can use a old one just as long as it fits the orchids roots and you sterilize the pot you will be ok, you could even take a clear plastic cup put holes in the bottom and that will work also.

I would not pack the roots tight especially since you are using Miracle Grow.

Hope this helps and good luck :D

I live in Redding, CA where the growing zone is 7-9 (i think). We have very hot, dry summers and cold winters. Most of my orchids sit on a windowsill that gets a western afternoon sun. I have one that lives in a bathroom that has a window with a southern exposure and one in my kitchen window with the same southern exposure.
I'm not sure how to download pictures but I will take some and give it a try.

I have had trouble with Miracle Grow too and started using Bettrr-gro from Lowes and everything is fine now.

I haven't used the Miracle Grow because when I was looking for media at Home Depot, I felt through the bag to see if it was soil based or a bark mix. I had seen a video online of a guy repotting a Phal in it and I got to see that is not what I needed beforehand. The Miracle Grow is more akin to soil than anything else, which I knew was bad for orchids.

If you can, I would take the mix back to where you bought it and grab a bag of Better-Gro. It's night and day as far as consistency and it makes a HUGE difference.

I know. I am using better gro now. I used the rest on my Miracle Grow on my vanilla orchid last month. It seems to be doing fine. It grew 3 new roots.

I bought the Miracle Grow Orchid Course Blend. It feels like it is mostly bark, but I will go get the Better-Gro since you all recommend it.

I have tried to post some pictures but the posts keep being denies... Sorry, I wanted you all to see what I have after I removed all the dead and soggy roots.

Also a good site to order mix is repotme.com.

I haven't used the coarse / chunky Miracle gro mix, but from what another member posted, sounds ok. It's the original Miracle gro orchid mix that most of us are familiar with that is to be avoided.

You have to have five post to post a picture.

Well...
I just finished re-potting, cross your fingers and say some prayers to the orchid gods! LOL
I used both the Better-Gro and the Miracle Grow mixed together, seemed to work better in the pots that I had and the new ones I purchased today.
Thank you everyone for your input and advise, I will let you all know how they are doing.

---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

Thank you Hannah! I'll give it a try when I hit 5 posts!

[/COLOR]Well... my attempt to repot my dying orchids has been futile. I used the recommended medium and I have since lost half of my beauties with the remainder looking iffy at best. My green and rich leaves have burned, shrilled, turned black and fallen off. I'm very sad... any suggestions.:(

We need to know the type of orchids you are having trouble with and what their root condition look like.

In CA, south and west facing windows will be too hot and/or too bright in the afternoons for many orchids. But for a failing plant, I would move it/them to bright shade until we know what you have.

THANK YOU ANONYMOUS! 13 replies and not ONE other person thought to ask the simple question:"what are the types of orchids the problems are with"? :roll: Everyone had an answer based on an assumption. :bad:

Cym Ladye

Good luck with your repotting!

---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:38 PM ----------

Oops! Sorry. I hadn't realized the date of the posts. I have never been able to use bark except in the soil mixes of my other plants. I am so sorry that your orchids have not done well. Perhaps a few pictures would help?

I have one orchid in an upstairs bathroom that has a sunny southern exposure that seems to be doing very well. My son gave it to me for mothers days and the blooms are just now going by. Should I attempt to remove it from the mossy medium it is in now and repot it into the bark/soil mix I have been using or leave it alone. I don't want this one to die too.

Also... I have a wonderful spa house that has a corner table next to a window but does not get direct sun. Would an orchid do well there. The house does get hot in the summer.

If you haven't done so yet please read the top help threads above "the phal abuse ends here". Lots of great info in it. The spa sound like it might be a good place for a phal. Somewhere on the beginners page I posted a thread on how to repot a phal. I can't find it but it had lots of pics showing you how to do it and lots of info. Maybe someone could point the way.

Thank you!!! I will do that!!!