My blooms are dying and I don't know why
 

Hey everyone,
I'm very new to caring for orchids. Why husband got me a very beautiful BIG one for my birthday at the beginning of January but now the back or first blooms are dying. I don't know if this is supposed to happen or if I'm doing something wrong...
:help

Tasha, This could just be normal aging. You won't know how long the plant had been blooming before you got it and the change in environment from the nursery to the store and to your home can also make a difference to the life of the flowers. When they start to die it normally would begin with the oldest bloom at the bottom and gradually work it's way up.

A big welcome to the Orcid Board! Next time your plant blooms it should last for several months -- I'm assuming that it's a Phalaenopsis. Good luck!

:)

Thanks Shirley,
for the warm welcome and speedy response :)

Welcome to OrchidBoard!

Don't want o scare you,everything said above is true, but....

Many orchids, especially sold in mass market, are overpacked in sphagnum to keep the roots moist for potentially long periods of abuse in the store. This keeps everything looking good, but the roots can develop rot.

If you want to just enjoy your orchid as a pleasant and thoughtful gift, do so. If you want to keep it alive and blooming for years, the first thing you need to do is look at its roots. Healthy roots range from greenish to white to light tan, and are firm. Roots that are getting rotten will turn dark brown to black, and get mushy. Depending on the species of orchid, they may be fat and plum, or thin. If there is evidence of root rot, you should repot immediately. There are many threads here on exactly how to do it. The biggest causes of rot (in my opinion) is over-watering (without a chance to dry between), with a close second of the media getting old and decomposed.

You should also know what kind of orchid it is, because some like to be kept moist, not wet, some like pretty dry conditions.

The light needed for growth and rebloom also varies, but usually can be accommodated by putting it in the correct facing window.

There are culture sheets for most common species here on the board.

Best of luck, and post pics of your new plant if you have a chance.

I agree with Ted. It could easily be natural flower drop. If it was bought with all flowers open you don't know how long they have been open for so they could be just ready to drop. However as Ted has pointed out it could also be due to root problems.

I would take a look at the roots. Slide it out the pot carefully and take a look. If everything is fine (firm roots) then just slide it back in and replace all the bark. However if the roots are mushy then you have root problems and need to do something about it.

Welcome. How often are you watering the plant?