Dropping flowers
 

Hi,

I am new here, and very much new to orchids, so please bear with me. I have extensive experience in gardening, and a bit of mushroom cultivation experience, so I have a decent basis of knowledge to work from.

I am plant sitting for a plant that was doing pretty well, until I suspect it got pot bound. The owner was feeding with a water bulb, which had been working, but eventually the plant started get dyimg tips and the leaves looked a little less perky. Now they are droopy and the flowers are falling off.

I a considering repotting it into new orchid soil, anything I should consider, or opinions on what I should try instead are all welcome.

Welcome to Orchidboard! Water bulbs aren't really adapted to orchids because they don't grow in soil. I'd think that it releases the water far too quickly. It's best to water orchids that are potted in bark based mediums by running water through the pot, or letting the pot soak in the sink or a container for 5-10 minutes.

If you take it out of the cache pot, how do the roots look that are in the pot? It'll give you an idea if the plant's problems are due to over or underwatering. If you moved the plant to your house to plant sit, the buds could also be dropping off due to the change in conditions.

As to repotting (the plant's owner won't mind you messing around with it?) a bark based medium works best, but most that are available in big box stores are of horrible quality. US based people may be able to advise you better.

Looking at it now I can see it definitely has root rot. It is too overgrown to remove from the cache pot (I assume that is the larger pot the growing container is in). I can see signs of rot on the surface roots.

I am considering making my own mix. I can source bark, SPM, and perlite. I will sterilize the container, anything else I should do to treat the rot other than letting it dry? Should I repot it and then let it dry or vice versa?

Phalaenopsis roots like all-over spritzing. They are built the way they are built in order to quickly get moisture out of the air because in all practicality they are very like air-plants. They sit there on a tree and gather mist and rain. It goes by them very quickly so it does not pool. So this "bulb" is it directing the water to one place? I would not even know how it works. I water once per week, let the water drain through the pot (so it doesn't sit) and then spray the roots with a spray bottle a few times a week. That is how you water epiphytic orchids.

In the "rainy season" monsoon in the tropics, the roots put out a lot of growth (obviously also the leaves/new growth) and in the cold dry weather, they need less water and stop growing. Sometimes this is when they put out their flower spike. That is how the year goes for them. So right now-- new growth lots of water, but fast draining. Winter, no growth-- not much water.

By orchid soil, I suppose you mean "bark." Yes, they have that in bags at Lowes and so on.

If you have wrinkling leaves, soak it in some water (do not immerse leaves). Look at the base (have you ever grown a pineapple?) you will see little bumps and maybe roots tips starting.
roots are little jelly-like green, white, or pink ends on a silvery velamen. When those little root tips start you give them as much water as much as possible but do not get it in the "cup" of the leaves. As long as the water is in, and out quickly you can water every day.

---------- Post added at 02:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 PM ----------

By the way, I do not see any rot on the roots. I see some old roots (brown), and I see some young roots (white). The flower spike looks like a flower spike that is done blooming. How long was it in bloom? Yes there is an unopened flower, but it also has several off-shoots.

The problem is that watering globe. You want all the roots to get wet, not a little spot on the bottom of the pot.