My first kill :(

[Paul Mc]

So sorry to hear that. However, I wanted to tell you a quick story about a speaker at one of our orchid society meetings.

He was an older/hippy kinda guy, and was telling us that when he first started growing orchids to sell that it was a bust for years. He killed almost all of them until he was able to kill few enough that he could open a business. He continually talked about how regardless of how many he had and how good his techniques had gotten that he still kills them.

I hope that gives you some consolation, although I know it's really hard. I have one that I have just about killed and I'm having a hard time parting with it. I keep trying and trying to no avail.

[ipsomatic9]

That's all well and good. But the thing that kills me is that it was fine just a few days ago and i've not killed anything else (knock on wood).

Any suggestions?

[Zoi2]

Ipsomatic9 have you taken the plant out of the pot to physically inspect the roots? It sounds like your roots are rotting, sphag has a tendency to not dry out in high humidity.
Joann

[ipsomatic9]

I haven't but aren't plants like Wilsonara supposed to stay damp at the roots? If not Sphagnum... then what?

[Eyebabe]

You can read and read and read about culture...of course it helps!
But the bottom line is you learn by trial and error

[ipsomatic9]

How would I spot my error?

[florafan]

Scuttled, I feel for you as well. I had a phal in S/H that came very close to dying - lost all roots and all but 2 leaves. That one now is in sphagnum mix and recovering. Paphs do much better for me in S/H. I actually unpot them in the first few weeks just to clean out the rotting roots and repot them. They just keep going! I guess S/H is like any other media, performance depends on the orchid and the grower.