moth orchiid with flower buds turning yellow

[lovesflowers]

Hello. I'm new to orchids and need help. I just bought a small moth orchid with two stems. There are three flowers and three buds on one, and five flowers and eight buds on the other. It is in two pots, and there was some water in the bottom of the outer pot. One of its roots was coming out of the bottom of the inner pot and looks black with white fluffy mold on the end. In just one day since I brought it home, some of the buds have turned bright yellow and are shriveled. The flowers too look like the edges are thinning and developing whitish areas. Any suggestions for what to do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ahead of time.

[RosieC]

Hi Lovesflowers and welcome to Orchid Board

First off orchids don't like to be left standing in water, so get rid of that water in the outer pot. If the water has been there a long time (like the shop was leaving them standing in water) then there is a very good chance your roots have started rotting... actually as you say your flowers buds are turning yellow (blasting) then there is a good chance your roots could be rotting.

It can be normal for buds to drop from a change in enviroment... but combined with your description of mold on the root at the bottom I think you really should check the roots.

Basically you need to remove it from the pot and take a look. Hollow/mushy roots are bad, firm roots are good (good roots will often be silvery or green but can be stained by the medium so firm is the thing to test for).

If there are lot of mushy roots and none or hardly any good ones then i would really advise taking it back to the shop for a refund. You said you have only had it one day and if the roots are already rooted it's not your fault but the shops.

If most of the roots are good and firm then put it back in the pot, but you probably will want to consider getting new medium as the stuff they get sold in is more then often already broken down and in need of replacement (especially if not bought from an orchid specialist).

Is it in Moss or Bark? Many people find bark easiest, but if you are in a very dry climate or prone to underwatering then moss may be better. One BIG piece of advice I have is don't buy the medium from your local store even if they sell it. The stuff in those places is usually already broken down due to low turn-over or incorrect storage. Try somewhere like rePotme Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Care - Orchid Fertilizer which I'm told sells good stuff (I'm in the UK so use a UK website).

Good luck, and if you need advice about the root condition post us some pics so we can help with what to do next.

[RosieC]

Hi Lovesflowers and welcome to Orchid Board

First off orchids don't like to be left standing in water, so get rid of that water in the outer pot. If the water has been there a long time (like the shop was leaving them standing in water) then there is a very good chance your roots have started rotting... actually as you say your flowers buds are turning yellow (blasting) then there is a good chance your roots could be rotting.

It can be normal for buds to drop from a change in enviroment... but combined with your description of mold on the root at the bottom I think you really should check the roots.

Basically you need to remove it from the pot and take a look. Hollow/mushy roots are bad, firm roots are good (good roots will often be silvery or green but can be stained by the medium so firm is the thing to test for).

If there are lot of mushy roots and none or hardly any good ones then i would really advise taking it back to the shop for a refund. You said you have only had it one day and if the roots are already rooted it's not your fault but the shops.

If most of the roots are good and firm then put it back in the pot, but you probably will want to consider getting new medium as the stuff they get sold in is more then often already broken down and in need of replacement (especially if not bought from an orchid specialist).

Is it in Moss or Bark? Many people find bark easiest, but if you are in a very dry climate or prone to underwatering then moss may be better. One BIG piece of advice I have is don't buy the medium from your local store even if they sell it. The stuff in those places is usually already broken down due to low turn-over or incorrect storage. Try somewhere like www.repotme.com which I'm told sells good stuff (I'm in the UK so use a UK website).

Good luck, and if you need advice about the root condition post us some pics so we can help with what to do next.

[lovesflowers]

Thank you, Rosie, for your prompt and helpful reply. I apologize for taking so long to respond. My daughter is going to be married next week, so my orchid problems were put on hold. It actually looks like the roots are healthy except for the one coming out of the bottom of the pot. Thanks for that tip about the need to replace the bark that came with the orchid, and to buy orchid mix other than the kind sold in stores. I didn't know anything about that. I also don't know how to put pictures in the computer. But I'm going to be learning a lot about such things as I read all the helpful information from members like you. All the buds have now dropped off my little orchid, but the leaves and remaining flowers look O.K. for now. Thanks again. Judy