Phalaenopsis I bought for my mother's funeral is nearly dead

Hello all,

My mother passed away 4 yrs ago and among the many flowers and arrangements I ordered for her visitation/funeral I bought a beautiful deep pink Phalaenopsis. I bought it from the florist shop that did all of mom's flowers. It was beautiful, sturdy, tall and had many flowers & buds. They all opened successfully and eventually the stem dried up and I cut it off. I didn't know what else to do with it since it did dry up. So for the last say 3 yrs+ I've simply had an orchid with nothing but leaves. Now the leaves have all turned brown, dried up and had to be removed. I'm down to one once green leaf that is turning brown as I type this. I haven't removed the plant from it's pot but have observed very good drainage. I've only soaked the pot once or twice and normally just put about 1/4 C water towards the center of the pot where I figure it needs the water. If's in an air-conditioned environment but always sits near a lamp with 2 60w bulbs that burn all afternoon until perhaps 3pm at night. It does get some draft but I just don't feel like that's the problem. I'll include a photo here but be advised that the one leaf left is much browner now. I just don't know if I can save it nor do I know how! It's the 1st orchid I've tried and wanted to keep it for years in memory of my precious Mother. If anyone can give me some advice that might turn around it's dire condition I would be VERY grateful!

PS... The color looks really vivid in these photos. They were more 'toned down' than they appear here. And again, I'm down to only one (quickly browning) leaf now.

I'm sorry for your loss, but I think it;'s beyond saving. Phals are mass produced by/for the commercial trade...grown under ideal conditions. They are often call a beginner's orchid, but in my mind that's because if you can keep them alive for more than a couple of years, you deserve expert status. They are very picky about water (both amount and quality), heat, (that's usually what kills mine), light. To top off the list, they hate any change in environment. Where I live, they have to be a house plant,but if they are near a window, all the blooms face the window...not the room, and if you try turning them before all flowers are open, they drop the buds. Don't feel badly about loosing it if you have kept it alive for four years. You can probably find an identical one at any of the big box stores.

I agree with Carol that your plant is a goner. However, I find that Phalaenopsis plants are extremely easy to grow and should re-bloom every year, often twice a year. The main thing is to know HOW TO GROW THEM. That's true with any orchid variety. Different kinds of orchids have different growing needs, so when you purchase one, you should also have/get instructions for its care. I send care instructions out with every orchid I ship. You will never get that with plants bought from big-box stores or from a florist, and that's too bad.

Ken

Yes get another and try again. I've killed my share of Phals over the years but I bought one this past December in Bloom (A 'Golden Embers') and the last flower is getting ready to die just now! It's also put out a new leaf! It's in a clear pot which REALLY helps me see when to water.

Tom

take it out of the moss and keep it bare rotted and mist the roots each day.

When I speak to Garden Clubs, I always have a question and answer session afterwards. Always, and I do mean always, I am told: "I bought a beautiful blooming orchid (almost always a Phalaenopsis) from Lowe's and after a few months it died. What did I do wrong?" My standard answer is: "You probably did nothing wrong. The orchid was more than likely growing in sphagnum moss and either had insufficient or no drainage." I then tell the that when they purchase one of the "Moth Orchids", as soon as they get it home, remove it from the pot and get rid of all the sphagnum moss. Replace that moss with an orchid mix, based on Douglas fir bark or something similar. I also tell them to purchase a pot meant for orchids, one with excellent drainage and preferably one what has lots of large holes around the entire pot. The pot should be just large enough for the plant/roots to fit into.

When I sell an orchid, I always include instructions on its/their care. Phalaenopsis care is a bit different than Cattleya care, so I have specific instructions for both genera.

Ken

Hello Grammy, I'm sorry for your losses, but please read up on orchid culture and try again. Let your mother give you the gift of enjoying these special plants, even if that specific one didn't make it. Here's my experience: I was gifted a blooming phal (from Trader Joes) while I was in the hospital for some surgery. It cheered my hospital room and saw me through my recuperation at home. I cut off the dead flower stalk, stuck the plant in with my other houseplants and ignored it. A year later I was surprised to realize it was still alive, so read up on how to care for it. (http://www.repotme.com/ was a good resource.) It was an education to me, but with a little care it has now re-bloomed and is putting out new leaves. And I do mean a little care--just have the right pot, good orchid mix, a drenching and draining every 2 weeks or so. I am pleasantly surprised to see it now putting on new leaves, I'm hoping for another bloom. I'm really more of a cactus person, but it's been fun to have an orchid and learn how to take care of it. Good luck, don't give up, if I can do it you can too!

Nopala, if it does bloom again for you, don't cut off the spent flower stalk. You will get a shoot off of that one and more blooms. At least mine do. My sister told me about that.

There were bargain phals at WM when I was there today. Blooming, but not in a full flush. They were all $4.99. I bet you didn't know that phals can jump..........yessiree..........it jumped from the display right into the basket of the cart and right along side my purse. LOL

I agree, don't cut off that spent stem. It may still die completely back but then again, it might stay green/purple and viable, and then can re-bloom. That stem can also grow a keiki for you. You just never know. You'll be able to tell where the stem is viable and where it is dead.

Ken

The flower stem I cut was really dead, dry, brittle and brown, is it OK to cut when they're like that? Thanks for the words of wisdom, I'll keep an eye on it next time. I don't have room for more orchids, but they sure are tempting!

Yep, when dry, brown, and brittle, cut that sucker off! Some Phal. will maintain a viable stem and some won't. Just go by what you see. The same plant may have a "dead" stem(s) one year and then a viable green or purple stem(s) the next.

Ken

Just an updaye on MY Phal., she's throwing up a bloom spike!

That's a good sign. A better sign will be new root growth.

Ken

Orchids are epiphytes; happiest when growing up in the canopy on a tree branch, with bits of detritus and squirrel droppings ( ;) ) landing between their otherwise bare, exposed roots...up there, the host tree provides dappled light, humidity from its leaves, but plenty of air flow up there. A pot stuffed with moss and roots in a climate controlled, dry, home is nothing like this...I wouldn't give up on the 'chid yet!

Take it out of the pot, give the shriveled roots a snip (they should be fat and shades of green, white, grey) not shriveled and brown.
Let it air dry and spritz the roots and its one, sad leaf for a while, then put it in an orchid basket with a bit of orchid bark. It might be ok! I would at least try!

Someone gave me an orchid in a plastic bag from Lowes once; it had hardly any roots, and one small leaf with black wrinkles in it. I soaked it in fertilizer water for an hour, snipped off the dead bits, and mounted it to my driftwood orchid wall...with daily mists it now has two new leaves and some fat, white roots. I don't know what kind it is yet, but it's not dead!

Hi Ken, lots of new roots.

Even better, Tommy! It sounds like you have a happily-growing Phalaenopsis.

Ken