STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
stylethread site home page -> stylethread forum -> home & garden -> Advice needed on how to not kill orchids
Post Info TOPIC: Advice needed on how to not kill orchids
wetbandit42


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Advice needed on how to not kill orchids
Permalink Closed

I've had three orchids. The first one I threw away when it was done blooming b/c I thought it was dead. disbelief Boy was I stupid. The next orchid I got I took to my parent's house for the summer and left it there. That orchid is sort of hanging on by a thread. The last orchid I got I bought at an orchid show. In late August or early September, it got sick. The leaves filled up with water and so did the stems. By the time I went to rescue the roots, they were all dead. cry

How can I keep an orchid alive for several years? I don't think I overwater and I kept them on homemade humidity trays. The one thing is my apartment is pretty dark. It faces west, but I'm on the first floor and there are trees blocking a lot of the light. Is this a problem?

Anyone with orchid growing experience, please give me your tips! Thanks!


-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Saturday 24th of October 2009 07:54:57 PM

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus
Suasoria


Chanel

Status: Offline
Posts: 3120
Date:
Permalink Closed

I had two or three that lived a few years, but I couldn't get them to re-bloom no matter what I did, and I have a relatively green thumb. Not to discourage you, but indoor orchids are pretty fussy for most of us mere mortals. The most common one, the phalaenopsis (sp), with the meaty rounded leaves, is probably the least successful of them all. Overwatering is the biggest killer - one drop of water too much and they plotz. They prefer bright but indirect light, so your situation is probably OK. They like things really humid and 'rainforesty' and are heavy feeders, meaning they need fertilizer. Usually you get a powdered or crystallized fertilizer and mix a teeny bit in water until it dissolves, and douse it every two weeks or so. Repot every two years or so, wearing gloves so you don't touch the wrong part of the roots. I have far better luck with the outdoor orchids (cymbidiums and bletillas). They're not as fancy but they're much easier!



1290502917_c7d207063c.jpg

1291363450_09ccd0f445.jpg

__________________
wetbandit42


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

Thanks Su! I thought phal orchids were supposed to be the easiest to care for, but sadly I've been proven wrong (all 3 of my orchids were phals). I did fertilize them with a powdered orchid fertilizer mix. I don't think I kept any of them close enough to the windows. The apartment I lived in before this one faced east, and we got tons of light. My orchids seemed to do a lot better there. At my current apartment a lot of the blooms on one plant dropped off before they even opened.

Anyways, I guess the only thing I can do is buy another one and start again. I'm not ready let my black thumb win yet. Unfortunately, I live in WI so outdoor orchids are a no go. cry

ETA: it sounds like I may have overwatered the plant that developed water-filled leaves/stems. I think this time around I'll have to go by the pencil trick.

-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Sunday 25th of October 2009 08:50:54 AM

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
stylethread site home page -> stylethread forum -> home & garden -> Advice needed on how to not kill orchids
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard