Gave this orchid to a friend to look after…what happened??
This orchid was thriving until i picked them up from a friends house. I trusted him to take good care of it for 2 weeks. The flowers are all droopy now and the leaves dont look too well.
It’s finished blooming. The flowers don’t stay forever but should bloom again if you take care of it.
littlesugarcloud
Just so you know phalaenopsis has survive 2 weeks without attention for NO problem. Don’t ask for any care if you only leave for 2 weeks in the future.
Orchid is a type of plant, no plant can flower forever. The drop of the bloom just means it reached at of the blooming cycle. That is nature. But your orchid apparently is overwaterred, probably already had root rot and need a rescue action ASAP. Cut the flower spikes. Forget about rebloom from the same spike, this plant need recovery now. Trim dead roots. Feel to touch, any roots that are soft, mushy and papery, trim. Healthy root should be firm. No need to up-pot based on the pot side. You can down pot if don’t left with much healthy root.
For indoor grower, I highly recommend bark mix no matter what it used to be in. Bark mix provides way better air flow to the roots and help to build a healthy plant.
devvyd
Impossible to tell from this photo. Need brightly lit photos of the entire plant. Something dramatic wound have had to happen for this to happen in only two weeks.
Ready_Regret_1558
You’re friend is not to blame because the flowers died back, they don’t last forever
jmbrjr
Maybe the plant was not watered in those 2 weeks(?), so the turgor pressure in the flowers dropped and they wilted earlier than the pre-programmed drop dead date. The flowers don’t last forever, sometimes only a few days, but to lose all of them at the same time, hmmmmm.
No_Regret289
Two things going on
1. It looks like your flowers were just coming to the end of its cycle
2. Looks a little dry in the leaves but honestly they look dryer than 2 weeks would do. It looks like it has been needing more water than what it’s been getting for a while
_Morvar_
Have a look at the roots, I wonder if it has been overwatered of maybe underwatered
Khai-EX
Do the leaves look papery and wilted? It’s hard to tell from the photo, but if they are I would say it’s a watering issue. Every Phalaenopsis I’ve had tends to drop one flower at a time, the oldest first. I’m not saying they can’t drop all at once, but to me that is odd. If it’s in a clear pot, see if you can get a peek at the roots
foxy1_2021
Neglected probably
Soundgarden_
Leaves look dehydrated, as others have noticed
HicoCOFox-
More light
CosmicBewie
Would you be able to add a photo of the roots? We could tell you much more seeing what’s happening with the roots.
I agree all the blooms should not just wither like this at the same time.
FatCatWithAFatHat
Changes in environment, like simply bringing an Orchid home from the store, can make flowers fall. I changed my heat settings in the living room last winter, and three different orchids dropped every single flowers during the following week. If you brought this Orchid over to a different house, that could easily explain the flowers.
PlantFragEnthusiast
did not water at all.
debutanteballz
Shocked from being moved to a different location?
Beautiful_Strange63
I found a phal in this condition sitting outside a dumpster (maybe four months ago now.) I bought it home cleaned off the dead roots, sprayed it with insecticide and put it in “water culture”(making sure the crown was elevated from the water. It has since grown new roots, the older leaves perked up a bit and two new leaves have sprouted. Have to say o didn’t give it much hope at first…give it a try 🤷🏽♀️
No_oNTwix
I would never expect an orchid to survive when moving it from one location to the next. I’ve had them die back from being shifted 6 ft to the left…
PlantJars
They watered it to death
LoudKaleidoscope8576
Doesn’t look like it was watered at all.
higherandmightier420
this was a shock drop, either overwatering or sudden temp drop
sorudesarutta
Maybe he watered it with the pot still inside and that’s probably how it deteriorated so quickly
LittlePooky
He only looked.
Zainopedia_
This could honestly have been the stress of relocation. Dramatic changes in ambient temperatures have claimed the lives of more than few plants in my time. Also, in my experience, plants of any type are more sensitive to just about everything when in bloom, due to the energy and stress blooming puts on them.
moonie_loon
Did you check if the medium was soaked with water when you picked it up? Looks like it’s overwatered to me. Your friend probably watered directly into the pot, where the decorative pot has no hole to let excessive water out.
Someone_on_reddit_1
I think orchids don’t like to be moved, it could be shock from being in a different environment?
smcs_2018
I learned the hard way that keeping nice, new, blooming phals near bananas in my kitchen made all the blooms drop suddenly.
26 Comments
It’s finished blooming. The flowers don’t stay forever but should bloom again if you take care of it.
Just so you know phalaenopsis has survive 2 weeks without attention for NO problem. Don’t ask for any care if you only leave for 2 weeks in the future.
Orchid is a type of plant, no plant can flower forever. The drop of the bloom just means it reached at of the blooming cycle. That is nature. But your orchid apparently is overwaterred, probably already had root rot and need a rescue action ASAP. Cut the flower spikes. Forget about rebloom from the same spike, this plant need recovery now. Trim dead roots. Feel to touch, any roots that are soft, mushy and papery, trim. Healthy root should be firm. No need to up-pot based on the pot side. You can down pot if don’t left with much healthy root.
For indoor grower, I highly recommend bark mix no matter what it used to be in. Bark mix provides way better air flow to the roots and help to build a healthy plant.
Impossible to tell from this photo. Need brightly lit photos of the entire plant. Something dramatic wound have had to happen for this to happen in only two weeks.
You’re friend is not to blame because the flowers died back, they don’t last forever
Maybe the plant was not watered in those 2 weeks(?), so the turgor pressure in the flowers dropped and they wilted earlier than the pre-programmed drop dead date. The flowers don’t last forever, sometimes only a few days, but to lose all of them at the same time, hmmmmm.
Two things going on
1. It looks like your flowers were just coming to the end of its cycle
2. Looks a little dry in the leaves but honestly they look dryer than 2 weeks would do. It looks like it has been needing more water than what it’s been getting for a while
Have a look at the roots, I wonder if it has been overwatered of maybe underwatered
Do the leaves look papery and wilted? It’s hard to tell from the photo, but if they are I would say it’s a watering issue. Every Phalaenopsis I’ve had tends to drop one flower at a time, the oldest first. I’m not saying they can’t drop all at once, but to me that is odd. If it’s in a clear pot, see if you can get a peek at the roots
Neglected probably
Leaves look dehydrated, as others have noticed
More light
Would you be able to add a photo of the roots? We could tell you much more seeing what’s happening with the roots.
I agree all the blooms should not just wither like this at the same time.
Changes in environment, like simply bringing an Orchid home from the store, can make flowers fall. I changed my heat settings in the living room last winter, and three different orchids dropped every single flowers during the following week. If you brought this Orchid over to a different house, that could easily explain the flowers.
did not water at all.
Shocked from being moved to a different location?
I found a phal in this condition sitting outside a dumpster (maybe four months ago now.) I bought it home cleaned off the dead roots, sprayed it with insecticide and put it in “water culture”(making sure the crown was elevated from the water. It has since grown new roots, the older leaves perked up a bit and two new leaves have sprouted. Have to say o didn’t give it much hope at first…give it a try 🤷🏽♀️
I would never expect an orchid to survive when moving it from one location to the next. I’ve had them die back from being shifted 6 ft to the left…
They watered it to death
Doesn’t look like it was watered at all.
this was a shock drop, either overwatering or sudden temp drop
Maybe he watered it with the pot still inside and that’s probably how it deteriorated so quickly
He only looked.
This could honestly have been the stress of relocation. Dramatic changes in ambient temperatures have claimed the lives of more than few plants in my time. Also, in my experience, plants of any type are more sensitive to just about everything when in bloom, due to the energy and stress blooming puts on them.
Did you check if the medium was soaked with water when you picked it up? Looks like it’s overwatered to me. Your friend probably watered directly into the pot, where the decorative pot has no hole to let excessive water out.
I think orchids don’t like to be moved, it could be shock from being in a different environment?
I learned the hard way that keeping nice, new, blooming phals near bananas in my kitchen made all the blooms drop suddenly.