Are you NEW to orchids?

Orchid 101

So you just got a brand new orchid and you want to know what to do?

1. The first thing I do is make sure the orchid has proper water drainage. Most orchids are sold in pots without a drainage hole which produces root rot an eventually kills an orchid as shown here… Click this link.
2. Then I usually wait to water it till the mix is completely dry. Most orchids are overpacked with mix and then overwatered before we get them to make sure they are still in bloom for the stores that sell them. I water my orchids this way… Click this link.
3. Then I sit back and enjoy the blooms which may not last long since it has probably been in bloom for quite some time before I got it. Orchids bloom typically for a few months but store bought ones have already been in bloom before they were shipped. These blooms naturally fall off as shown here… Click this link.
4. Once the blooms fall off naturally I cut the bloom stem back as shown here… Click this link.
5. I then typically repot them as shown here… Click this link.

Do you have a question? I love helping people out and answering questions!

Here is some info on that:

I welcome questions but overall if you read the other blog post first on watering, fertilizing, repotting etc. it helps both of us know what is going on a little more before you ask a question. I sometimes get people who are so excited about orchids (like me) that they ask a question before reading the other blog post and then I spend a lot of time linking those post in my answers :)

When leaving a comment or emailing – please answer these questions;

• How long you have had your orchid?
• What type of orchid it is – it's fine if you don't know
• What the problem/question is
• How are you watering it? How much and and how often?
• Does it have a drainage hole?
• Also a picture of your “troubled” orchid helps. If you can't take a picture that is fine.

Hope that helps,

Hannah

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Orchid Leaves: All GONE!!

Help! All my orchid leaves have fallen off?

If you have a Phalaenopsis orchid (which is one of the most common orchids) otherwise known as a “Moth” orchid or a “Phal” and ALL of the leaves have fallen off then there is not a lot that can be done. I know this is heartbreaking, from personal experience, because the above orchid is mine and I took very good care of it.

With the absence of leaves the plant can not manufacture food. Sometimes before an orchid loses all it’s leaves it will produce a Keiki (which is a baby orchid and one way an orchid tries to save itself when it’s hurting) but if it has not already done so when the leaves all fall of then it is basically dead.

In most cases this would be caused crown/root rot because of how it was watered. You would know for sure if it was crown/root rot by looking at the condition of the roots. If the roots are soggy/mushy and brown/black then you would know that it has succumb to root rot.

I always ask the following questions when I see this happen and I provide the links below…

1. Was it potted in a pot without a drainage hole?
2. How was it watered? How much and how often?

If neither of the above questions are an issue (like mine) then I say the following (which is what happened with mine):

Many times when we get orchids into our homes they were mistreated before we got them. Mass production of orchids in green houses forces them into bloom (which in itself does not hurt orchids) and then they are shipped to stores. The shipping process is taxing to orchids and then they are placed in grocery stores etc. that over or underwater them and give them zero natural light.

And A LOT of places sell orchids in pots with no drainage which exacerbates all the problems stated above because the roots are basically trapped in water and begin to rot (even though the blooms may look beautiful at the time).

Then we get them, they begin to suffer and we think we have hurt an orchid when actually it was all the stuff that happened to it before we got it. It’s very frustrating but not our faults at all.

Hope that Helps,

Hannah

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Orchid Leaves Turning Yellow

Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow?

If your bottom orchid leaf has turned yellow it does not necessarily mean your orchid is sick or dying. You can not prevent your bottom orchid leaves from turning yellow because this is the natural cycle of an orchid.

You see orchids work in balance between new leaves, new roots and blooms. In order for blooms to appear in the winter and spring, new leaves and new roots need to grow in the summer and fall. Older leaves, over time, will die back naturally… as will new leaves appear (shown below). From this new growth will come the next bloom!

So when your bottom orchid leaves turn yellow and fall off… This is a good sign! It means your orchid is following natures cues and preparing for new growth!

Okay so what to do with the yellow orchid leafs?

1. Do nothing and wait. The orchid will eventually shed the leaf itself and seal off the area that it fell from.

2. Cut it off. Use a clean tool to avoid the possible spread of disease. Apply cinnamon (yes, the common household spice) to the area you just cut as a preventative measure against any possible infection that may try to set in.

There are other instances when your orchid may drop some leaves –

If you just repotted an orchid it may loose a leaf or two but this is not a reason to be concerned. Also if just bought an orchid from a humid greenhouse and then brought it into your dry home it may lose a bottom leaf or two (which is why humidity trays are so important). Your orchid(s) is just adjusting to its new environment.

When to actually worry –

• If your orchid drops many leaves very suddenly or they are dropping from the top of an orchid as shown here and/or you see dark slimy spots…. Click on this post. I have found that best defense against this is Physan 20 applied to the affected leaves at a rate of 1 Tablespoon / gallon of water.

• If your leaves are turning really dark. Click here.

If you want to know how to clean orchid leaves. Click here.

Note: this has become the most popular blog entry I have done…make sure you check out the rest of the website and subscribe to it for other tips:) you can also email me pictures of your orchid if you need further assistance at myfirstorchid@gmail.com

Hope that Helps,

Hannah

Please feel free to leave comments or questions.

 

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Broken/Split Orchid Leaves

My orchid leaf split/broken? What do I do?

Split Orchids

Some of my orchids have split leaves. They were either damaged before I got them or split from an already small tear (as shown above). They just keep growing with these splits and it does not effect any other growth. It's slightly ugly but it will have no effect on anything. The split leaf will continue to grow from the base but will always look split at the top – it will seal itself off and be kinda crooked. Don't cut if off. It will still give the orchid energy – even though its split.

 

Torn orchids

I have also had orchids that I dropped (as shown above)!! Yes dropped and broke…if this has happened to you then you know the awful feeling it causes!! I also have broken off the tiny baby leaf that was growing from the center of one my Phalaenopsis orchids… I about died.

I do a couple of things here.

1. I cut if off using sterile scissors to prevent any type of infection right at the tear.
2. I sprinkle cinnamon (yes the common household spice) on it because it is a natural fungicide to protect it from any potential threat.
3. Then I leave it – as stated above, the leaf will continue to grow (however ugly) and still give the plant nutrients.

Hope that helps,

Feel free to leave questions or comments.

Hannah

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Aerial Roots

Why are there roots growing out of the top of my orchid plant? And why do they look dead?

Roots that grow above the surface of an orchid are called aerial roots and are not super attractive (in my opinion). They can look whitish grey and never seem to look super green like the roots that are buried.

It is easy to think they are dead or something is wrong with your orchid but this is just how they look. They are normal and healthy. In nature an orchid tries to grab onto the trees and shrubs around it – this is why they grow that way. Aerial roots also help with photosynthesis and they absorb moisture from the air. This helps the orchid produce healthy leaves, roots and blooms. For this reason they should NOT be cut off.

Note: it's easy to confuse an aerial root with a spike. Here is a link on the difference.

Burying aerial roots:

A ton of aerial roots is one sign that your orchids need to be repotted. Especially when they are super overgrown as shown in the pictures above. When orchids are this overgrown you should be able to bury some of them when you repot your orchid.

NOTE: You may not be able to bury all of them – some of mine are growing in between leaves and those I leave alone. Shown below…

Back to burying the other ones: When you do this you have to be extra careful not to break them off because they can be quite brittle.

When I go to repot and I need to bury aerial roots I soak the entire orchid in a bucket of water for a bit and the roots become a little more malleable so you can bury them. If you just force them then they WILL break off. And even though aerial roots can be ugly they still provide energy and sustenance to the orchid so I like to keep them. Once the roots are little more malleable you can gently guide them down into the pot and cover them with bark or moss. If one or two break then it's not the end of the world.

Feel free to leave questions or comments.

Hope that Helps,

Hannah

 

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Orchid Health: Rot

Help, my orchid has crown/root rot! What should I do?

Rot on orchids typically happens when water “pools” on an orchid. This can happen in their crown (where leaves are growing) and at their roots. It is very important to take care of this immediately because this can kill an orchid! A lot of times we see signs of root rot in the leaves before we see it in the crown as shown below.

Preventing root/crown rot

• The leaves of these types of orchids act as a syphon for water and because of this water will gather/pool at the base of their leaves. Make sure that when you water your orchids, especially ones like Phaleanopsis, that you take a paper towel and soak up any let over water that has pooled at their leaf base.
• Rot in orchid roots is usually caused by overwatering and also the common mistake of letting an orchid sit in water…like you would a normal houseplant. Orchids are not like normal houseplants in that they HATE having their roots sitting in water. In nature they would typically be growing off a tree and experience natural rain forest water trickle through them. Click on this post – for proper watering techniques.
• Make sure there is air movement around your orchids. Either a fan or near an open window.

Treating root/crown rot

I use Physan 20 to treat rot but if you don't have this then do the following;

1. Treat the crown rot with full strength hydrogen peroxide. Pour it over the crown of your orchid.
2. Repeat every 2-3 days until the rot no longer fizzes and bubbles with the hydrogen peroxide application.
3. Then sprinkle cinnamon (yes, the regular spice from your cabinet) to treat the fungus.

Hope that helps,

Hannah

 

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Orchid Health: Bugs

Help! My orchid has bugs (scales, mealybugs, mites and aphids)! What should I do?

Copyright American Orchid Society

To prevent pests

• Apply GET OFF ME! ever time you water your orchid and you can put up sticky traps near your orchids. If you don't have this you can sprinkle a bit of cinnamon near the base of your plant.
• Putting your orchids on humidity trays helps prevent pest also because pest really like dry environments (normally found in our homes).
• Also don't allow your orchids to be near fresh fruit, in say your kitchen, this causes both flies and the citrus can deteriorate your orchid.

To TREAT pest

Okay, so you have found really gross little bugs on your orchid! Pests can also be difficult to control indoors. If you have pets or children it can also be disconcerting to use pesticides to control these issues.

Don't panic! The best defense I have found is GET OFF ME! Pest Control Spray made from cinnamon, applied to the affected areas, which I purchased from www.rePotme.com. This is a safe substance to use indoors.

Here's what to do;

• REMOVE YOUR PLANT FROM OTHER PLANTS – you don't want bugs to move from one plant to another.
• Wash pests off with water/mild soap solution and pick off bugs.

1. I use Washme from http://www.repotme.com to wash leaves if you don't have this use FEW drops of mild soap detergent on the plant (don't use too much soap) mixed with a bunch of water and spray it all over the plant (underside of leaves etc.) and then rewash with clean fresh wet paper towel.
2. Don't reuse the paper towels – as they have bugs on them.
3. You can also use the spray nozel (if you have it) on your kitchen sink to spray off any extra bugs and mild soap solution.

• Make a solution of 50% rubbing alcohol/water and dab/rub it on the pests.

1. You can use a Q tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol or toothbrush dipped in a pesticide like Malathion, Orthene or Safer Soap.
2. You can also spray this solution mixed with a pesticide all over your plant (underside of leaves etc.).
3. Repeat this every few days / once a week until pest are gone.

• I use GET OFF ME!, to rid the eggs and prevent further spread of pests. I spray this on my orchid base each time I water my orchids.
• Soaking the entire plant, in water, helps too because the bugs can't breathe. If you do this then you should repot your orchid to remove all the infected bug area.

Hope that helps,

Hannah

 

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