My father recently passed away, and my mother sent me a phalaenopsis. It was lovely and looked healthy, but very quickly declined and I am pretty sure it is dead now. I will keep it until the roots look dead, but I can't see it reviving. The roots are green but the aerial roots are shriveled, almost all of the leaves are gone, and the two remaining look very unhappy and discoloured. The flowers all died, and the buds dropped. I was careful to follow watering instructions I found in many different places, but it wasn't happy.
It is being replaced for free, but I am worried the problem will just repeat itself. It came in a small, clear pot with bark. The drainage looked good. There was a black pot over the clear one, but I took it out to let the roots get light. I watered it once when the roots looked to be nearly dry (I have read they don't like to be wet but not completely dried out either), and I made sure the water was room temperature. I didn't let any water sit near the base of the leaves.
I live in Dundee. My house is cold, but I try to ever let it go below 15. I was putting the orchid in my big, south facing room in the day, but away from the windows to keep it away from drafts. I was then moving it to a room at night that I knew would not go below 15. I think it gets to about 20 on the sunny days here. We are not getting a lot of sun these days. It was already slightly west by 11 this morning. Can anyone give me advice? There must be a way to keep this next orchid alive. It is a meaningful gift, and I am already pretty upset I seemed to have lost the first one.
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mossonthemoon
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rainbowgardener
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It may be a bit chilly for it. I think it likes daytime temps more like 25 C (75 - 85 F). The night time 15 would be a minimum temp.
But if I had to guess, I think you might have overwatered. It likes humid air (and indoor winter air tends to be very dry), but it doesn't really like the roots to stay wet.
But if I had to guess, I think you might have overwatered. It likes humid air (and indoor winter air tends to be very dry), but it doesn't really like the roots to stay wet.
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mossonthemoon
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Thank you, I hope I manage it somehow because it arrived today. I guess over-watering would be a possibility, however I would be very surprised because I only watered it once, when it was nearly completely dry. The wood stick in it came out dry from the centre, and the outer roots I could easily see looked dry (there was no condensation). I let it drain completely, and there was no water sitting in or near the pot (it is clear so it is very easy to see that). I hope I have better luck this time. It is such a lovely colour and I don't want to upset my mother!
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applestar
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I finally nearly killed my phalaenopsis(es?) due to total complete neglect this summer. (Left them outside buried in weeds under the garden bench during drought, where it flooded during the fall rains 
) I'm trying to revive all three of them under intensive care -- one is completely leafless but has live roots.
I know for sure that during winter, they can manage low-mid 60's°F at night time if daytime temp gets in the upper 60's to mid-70's°F.
Unobstructed South window is best during the winter, but be sure to move it to East facing window as the sun gets stronger in the south window and begins to rise further east in spring (or shelter it behind sheer/lace curtain).
A pebble tray, etc. to raise humidity is a good idea. I thoroughly mist with filtered water first thing in the morning.
When you water, take it to the sink and either stopper the sink or put the pot in a dish pan. Start pouring tepid/room temp water from the top until the entire pot is under water to the rim. Let the bark/planting medium soak for about 15 minute, then allow to drain completely before returning it to it's regular spot. If you can, it's better to use water that has been sitting in a bucket overnight or 24 hrs to de-chlorinate. Some people use rain or melted snow water. I have a water filter fitted to the sink and water with filtered water.
Once a month, you may want to add bloom fertilizer at 1/4 strength in the water. I add used ground coffee and left over orange juice, a drop of molasses, worm compost tea, etc.
Do the heft test. Heft the watered pot and remember how it feels. When the pot feels light when hefted, it's time to water again.
) I'm trying to revive all three of them under intensive care -- one is completely leafless but has live roots. I know for sure that during winter, they can manage low-mid 60's°F at night time if daytime temp gets in the upper 60's to mid-70's°F.
Unobstructed South window is best during the winter, but be sure to move it to East facing window as the sun gets stronger in the south window and begins to rise further east in spring (or shelter it behind sheer/lace curtain).
A pebble tray, etc. to raise humidity is a good idea. I thoroughly mist with filtered water first thing in the morning.
When you water, take it to the sink and either stopper the sink or put the pot in a dish pan. Start pouring tepid/room temp water from the top until the entire pot is under water to the rim. Let the bark/planting medium soak for about 15 minute, then allow to drain completely before returning it to it's regular spot. If you can, it's better to use water that has been sitting in a bucket overnight or 24 hrs to de-chlorinate. Some people use rain or melted snow water. I have a water filter fitted to the sink and water with filtered water.
Once a month, you may want to add bloom fertilizer at 1/4 strength in the water. I add used ground coffee and left over orange juice, a drop of molasses, worm compost tea, etc.
Do the heft test. Heft the watered pot and remember how it feels. When the pot feels light when hefted, it's time to water again.
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mossonthemoon
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That is very good advice, thank you. I will do my best to follow it all! Is it true also that it is good to wait for the roots to look silver before watering? I have read both ways. I will keep this one in the south window this winter. The sun is quite weak up here and it warms the room a bit, but not much. I do hope it can take all the dark days we get. I don't have east windows, but I have a good west window that only gets light from reflection, and isn't very intense. Or I will figure out a curtain arrangement, if it makes it that long. I really hope it does. I suppose I could put it under a under counter fluorescent light on the dark days, maybe (?). I managed to have some great germination of various plants that way. The old orchid wouldn't have fit but this one will.
I have a dechlorinator that my aquatic plants thrive with. I wonder whether it would be good for the orchid. I do tend to just leave water out though so that I don't shock plants with the tap temperature.
I have a wormery, so if it is producing liquid I will try that. I am not sure whether it is at the moment.
I meant to also say that I gave it a lot less water than described above, so I wonder whether it needed more now.
I have a dechlorinator that my aquatic plants thrive with. I wonder whether it would be good for the orchid. I do tend to just leave water out though so that I don't shock plants with the tap temperature.
I have a wormery, so if it is producing liquid I will try that. I am not sure whether it is at the moment.
I meant to also say that I gave it a lot less water than described above, so I wonder whether it needed more now.
A tip for most orchids. If the roots are green they do not need water yet. If they are white they are healthy, and if they are brown/ black or soft, they are dead. Phalaenopsis roots are darker (not always white) but they should be firm and they do get a little darker after watering.
Phalaenopis are low light plants they do fine in 30% light. They do not like to dry out completely but more importantly most orchids need humidity. It is best to mist them or put the orchids on a pebble tray that has water under the pebbles. The orchid should sit on the pebbles not in the water. I tend to over water my orchids anyway so I like to pot them in redwood baskets instead, and I water them once or twice a week. Plastic pots do not provide a lot of air and if the plant is in the house it can take a while to dry out. Below is a link to repotting a phalaenopsis. The only thing I would do different is I would use a new pot. Orchids are prone to many fungal and bacterial diseases and it has to stay in the pot for a couple of years, so start with a new or sanitized pot. Clay is good because it breathes. Orchids like to be tight they only need an inch of room in the pot. They are air plants and need a light well drained medium. Orchid bark, sphagnum, and osmunda are the best. They also can be mounted on a plank or raft and hung. Phalaenopsi pots are designed so the orchid is planted in the side of the pot. That way there is less chance of crown rot. When watering Phalaenopsis, tip the plant to make sure there is no water sitting in the crown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUNMSh1F19A
Phalaenopis are low light plants they do fine in 30% light. They do not like to dry out completely but more importantly most orchids need humidity. It is best to mist them or put the orchids on a pebble tray that has water under the pebbles. The orchid should sit on the pebbles not in the water. I tend to over water my orchids anyway so I like to pot them in redwood baskets instead, and I water them once or twice a week. Plastic pots do not provide a lot of air and if the plant is in the house it can take a while to dry out. Below is a link to repotting a phalaenopsis. The only thing I would do different is I would use a new pot. Orchids are prone to many fungal and bacterial diseases and it has to stay in the pot for a couple of years, so start with a new or sanitized pot. Clay is good because it breathes. Orchids like to be tight they only need an inch of room in the pot. They are air plants and need a light well drained medium. Orchid bark, sphagnum, and osmunda are the best. They also can be mounted on a plank or raft and hung. Phalaenopsi pots are designed so the orchid is planted in the side of the pot. That way there is less chance of crown rot. When watering Phalaenopsis, tip the plant to make sure there is no water sitting in the crown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUNMSh1F19A