Orchids

The natural habitat for these is half way up a tree trunk under a canopy of evergreen tropical leaves. Direct sun can finish them off - a nice north facing window (i have seen them thriving on sunnier windows in recent years - maybe they are breeding more light tolerant ones).
Half way up the tree trunk also means they never sit in wet earth. Stand the pot in water up to the top of the pot for a while. Then get rid of surplus water. Don't over water.
They are very slow growing plants - the flowers last for a very long time and they make take quite a long time to re-bloom.

When I moved house a few weeks ago, I bought a lovely 2 stemmed orchid, half in flower, half buds. However, within a couple of weeks the leaves turned yellow and dropped off, then the flowers died, so I've dumped it. Why did this happen? I used to buy the odd orchid where I used to live and the flowers lasted for months, the plants for years. I'd put this plant in a bright position, but little sun - is that why? I'd like to buy another one but would appreciate advice about what might have gone wrong.

Rosesarered you usually don't have to wait a year mine often flower again in a few months ,they need light but not direct sun . I have 7 in flower at the moment 5 resting and 3 that have new flower stalks growing I love them they really take care of themselves just needing water every couple of weeks and a feed every 2/3 mths.

This thread back again, and I am pleased to report that my original orchid which bloomed almost continuously for a couple of years then died back has now returned to health. I have it on a south-east facing windowsill, it has sat there for all that time, I water it up to the rim of the internal flower pot. I repotted it with fingers crossed, (not literally) BUT unfortunately, I cut off all the dead 'branches' at the top of the plant, which evidently I should not have done, since the join where the top starts to die is where the new flowers will grow. I have one old stem left and indeed a flower is growing at this point. I am usually so useless at these things that I seem to have a very simple pleasure in seeing this happen. Doesn't take much to please me does it?

I've kept several for many years. Had to stop when DARLING DAUGHTER developed an allergy to their pollen

Whenever I am given an orchid, I have chucked it out once the flowers have died. Can you place the pots in a warm-ish place and leave them to flower again the next year? I don't have a greenhouse, would they thrive in a conservatory?

Not many G/N"s live in Sydney !!!

Reported

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

I usually kill of any plants but I have 3 orchids which strangely and miraculously are surviving. I water them a little about every 10 days and that's that. I don't feed them or do anything else. They are in sunlight but not strong sunlight and I quite like them. They were gifts and not normally what I'd choose

I have one flowering out of three. A bud on another - but the light I had over them has conked out and I have to wait for a bulb to be delivered.
I am quite pleased with this one though!
Orchid food is quite cheap and goes a long way.

Thanks for the encouragement, I shall just continue to care for it and hope it blooms again for me.

Most garden centres sell orchid food these days. They like to be somewhat pot bound. In some countries they grow them without any soil at all. In others they seem to go to extraordinary lengths to get the ground right.
I'm sure that yours will flower again once it's settled into its new home

If they have developed some air roots you can try severing them and planting . There is no reason why the original plant shouldn't flower again maybe give it a feed to encourage it.