Gransnet forums

Gardening

Look at my poorly orchid please ?

(32 Posts)
FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 05:30:13

Hello
I absolutely love this type of orchid (I’ve forgotten it’s name, it begins with d…)
.
Anyway, I looked everywhere on the internet to find a company that sells them, they seem very hard to come by at the moment; and eventually found a garden centre in Devon.

Their customer service was absolutely brilliant. The sales lady emailed me photos so that I could chose my actual plants.

The orchids arrived expertly packaged and were absolute stunners.
But! Look at this. One plant has suddenly become really ill. The flowers have gone brown, and actually appear to be rotting on the stem.
I’ve emailed the garden centre and sent these photos.
What do you think is the matter with it? Have you seen something like this before?
Thank you

FannyCornforth Mon 18-Oct-21 12:31:13

SpringyChicken it’s still partly in bud! I chose it specifically because it wasn’t in full bloom.
The buds and flowers have now all gone black and dropped off. All in a matter of 4 or 5 days.
I will let you know what the garden centre say when I hear from them

SpringyChicken Sun 17-Oct-21 21:43:52

How long have the flowers been blooming? Perhaps it's just dying back naturally? As long as the leaves and roots are healthy, it's probably nothing to worry about.

SpringyChicken Sun 17-Oct-21 21:26:01

Can I just ask, are you sure it begins with D? It looks like a cymbidium to me.

humptydumpty Sun 17-Oct-21 18:05:48

FWIW I got some orchids in August and the accompanying instruction was to hold them under cold running water for 20 seconds once a week - which I did, and they're thriving. Rotate them so they each get a chance of plenty of daylight (north facing windowsill). Not like me, I'm a world expert at killing plants!

Cherrytree59 Sun 17-Oct-21 17:03:46

My sister had an orchid similar to yours FC.
She had managed to keep it in flower for quite a few years .
It was tucked in the corner quite close to the kettle.

The orchid was not in direct Sun light and was on!y 'watered ' by the steam from the kettle.

Callistemon Sun 17-Oct-21 16:23:48

I would let them know, but in the meantime you could chop out the sad yellowing bits, remove from the pot and rinse off the roots. If you've got orchid potting mix, repot (after washing the pot thoroughly). One stalk looks ok.

When you water it in future, stand the inner pot in water for half an hour, allow to drain well before putting back in the outer pot.
Perhaps it was overwatered before you got it.

If it dies, you tried!!

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 16:07:09

Update, and a picture of its sister for comparison

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 12:12:44

Thank you Callistemon
I thought that too about the garden centre. Honestly, their customer service was brilliant.
I have moved it, in case it’s infectious! I’ll cut it back later.
It’s such a shame because it was an absolute beauty

Callistemon Sun 17-Oct-21 11:57:37

If they value their customers, the garden centre may give you a refund or send a replacement as usually orchids will last for a long time and then the flowers usually dry up rather than go soggy looking.

I'd remove it from the same room as the other one and chop it right back, put it in the light but not in direct sunshine. Water sparingly (the ice cube is a good idea, *grannyactivist!).

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 11:04:54

Thank you GA, even the stalks look healthy. It’s really odd.
It will be interesting to see what the lady at the garden centre says

grannyactivist Sun 17-Oct-21 10:59:09

When the flower stalk has gone brown snip it off, give the plant one ice cube every week/ten days and otherwise ignore it. Hopefully you will find that a new stalk or two will grow and it will flower again next year.

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 10:46:52

There’s definitely something very wrong with it.
You should see the state of it today.
It’s demise has been very swift.
But, as I say, the plant itself looks fine; it’s just the flowers

Parsley3 Sun 17-Oct-21 10:42:21

In my house, plants seem to love a north facing landing window. The two ailing orchids that I put there have now sprouted a flower shoot each. It’s all very hit and miss with those plants, I find.

Katie59 Sun 17-Oct-21 10:19:40

Orchids like cool shady conditions and plenty of humidity and usually do well on a kitchen windowsill, watered sparingly and fertilized regularly.
Thats the theory, I find it very difficult to get consistent results

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 07:51:48

I’ve only had them for about a fortnight. It’s happened really quickly. Like I say, the other one is absolutely fine

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 07:50:35

I haven’t over watered it.
Is that less hilarious?

BlueBelle Sun 17-Oct-21 07:47:16

Well I didn’t necessarily mean today ???

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 07:24:20

It’s dry as a bone BlueBelle

BlueBelle Sun 17-Oct-21 07:01:50

Looks like over watering

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 06:47:22

I ought to mention that I bought two orchids. This one is the larger of the two. The other one is doing absolutely fine?

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 06:45:49

Thank you CG, yes, it was quite a result!
I know what you mean about Christmas cacti. I think that poinsettias are the worst for that.
I’ve noticed that companies are selling them to by post shock
I should imagine that you’d be lucky not to receive just a bare twig and a box full of dead leaves.
I think that the orchid has had it as far as flowering is concerned.
I was chuffed to see that it had grown a new spike which was covered in buds; but now it’s suddenly drooped and dropped all of the buds.
Droop and drop sad

CanadianGran Sun 17-Oct-21 06:14:16

Good score with the Denby!

I have a small orchid that was not blooming, and had some good advice here. I took it out of the pot, loosened the roots and repotted it, then started feeding it with a special food just for orchids. It did eventually send up a new stalk and bloom again! However, I cannot advise on yours that is already in bloom. I hope you manage to keep it happy and blooming. Maybe it is the shock of shipping or temperature change while in transit. It may lose a few blooms then recuperate as it adjusts to its new location.

I did find out that Christmas Cactus do not like to be moved when they are in bloom, and will drop all the flowers if moved. I have a huge one that I clip back once in a while, but I don't dare move it!

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 05:54:51

Thank you CG! There’s quite a good story about the crockery.
My late brother in law had a removals and storage business. Every so often they’d have stuff in storage that was never taken back, and couldn’t be traced back to anyone.
They had boxes and boxes of this Denby ware, which he gave to me and DH. It was so exciting unpacking it all! smile
We live quite near the Denby factory, so we went an priced it up. There was well over a thousand pounds worth of it.
And a bonus is that I absolutely love it!
So thank you Paul, and whoever it belonged to, it’s found a good home thanks

FannyCornforth Sun 17-Oct-21 05:48:37

No, it’s usually in the corner of my living room, far away from the window, and I’ve hardly given it any water at all.
I think that it’s a disease. But the plant itself looks in great condition.

CanadianGran Sun 17-Oct-21 05:47:42

I'm not much help with the orchid, but it is very pretty, and so is your crockery in the background!