How do I fix my ailing orchid?

Question

I have an orchid that we received as a wedding present that is now turning yellow and loosing its leaves. It is the kind of orchid that has little hips that the leaves come out of (not phalenopsis...sp?) Should I fertilize it (which involves water) or let it dry out? We also don't have the best lighting in our house. Is there any hope for it?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

You should buy some new soil for it, you can buy it ready made in most garden centers. Then carefully take it out of the post, hopefully it is dry, the carefully trim away any of the dead or dried roots. Try and remove as much of the soil as possible from the rooting system before replanting. If the roots are still a little wider than the pot got to the next size up.

There are some very pretty Orchid pots out there now days, they actually have holes in the sides which will help with keeping the orchid in-between a wet and dry state. Plant the orchid and top with new moss on the top, water until you get some absorption in the soil, but never let it sit in standing water, it's better to be somewhat dry than too wet.

Save your fertilizer for the summer season, and try not to get any water on the leaves this will promote brown spots, which will not hurt the plant, just make it look unsightly. Water caught in the folds of the leaves will rot them out as will over-watering.

Orchids are a whole new realm in the plant world, good luck and happy gardening.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks all, for the tips. I took it to my local nursery and they said to trim off the dead leaves and repot in new soil. They were hopeful for its future :)

Answer 2

Check with a good nursery. DO NOT THROW IT OUT. I threw out a beautiful one when I thought it was dead. Then I learned that they aren't all that hard to kill.

Check a book store or the library for an orchid book. They require replanting in orchid mix.
What else I don't remember.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

Is it a Cymbidium? The type commonly used for corsages. If I knew what type of orchid it was I could help you more...also what's the type of media it is grown in?
Generally, here are some things to know about orchids:

Orchids prefer to be watered when the media has just dried out...stick you finger into the media to tell this (gently)...

Always water thoroughly in the sink or bath..and do not let the plant sit in water for more than about 20 mins. Water first (luke warm water is best) and then mix up some orchid food and feed it (there are quite a few N-P-K ratios you can get, for leaf growth you want the first number to be biggest, for example 30-10-10). Your orchid likely needs something like 30-10-10 to stimulate new leaf growth.

Being rainforest plants, most orchids enjoy misting (not on the flowers) with water every few days. You can also take a deep plastic plant saucer and fill it with lava rock or pebbles (as long as it is sterile...not from the back yard), then fill the saucer half way with water and place the orchid on top...so it's not in water but the environment is moist. Refill the saucer as needed. They love this!

Keep in mind that it is natural for orchids to shed a (few) leaves every once in a while. If they are older looking leasves it's fine, but if they are recently emerged leaves shedding then there is something distressing the plant.