Help With Orchid

[Nyboy]

I was given a orchid christmas eve, had 2 flower spikes. One spike had mostly open flowers with a few buds at end, other spike all buds. The buds are falling off the spikes without opening, the flowers that where already open look fine. Have not watered in brite light.

 

[so lucky]

It may have been treated badly before you got it; maybe chilled or too wet/dry at a crucial time for the buds. I have had buds fall off the stem, too, just before they looked ready to open. Just make sure you don't have it in a real hot area, and the open flowers should last quite a while.
Are you going to keep it and try to get it to rebloom? I can rebloom them from year to year, but if I try to repot them, I kill them. Some green thumb, eh?

 

[Nyboy]

No once flowers gone so is plant.

 

[Nyboy]

Was told they need to be planted in bark, needs quick draining or roots rot. If it wasn't winter i would try mailing you plant when done flowering.

 

[catjac1975]

Don't water it until it feels pretty dry. Then let it dry between light waterings. Cut the spike just above a node. Give it fertilizer and it will send out more buds on new spikes. I agree with lucky that it may have gotten chilled or overwatered. They live forever with just a bit of care. They are a good plant if you are neglectful. That gives them time to dry out between watering. They also do not want sunlight that is too intense.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

If it's one of those epiphytes then it probably won't like regular potting soil, I have had a Christmas Cactus that did fine in seed starting mix before though. Epiphytes take a lot of there water in through the leaves, so maybe keep the leaves clean and mist them ever once in a while? Is the plant near a draft?

When it comes to indoor gardening my thumb is somewhere in between green and brown, maybe the color of baby vomit. Some indoor plants do great for me while others die pretty quickly.

 

[so lucky]

Several years ago someone gave me about 8 orchids, different kinds. I managed to kill them all over the course of a couple of years. Even though I used orchid potting mix they just didn't thrive.
The Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis has an orchid show every year...I think it is in February. It is so inspiring to see all those exotic colorful orchids, all in one big room, displayed in very artistic ways, and with other appropriate plants. Of course the sale of pricy little orchid starts is part of the event. We all dream of having a 4 ft dancing lady oncidium in our living room, and leave the show with a one inch plant in a two inch pot. Ah! the power of imagination!

 

[catjac1975]

Orchids really do not need repotting.

 

[Nyboy]

If it's one of those epiphytes then it probably won't like regular potting soil, I have had a Christmas Cactus that did fine in seed starting mix before though. Epiphytes take a lot of there water in through the leaves, so maybe keep the leaves clean and mist them ever once in a while? Is the plant near a draft?

When it comes to indoor gardening my thumb is somewhere in between green and brown, maybe the color of baby vomit. Some indoor plants do great for me while others die pretty quickly.

Glad baby vomit wasn't in my box of crayons growing up!

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

My box of crayons has many more colors than that! Smashed Cabbage Looper, Dog Diarrhea, Rotten Egg, you name it!