Hey there,

I got the most beautiful orchid for passing my degree in July. I did everything the little booklet that came with it said - I watered it when it said to, didn't have it in direct sunlight etc... but then all the flowers fell off and they haven't returned.

At first, I thought the flowers had had their day, or maybe they only flower at certain times of the year. But then when I went to my Auntie's, hers are absolutely gorgeous!!

Can anybody help me out?? I've tried looking for information on this site, as well as many others. I haven't had chance to get to a garden centre yet, and I am wary of it, because they sometimes have a habit of selling me things I don't need...

I love gardening, but I don't know a lot about the actual technicalities of gardening, so I just don't know what to do with the orchid, but I wanted to keep it going because I got it for a special occasion.

If you can give me some advice, I'd be hugely grateful.

Thank you.

nooty wrote:
Hey there,

I got the most beautiful orchid for passing my degree in July. I did
everything the little booklet that came with it said - I watered it
when it said to, didn't have it in direct sunlight etc... but then
all
the flowers fell off and they haven't returned.

At first, I thought the flowers had had their day, or maybe they
only
flower at certain times of the year. But then when I went to my
Auntie's, hers are absolutely gorgeous!!

Can anybody help me out?? I've tried looking for information on this
site, as well as many others. I haven't had chance to get to a
garden
centre yet, and I am wary of it, because they sometimes have a habit
of selling me things I don't need...

I love gardening, but I don't know a lot about the actual
technicalities of gardening, so I just don't know what to do with
the
orchid, but I wanted to keep it going because I got it for a special
occasion.

If you can give me some advice, I'd be hugely grateful.

Many imponderables.
Orchid flowers usually last a fair time but they won't flower for
ever. They have their season and then rest/recover for next year.
Your plant may have been 'forced' ahead of its season and therefore
wouldn't last as long as Aunty's.
Your plant may have been potted up at the wrong time of year and had
its season disturbed. Was it a bit of Aunty's? Possibly not if it came
with printed instructions.
Don't panic.
Follow the after flowering instructions and wait for next year.
When you don't get what you expected, you get experience.

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 14.11.2005

"nooty" wrote on URG via gardenbanter.co.uk...


I got the most beautiful orchid for passing my degree in July. I did
everything the little booklet that came with it said - I watered it
when it said to, didn't have it in direct sunlight etc... but then all
the flowers fell off and they haven't returned.

At first, I thought the flowers had had their day, or maybe they only
flower at certain times of the year. But then when I went to my
Auntie's, hers are absolutely gorgeous!!

Can anybody help me out?? I've tried looking for information on this
site, as well as many others. I haven't had chance to get to a garden
centre yet, and I am wary of it, because they sometimes have a habit of
selling me things I don't need...

I love gardening, but I don't know a lot about the actual
technicalities of gardening, so I just don't know what to do with the
orchid, but I wanted to keep it going because I got it for a special
occasion.

If you can give me some advice, I'd be hugely grateful.


What species or hybrid orchid are we talking about?
Considering the number of orchids and range of habitats they grow in it is
important.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

nooty wrote:

I got the most beautiful orchid for passing my degree in July. I
dideverything the little booklet that came with it said - I watered
itwhen it said to, didn't have it in direct sunlight etc... but then
allthe flowers fell off and they haven't returned.

With my orchid, in the first year the flowers fell off after a few
months. I watered it sporadically. The following year (this one) I saw
a new branch beginning to grow and this soon flowered, and the stalk
above the new branch turned brown and dried out. I chopped this bit off,
the plant was fine.

After the second lot of flowers dropped off I repotted the plant into a
bigger pot with orchid compost from B&Q. This seems to have energised
it and I've got two new stalks growing.

Don't get rid of the stalk that had the flowers on it, it should flower
again. Above all, be patient. Orchids take their time growing, but in
my experience the flowers won't last long.
Claire

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from nooty contains these words:


Hey there,

I got the most beautiful orchid for passing my degree in July.

Hey, things are looking up at gardenbanter..second graduate poster in
a week.

Janet

So what exactly do you have to do to become a graduate poster at
Gardenbanter--make more than one post or what

The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

So what exactly do you have to do to become a graduate poster at
Gardenbanter--make more than one post or what

Well, you've failed. Not even a 2.2 for punctuation, and zero for
sitting in the wrong room.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Claire
Brewer writes

Don't get rid of the stalk that had the flowers on it, it should flower
again. Above all, be patient. Orchids take their time growing, but in
my experience the flowers won't last long.

Individual flowers maybe not, but the stem whose first flower bud opened
at the end of March still has 3 flowers open on it.

This is a Phalaenopsis which is on of the ones that will reflower from
the original flowering stem (it's the reflowering I'm talking about
above - the original flowering was in 2004).

Other orchids may not retain their flowers so long, and may not reflower
from the same stem.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

So what exactly do you have to do to become a graduate poster at
Gardenbanter--make more than one post or what

Locate the Caps key, probably.

Janet

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

The message
from "Mike" contains these words:
"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

So what exactly do you have to do to become a graduate poster at
Gardenbanter--make more than one post or what

Locate the Caps key, probably.

Janet

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

I don't think so - your efforts manage to sink a lot lower.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Bob Hobden" wrote...

What species or hybrid orchid are we talking about?
Considering the number of orchids and range of habitats they grow in it is
important.

Seeing as you haven't replied...

The majority of my orchids stay outside all year round, they are potted in
terracotta pans in 50/50 small bark chippings and good quality multipurpose
compost. When they have lost all their leaves and the winter gets very cold
I move them up to the house wall under a bench seat and there they stay all
winter in deep shade, just like they would under the snow in their natural
mountain habitat, until I see the flower stems beginning to grow. They are
then placed beside my large pond for the summer where they get only the
early morning sun. They are fed with chicken pellet manure when in full
growth.

Hope that helps with your orchid. :-)
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

If an orchid has finished flowering, it can be re-potted by buying a bag of orchid compost. Water by standing in a saucer of water, rather than from the top. temperature range: not too hot, definitely not too cold.

Hello there everyone -

Thanks so much for replying to my question, even though it's taken me a while to get back to you all!

Bob, I'm not sure of the exact species - the label doesn't specify. The orchid is planted pretty well, according to your post, i.e. with 50/50 bark and, I'm sure, good compost (it comes from a very good local garden centre). I'm not sure of leaving this particular one outside, however. The label states that it's meant to live in a warm room, so perhaps it's a different species... I have no idea.

I'm going to try to get hold of some orchid compost this weekend and give it a new 'bed'. It's strange, because new stems have grown since the flowers fell off, but there hasn't been any sign of any life since. So I'm going to repot it (or get my Auntie to do it maybe!) and then see if it gets a new lease of life in the next few months.

I will be patient, I'm not giving up just yet..!! I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again!

It revived itself! HOORAH! There's a new stem and the new branch has started growing again!

Dont know anything about Orchids myself,but have you tried asking your Auntie!
hope someone comes up with a better answer! (shouldnt be difficult) all the best.
Grumpy!

Wonderful to hear this story. I have two orchids that are doing just
fine in repotted orchid compost. I have noticed that many orchid pots
are semi transparent and assume that this is to allow some light to get
to the roots. Can anyone advise on this?