Why is orchid drooping

One reason that the flowers can wilt faster is the ice cubes. I know that the directions say to water with ice cubes, but I do not recommend that in any circumstance. The orchid will bloom again in a year, around the same time that it started blooming now. Some orchids are rebloomers, and Phalaenopsis tend to be one of those. If you are are in luck, it might just rebloom in a couple of months.

It's all up to the orchid, if it decides that it wants to and if it has the nutrients and health to do so. Some orchids are so loaded with hormones that they will rebloom the first year, but after that, when the hormones decrease, they will bloom once a year. When you say totally wilted, do you mean the leaves too? In that case, I'd check to see how the roots are. They might have rotted or the quantity and frequency of water wasn't enough. I'd check those out too. Your email address will not be published.

How do you now when wilted orchid flowers are normal or not? Enthusiastic and excited, you purchased an orchid, moved it from the greenhouse into your home, and placed it by the windowsill—just like the instructions said. The extravagant flowers were full, luscious, and eye-catching. The next morning, you wake up to wilted and drooping flowers. Orchid flowers will wilt because of 6 reasons: under-watering, temperature change, insects and pests, stress from moving to a new environment, not enough humidity, and the end of a normal life cycle.

Image Credit:. Even though they have the fame of lasting forever, they eventually die. The most common orchid, Phalaenopsis orchids moth orchids , can flower up to three months without wilting. Dendrobiums and Oncidiums stay in bloom about a month. Cattleyas last about two weeks, if that. Below is a simple chart of the most common orchids and how long each blossom stays open listed in weeks.

Note that the times listed are under the right conditions and indoors. In nature, these times can be prolonged. A graph like the one above is useful, but when you purchase a stunning, exotic orchid in bloom, you've no idea how long it's been flowering.

It could be that you are purchasing a plant that is in its late cycle of blooming, and only has a few days remaining.

Like any new relationship, there are times of adjustment. They like to be in one place for life, attached to a tree. Another problem in buying orchids in bloom is that they are more susceptible to environment changes at this stage. They hate to be repotted, change climates, humidity, lighting, etc. Even changing them from where you had them growing to another room can make a blooming orchid wilt. Some varieties and individual plants are more resistant, but most will not like the adaptation.

Keep this in mind when you take the orchid from the greenhouse, which has optimal humidity, lighting, watering, fertilization, and everything else you could imagine and suddenly placing the orchid in your home office like I do. The orchid will react to this transport and handling phase by wilting. It can also cause bud blast. If you want to know more about bud blast, this article has some really interesting information and statistics.

Environment change can also mean a change in potting medium. NEVER repot a flowering orchid. The additional stress of changing potting mediums is even worse. If you absolutely have to change pots, then keep the same medium. New roots are growing during this time as well, so you have an advantage.

Temperature changes happen for two reasons. The first is when you purchase your orchid online in winter and have it mailed to you. But even if you buy it from a greenhouse and transport it in your car, this can cause a temperature shock.

From your car to the inside of your house, the orchid will suffer, and the flowers can wilt. The second scenario is when your orchid is in bloom and you wish to display it on the living room table or coffee table. Hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive antiseptic that comes in handy when dealing with orchids. It has many uses in the orchid world; for disinfecting roots when re-potting; for sterilizing scissors before use; for treating crown rot; for treating fungus and bacterial infections; for killing pests.

If you have a bottle with higher strength at home, you can, of course, mix it yourself too. We have now gone through the different causes for droopy orchid leaves, how to tackle the issue and revitalize your orchid. Just take action, and use it as a learning experience; you want to avoid this from happening again. And as mentioned before, please also read my in-depth instructions for how to repot your orchid — there is plenty of information about different types of pots and media to use.

No spam - I promise. Thank you so much for this info. This is my first orchid so I am a beginner. I am guessing the media is orchid potting soil. I was told to give the orchid 5 ice cubes once a day. Looks like it has not been enough. Hi Jean. Congrats on your first orchid!

The ice cubes are tricky. This is good information. I discovered that my issue was softened water! I was keeping orchids at work in my office and using their water city treated water and also keeping orchids at home. All of my orchids at work were healthy and had upright leaves. All of my orchids at home had droopy leaves. I had the same care routine.

The only thing different was the source of water. So now, I bring home jars of water from work. I have read that distilled water can be used but I have not tried that yet.

Hi Sharon With drooping leaves the first thing I always suspect is underwatering. If the bark looks very dry, then it could well be it needs more watering. During sunnier months the potting medium dries out faster, so underwatering can easily happen. And maybe let the pot stand in water for a longer time, so the dry bark pieces have enough time to soak up the water. Your plans to how to care for your orchid after it has done blooming sound perfect!

Black leaves can indicate a bacterial or fungal growth or even too much fertilizing or mineral deposits from hard water. You can combat this by cutting away at the blackened portions with a sterile, sharp knife and incorporating antifungal and antibacterial remedies into your orchid care. We recommend watering your orchid with three ice cubes once a week to avoid this problem. Depending on where you live, you may need to increase the amount of water or humidity around your orchid during the winter.

Have a hard time remembering to give your orchid water? Sign up for our email watering reminders! Worldwide, orchids are subject to attack by about 30 viruses, although many are regional or most deadly to only a specific orchid species. Want more tips to help keep your orchid healthy?