I finally learned why my orchids kept dying after a greenhouse worker told me the truth

Last month a guy at Johnson's Greenhouse in Columbus pointed out I was watering my phalaenopsis way too often. He said they need to dry out completely between waterings, not just the top inch of bark. I cut back to once every 10 days instead of twice a week and now I've got a new flower spike forming. Has anyone else been told something simple that totally changed their plant care routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

paulw5313d ago

Yeah the root color thing was a total game changer for me too. I killed three orchids before someone told me to just look at the roots instead of guessing with the bark. Now I wait until those roots are straight up silvery gray before I even think about watering. It drove me crazy at first because I felt like I was neglecting them. But once I saw new roots popping out and that flower spike coming up I realized I was just doing too much before.

aaron_perry14d ago

Start watching the roots like @taraross mentioned. The color change tells you exactly when to water no guesswork needed. My orchids stopped dropping leaves once I switched to checking the roots instead of the bark.

taraross14d ago

I read something similar from a blogger who only waters her orchids when the roots turn silvery gray instead of green. She said most people kill their phalaenopsis with kindness by overwatering. I switched to that method with my two orchids and now I wait until the bark is bone dry and the pot feels light. It's tough to hold back but the roots stay firm and healthy. Have you noticed a difference in how often you need to water yours now that you cut back?