No, but the fact that a leaf with green still on it fell off does indicate you've probably got crown rot going on.

I think I'm leaning towards Ursula's advice. Time to let that little fella go.

Oh, that's bad news for sure. Healthy leaves don't just fall off. I am so sad.

It's not dead yet!

Not yet!

Oh that fallen leaf, maybe a sign of rotting..either crown or collar rot..either way, just be ready if the remaining leaf falls too. Throw out that other fallen leaf..anything like that, consider it infected.

It may still also try to make a basal keiki..but it does not always happen. So if you still intend to care for it, repot into a smaller container and with a chunkier mix. It will require all your patience. Good luck.

Don't throw it out! Just wait....reminds me of Monty Python..."Bring out your dead!" ......"But I'm not dead yet!!"

Just wait....

Well, i wont hit it with a hammer.

Haaaaaa ha ha ha!!!!

Funny you should mention Monty Python!! I was actually thinking of the Dead Parrot skit.

Now I can't get that tune out of my head.

Jim

Da dum . . . da dum,da dum,da dum. "it's not dead, it's only resting?"

I'm not one to talk about ditching plants because I don't, either. Wait until the weather warms up a bit, then go out and hide it somewhere in your garden, nice shady area that gets a little water. Make a note where you put it, and go back to check on it next fall. It will either be dead and gone of its own accord, or it will have recovered and be making great strides on its own. The vast majority of plants I've done this with do recover, amazingly!

I am also nursing a noid Phal rescue..really in much worst condition that your Phal, tk..but I am letting it fight..trying to see how far along it will hold. Sometimes it just needs some good alone time, but still checking it does not get too bone dry.

Poor orchid lost its last leaf today. Actually was turning black. Now there is only the stem left.

Crown/stem rot I'm afraid. I don't grow enough Phal. to know how to reverse this rotting process.

Sometimes there are just some that don't make it....just get a new one and start anew.

Well, the roots are now withering and look ready to snap off



soooo, IF i washed the 4x4" pot, and used fresh orchid bark, what orchid would be easy care? I did follow all the orchid instructions, and it died anyway.

tk, perhaps this plant was already so stressed/so diseased, that it was going to perish regardless of the care you gave it. Some folks thank the Phal. are difficult to grow and one factor is its susceptibility to crown rot. Tilting the plant to one side so that water will be able to "escape" the crown area is helpful in preventing crown rot.

In my opinion, the best way to achieve success in growing orchids, particularly if you are kind of just starting out, is to purchase a healthy, mature one. In my experience, the smaller/younger the plant, the harder it is to grow them. For the same variety, a seedling takes far more care than a blooming size plant. I think that most of the Cattleya alliance orchids are easy to grow since they are tolerant of heat, and down here in Mississippi, we have plenty of hot days. I never have been successful growing Paphiopedilum ("Lady Slipper Orchid") because they require cooler temperatures and I just can't supply those needs from spring till fall. Though I don't grow Cymbidiums simply because they get so large, many say they are easy to grow. There are also heat-tolerant plants.

Re-using that pot is fine but I would scrub it out with a solution of bleach, 1 part bleach/3 parts water. That's a good disinfectant. IF you purchase orchids already potted up in the correct size/type pot and with the correct media, you really wouldn't have to even use the pot you have.

Good advice!
Why getting hung up on one sickly, make that dead Phal, when there are hundreds of healthy ones out there in addition to other, easier to grow and to flower Orchids.
If I would give up every time an Orchid died on me, I would never grow Orchids. As a matter of fact, we all learn something every time an Orchid joins the compost pile. You learn to provide better conditions, or perhaps you learn that a particular Orchid is simply not suited for your growing conditions. I will not grow Masdevallias, no matter how gorgeous they are. In time one will hopefully do better?
I would fight to keep a very rare and special Orchid alive and that Phal I fight for, is better be very special for whatever reason!

So right, Ken although I wouldn't say Cymbidiums are exactly 'heat tolerant' there is a guy who has bred some that are better than most of the others. They like cooler conditions generally.

Tk, the key as Ken says is to buy a healthy orchid from a good grower to begin with. Most of the orchids you see in those gorgeous displays at Home Depot and the grocery stores are potted in a wad of soggy moss, so they will stay moist in transit, and are doomed from the outset. It's not your fault! The exception seems to be Trader Joe's, who must have a good grower they get orchids from, because the occasional one I've bought have been pretty healthy and nicely potted. I've only lost one that I've bought there. Their prices are reasonable, too.

If you really want to pursue growing an orchid, see if you can find a local orchid grower, or buy one from a reputable grower online. I prefer to buy from someone close to me so the orchids don't have to travel far, and have near to the same conditions and light that they grew up with. It will be healthy to begin with, and potted in the right medium for it to grow and bloom. Then make sure you try to give it extra humidity as much as possible in dry weather. Grow it in your kitchen or bathroom, the most humid places in the house and spritz it with a spray bottle of water whenever you walk by.