Orchid leaves turning yellow and falling off!!!!! HELP?

Question

Im really worried about my new orchids. Its my first time having them. I ordered two of them off of ebay, which Im starting to think was a mistake.

Before he shipped them, he put the two orchids through some kind of drying out process for a week so they would not rot during shipping. They arrived bare root and pretty dry. I got them a little over a week ago.

Now the spike on one of the plants looks like they teeny buds growing on it are starting to dry up. On the same plant, I have lost 4 bottom leaves since it arrived. They are turning yellow, drying and falling off.

The other orchid I got seemed fine until today, when I noticed a bottom leaf is turning yellow~ This plant only has about 6 leaves! I dont want to loose it! Can I stop it from loosing this leaf? What is going on??? Are they still too dry? THey are potted in orchid bark and planted in orchid pots (the kind with holes in the side) and I water them about every other day until I see

water run into the saucer at the bottom. There is never any standing water.

Its in a room that stays about 60 with kind of low light. Ive been trying to keep the bedroom light on and the window shade open for them, but I dont really know if its enough or not.

If anyone knows about orchids please contact me. Im really worried. I dont want to loose anymore leaves....and Im dissapointed about the spike. I was looking forward to some flowers but I dont think that is gonna happen. :(

Im sorry I meant to list the kind of orchids I have. One is stated as being: Phalaenopsis I-Hsin Gold Coin
and the other is stated as: X419 Dendrobium Ammerron.

To the member that needed to know which kind, if you are familiar with this maybe you can email me at [e-mail] with a better answer?

Also, I have been watering with room temperature water, as suggested by a friend. I will move them upstairs in my plant room where I can give them more light.

What kind of light is best? It may be cooler upstairs, in the 60's or so unless I can put the plants under a clamp light. Is this ok? I can filter the light with something if I have to. I have a thin fleece blanket that would let some light and warmth through. Should I use a plant light instead or should I just rely on the window and not worry about getting it warmer than 60? The only way I can keep the plant warmer than that is if I use a clamp light. Suggestions? Thanks so much everyone! Youve been so helpful!

Answer 1

Orchids don't like cold, most will die if frozen. You plants may have died durring shipment. Also you are giving way toooo much water. It the cool winter months water every 2 weeks. In the wild orchids may go for 3 to 6 weeks without water in the winter and then get 2 to 4 inches of water every day in the summer. This extreme change seems to triger the blooming. It will be hard to keep them. Good luck.

Answer 2

From what you have said, obviously they have been through an ordeal due to being dried out and being shipped. Being dried out is not necessarily a problem, because some orchid genus endure periods of drought in their natural environment. Others, however, cannot tolerate it. So, to really help you, we need to know what kind of orchids you bought.

One thing I would be wondering about is if they experienced severe cold during shipping. They may be losing leaves due to this rather than due to anything you have done, and now that they are in a less stressful environment again they may recover just fine, albeit with a loss of some foliage.

Again, knowing what orchids you have would be helpful in giving suggestions as to how you can best care for them. There are literally thousands of different kinds, each with its own needs as far as light, water, temperature, and humidity go.

One thing that rarely helps and that often is fatal is over-, not under-watering. If you planted them in good quality orchid mix, watering them every couple of days is too much.

Answer 3

When we moved to upstate NY a number of years ago, we had a very nice collection of orchids. They all died in a distressing few months. One of the culprits was the very, very cold tap water we put on them. The solution is to warm it up a little before applying it to the orchids. Another culprit, I'm sure, was a lack of adequate sunlight. Put these beautiful plants where they can see the sun through a south-facing window, but not where they can be roasted by it. Good luck with them, and Happy New Year.

Answer 4

In general leaves turning yellow and falling off means too low a light with any plant, not just orchids. Put it in the brightest window you have, south-facing is best, then west; worst is north-facing. This may turn it around, and is crucial for eventual blooming, too. Room humidity is important, especially in winter with the heat running. Putting it in a bathroom or a kitchen window would be good. I am not an expert in orchids specifically, but 60 degrees sounds a bit too cool.

Answer 5

A draining pot ,dont let it stand in water needs more light too.

Answer 6

sunlight needed.............