Shame On Me! My Saddest Orchids - 6th Day of Plantmas 🌿

[@TheOrchidRoom]

I didn't water my Miltoniopsis or Oncis for over a month, maybe nearly two, after I moved. Shut them in a spare bedroom and couldn't bring myself to look at them... Sometimes life happens and the orchids become an extra pressure, luckily they are resilient and can turn around again usually! We can only do our best!

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Annabel, what can I say? Thank you so much for your comment! That has happened to me, too, and not only once. I wish you a wonderful festive season with lots of time for yourself, your loved ones and your plants. :)

[@orchidgarden3124]

Your honesty is very refreshing. We all struggle with growing our orchids, and some are more of a struggle than others. It’s helpful when we see others going through the same things.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging words. :) That's very much appreciated! Happy growing!

[@ildikokalman1781]

Good luck with your saddest orchids Bumblebee! 🍀 I hope they will be happy soon! ☺ 🌞

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you very much. I hope so and will try to take care of them better. Happy growing! :)

[@ildikokalman1781]

@@bumblebeesorchids3408 Thank you Bumblebee! 🌞

[@Cesc8170]

That's one of the reasons why I have a small orchid collection and orchids that are easy to take care of, like cattleyas and phalaenopsis. I am actually thinking about getting more easy ones, like dendrobiums, but...no, I just can't stand looking at suffering plants if they suffer more than just a bit in the winter time. Good luck with your precious orchids and happy new year. :)

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

I know, I hate to see them suffer, too. There's times most are well and then there's times I have no time at all and they start to suffer. It would be smarter to keep less plants, but it's so hard to say goodbye and so easy to welcome new ones. :) Anyway, I will do my best to revive them. Happy growing and a happy new year! :)

[@mysticshining]

You have a huge collection, thank goodness you're normal and all your orchids aren't perfect :D I think a lot of us have an orchid or two we lament, if only I had done this or that. I always think of a few to this day and think why didn't I take care of it better? But then I remember, I was overwhelmed with this or that and something has to give, right? It's fun to figure out a problem but sometimes we can't. I finally got a BC Fuchs star to bloom in my care after 2 or 3 years, yay. Anyway, we only have so much time and energy, it seems :)

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you so much for your comment! I do feel guilty when neglecting my plants, but still, you're 100% right. There's always some kind of reason. Congratulations on your first time bloomer Bc. Fuchs Star (great name and great blooms)! My Recchara Frances Fox and my NOID Broughtonia might bloom for the very first time soon, I'm so excited! I wish you a wonderful festive season with lots of time for yourself, your loved ones and your plants. :)

[@Rinsuki]

When I was a new orchid grower, I killed many orchids with my over attentiveness. I have four orchids from that time which was over five years ago. One was a seedling and they've all bloomed with the the last one blooming this year for the first time. Believe me, even when it seems nothing is happening you just keep at it and the results will amaze you. Growing orchids is a test of patience sometimes.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Growing orchids is a test of patience, indeed. So cool that you were able to get your four survivors to bloom. Thanks for stopping by. Happy growing and a Happy New Year! :)

[@mariaesuasorquideas]

Amo as suas phalaenopsis, são maravilhosas! Eu tenho duas phalaenopsis espécie, lueddemanniana e a Bellina, mas ainda não deram flores, pois são babys! 😍😘

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you, Maria! Happy baby Phal growing! :)

[@svetlanajustniceorchids6442]

Hello! Why do not you pot your orchids in moss? Bark as I see they do not like, especially if you have not time to water them in time. Changing the substrate will help them to keep the moisture around the root system. Good luck with them! I like your collection, vandas are super! Thanks for the video, though it was sad.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Hi Svetlana, most of my plants do well in pure bark, but some don't. I will definitely consider using more moss when repotting them, that's a good idea. Have a very nice weekend! :)

[@FernandaNascimentoOrchids]

Plants in general and orchids in particular are very time consuming. Sometimes there is no time to baby them as we would like. We do what we can 😍

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you so much for your kind and understanding comment. :)

[@KoiKicks]

Hello, you Phals and plants look great in general. My observation is your bark is too course, I'm sure with a smaller grade they would be back on track.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Hi Kenty, I guess you could be right. In summer most are allright, but in winter with the reduced humidity (and growlights for some) it's getting too dry. Happy growing! :)

[@KoiKicks]

@@bumblebeesorchids3408 Its difficult when you have a lot of plants and life changes or interests as care reduces greatly. All your plants need is more care and time but I know personally that isn't so easy. Increase your watering or change your media to suit care needs. The ones that are really poor be ruthless and throw away and create space!

[@someusername4129]

It is helpful to see not perfect plants(at least it makes me feel a little hopeful for my sad ones). Care is sometimes very challenging, I hope they bounce back for you 😊

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words! I hope our sad ones will recover soon. :) Happy growing!

[@lyndacherry5778]

Yes I have some sad ones too

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you, Linda. I hope we‘ll be able to help our sad ones recover. Happy growing! 🌿

[@christinenorton2510]

Your not alone.lol

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you, Christine. 🙈

[@anniesaddictions]

Would soaking every week help? Or would that shock the severely dehydrated ones?

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

I'm positive that more diligent watering would help. :)

[@NinjaOrchids]

Your sad orchids look like super healthy orchids, compared to mine 😬 we do the best we can 🤗

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Haha, Ninja, thank you for cheering me up! Indeed, we do the best we can. 😊🙏🌿

[@karlsorchidparty2395]

I never let my Gongora, Coryanthes, Stanhopea go dry. Always water when medium gets dry. I have them in pure Sphagnum in a net basket. Watering every 7 to 14 days.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

That's really good. The pseudobulbs have plumped up nicely after I watered it, but I must remove some pseudobulbs. I have very little free time and energy at the moment, but I hope to be able to take care of it soon.

[@KP-gw5zv]

I have had some sad phals and I at the beginning of each month I soak all my orchids in tea and now all my phals have been growing roots and buds. I have one phal that had finally grown roots and it is growing lots of branches on the primary branches and had buds, a keiki and a leaf coming. So just a suggestion of doing this. There is another trick that you soak your sad orchids every 3 or 4 days in tea to help grow more roots. This seems to work. I know that you are doing your best. Have a great day.

[@yanghui5496]

Can I ask what kind of tea do you use please? Black tea or green tea...? I think I will give it a go.Thanks

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thank you for sharing this trick. I fear it would already be enough if I soaked them every 3-4 days in water. 🙈 I‘d be interested which kind of tea you use and how you came up with the idea, though? Happy growing! 🌿

[@KP-gw5zv]

@@yanghui5496 I use black tea for all my orchids except for the phrags and paphs they get green tea,

[@KP-gw5zv]

@@bumblebeesorchids3408 I use black tea. I have seen and heard from other orchid growers about getting roots and other parts of the plant to grow. It has worked for me and to see the roots come so quickly was amazing.

[@katebeedot9052]

Quite sad, yes have had unhappy phals but learnt with time to clean/check leaves and not to keep them so close to avoid mass infestation, good luck

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thanks, Kate. Happy growing!

[@suethompson6497]

Hey, are you giving up on your orchids 🐝? 😔A little TLC will bring them back round to good health again. I have five in ICU because I didn’t respond fast enough. 🙃 Lesson learnt. Hope your orchids thrive again for you. Prevention is better than the cure - you taught me that!

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

No worries. I still do my best, but I have extremely little free time and energy at the moment. I'm quite sure most of them will be okay as soon as they get a little more TLC, though. :)

[@suethompson6497]

@@bumblebeesorchids3408 It’s the time year, no sun! No energy. Can’t wait for Spring again. Nina did a video with Tea watering and Rick L has a video explaining about tannins and root growth.

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

@@suethompson6497 Perfect, I'll make sure to check out their videos. Have a very nice weekend! :)

[@wei301]

Hi, what's the ID of the one in water? thanks!

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Hi, that's one that looks similar to Baldan's Kaleidoscope, but it's a NOID.

[@evarene07]

😆you don’t like “water in jars” but “thick dust” is 👍

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

I see you got my point. ;)

[@Celines8887]

I'm guilty of buying excess orchids that have now overwhelmed me. They are all doing well, but it was my fault for letting myself over buy. Do better by them love🙂

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

I think we all do our best and sometimes we are wiser afterwards. :) It's great that your orchids are still doing well, though! So you stopped in time. Happy growing!

[@wandashaw3551]

Would you ever consider repotting some to self watering with LECA? It has made a huge difference in how I care for and stay on top of watering! Just a thought! Good luck! 😍

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

To be honest I've just used up every single clay bebble I had for my Ficus lyrata and was quite happy about it. :D I am thinking about increasing the amount of sphagnum right now. Self watering with leca is definitely worth a second thought, though! :)

[@jaybudd1617]

😥😥

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

They'll be all right. ;)

[@GoldenArrow297]

Your sad orchids are telling a story of your changing priorities. Am I right?

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Involuntarily, though... :/

[@karensicard7304]

You have a lot of sad orchids!

[@bumblebeesorchids3408]

Thanks for pointing that out. ;)