I was lucky enough to find these orchids at Lowe's for $1/ea. I have two questions: Shouldn't these be moved to orchid pots or will they actually survive in these glass cubes? Next, even though the blossoms are gone and the stem is brittle and dry - I can remove that and another will grow at some point. Is that correct?



Oh, although I have only had phalaenopsis before, I couldn't resist buying this Dendrobium orchid for $4. Any tips?



Thanks very much.

The stem of Phal that is tan and dry, cut that off.
I see a green stem with new buds, I think.
Leaves look a little limp.
The moss looks pretty fresh. If it's not too packed maybe it's oK for a while. Water and then tip it out to drain.

The Dendro looks like a great $4 find!

If the glass containers do not have drainage holes, don't use them! It will kill the roots.
On this site we have several threads explaining how to grow Phalaenopsis orchids. Check them out for culture tips.if you have further questions, just ask.
That looks to me to be a Phalaenopsis type Dendrobium, not to be confused with a regular Phalaenopsis. The basket is way too large for that plant as they prefer to be tightly potted in as small a container as possible.
It is a nice basket BUT sphagnum moss is difficult for a beginner to grow orchids in. It takes some knowledge and experience in order to properly use it.
Lastly a Phalaenopsis orchid grows best with no direct sun. A Dendrobium phalaenopsis needs warm conditions and a few hours of sun per day.
Welcome to our site and please look through the orchid forums for more information.

Terri, I see this is a double post! And you are referred both times to the Orchid forum, so I will delete the other thread at the Orchid forum. Feel free to post into the existing thread regarding Phals.
The thread "🗣 Starting out with Phals/Supermarket Orchids 🛎 ✍️" in Orchids forum

I would dig around in that cube of moss and see if you find a clear plastic liner pot. I would be surprised if the grower actually took the time to repot them. If they are in liner pots, your problems are solved. Just water when the moss is really dry, not before.

Is that a Lady Bug?

Ursula said:Terri, I see this is a double post! And you are referred both times to the Orchid forum, so I will delete the other thread at the Orchid forum. Feel free to post into the existing thread regarding Phals.
The thread "🗣 Starting out with Phals/Supermarket Orchids 🛎 ✍️" in Orchids forum

Thanks Ursula, I couldn't figure out how to delete it. I knew that so.eone would pick up on that tho!

@Daisyl Yes indeedy that is a ladybug :). Like so many others, she nearly committed ladycide by floating in a glass of water. I saved her and placed her there. She seems quite content.

There is no plastic orchid container inside which surprised me. I guess some growers don't mind setting a plant up for failure if they get their money from well-intentioned gift-givers. The moss is bone dry and I'm having a hard time trying to slide the orchid rootball out. I'll wait to hear back before I attempt it again. It obviously needs watering...might that do the trick?

It is common for retailers to put Phalaenopsis Orchids directly into all manner of decorative planters, such as glass cubes. That may not be best for the Orchid but it does promote sales!

In general, it is easier to water properly if the Orchid is potted in a planter with drain holes. However, it is possible to maintain yours in the glass cubes, as Sally suggested. If the planter is sealed just be sure water does not collect in the bottom.

In the photos, the sphagnum moss appears to be very dry and the leaves a bit wilted. You may need to water a bit more often or more thoroughly.

Cut off the dead brown flower stem, called a spike. It will likely be a year before a new flower spike emerges on that plant. Your other Orchid has a secondary spike with some new buds forming. Keep both of those spikes intact on that plant until after it has finished flowering.

@BigBill thanks for your input. I have two store-bought phalaenopsis orchids that I have successfully maintained in orchid bark for several years, so I feel I'm on the right track. I pulled apart the Dendrobium basket and I have a pile of damp moss that needs airing out, and two single plants that they combines into the basket. How do the roots look to you? Should I now repot them in small orchid pots? I am concerned that I see very few green roots but lots of thin, pale, beige (dead?) ones. Thank you so much for your help. Terri

@WillC yes, they are parched. I have two others that I've had for years in orchid bark doing quite well. I give them 10-15" soak every 2wks or 3-4 in the winter. But they go back into plastic orchid pots inside of big mugs. Do they actually prefer to be as tightly contained as they are in these glass cubes? When I consider their natural environment it seems that they would not want to be contained at all. I'm just learning though.

Just because the roots are beige does not mean that they are dead. If you place them between your thumb and forefinger and compress the root, if alive it will feel firm. If dead it will be very squishy or kind of hollow. Cut off the dead roots and repot into as small a pot as possible for the roots to be controlled. If you ever learn one thing about orchids, it is to repot according to the size of the root mass, NOT the size of the green growth.
Yes an individual pot for each.
Only the new roots are green in color.
Good luck! I like what I see in terms of roots, appear healthy. AND you are most welcome!

The roots don't respond to how crowded they are. The key factor is that they are surrounded by very porous, slightly damp potting material. Potting soil is too dense so they are normally potted in bark chips or sphagnum moss.

In nature, they grow with their roots attached to the outside of damp tree limbs so they get lots of air, humidity and regular doses of rain. That is what you are trying to duplicate when you have a potted Orchid under cultivation. Focus on the mix of air and moisture around the roots, not how crowded they are.

@BigBill @WillC Thank you for the excellent advice. I've learned a lot and also realized that when I buy an orchid in a "gift-giving" container....immediately find my way over to the clay pot section.

Pour water into the Phalaenopsis cubes to the top, leave it for a minute until the bubbles stop, then pour it all out. Leave the cubes sitting on their sides until all the excess water has drained from the moss. The good thing about those cubes is you can see if there is standing water.

You are most Terri!

Just something I would do instead:
Whenever I pick up a Phal/Supermarket Orchid, I cut a wide berth about any plant which is potted up in Sphagnum and a decorative pot of sorts without drainage, knowing very well that I will have to remove the Sphagnum and also find a suitable pot and bark. ( = spend more money) And, hopefully not having the Orchid go through transplant shock by the time I have picked that darn Sphagnum off that rootball.
I think I would rather buy a pretty plant in bloom with some buds, than spend more money and time to fix that so called bargain, which is in my humble opinion not a bargain any longer.
(I should add - in my hands I call Sphagnum the Orchid Undertaker's favorite tool!)

But in the meanwhile you probably have learned something here, so it is not a total loss. People here are terrific and knowledgeable!

....just my 2 scents....and ducking....

Terri you can do as Daisy suggested in watering the Phals in the glass cube, but before you that, remove about half of that tightly packed sphagnum moss if you do not intend to change the media. Those roots needs better airflow. That way after you water and tip over the excess water, air goes around the roots faster.

Remember too, the plant will naturally rest for a few weeks after it has bloomed, so do not despair and be tempted to overwater if it seems the plant is not perking up right away. It will show you it is ready again to do active growing once you see it form new roots or leaves. It is also acclimating to your new set-up and growing environment, so you have to be very patient with it. Good luck! Keep us posted how it goes!

Ursula, you need not have ducked, I am going to toss only a very soft snowball at ya
$1 is a great deal just to get the glass cubes (for some other decorative use), $4 for the basket, and 3-4 plants to learn on. I had Phals reblooming with only the most basic info on care.
Of course, then I started reading more, and last summer spent a lot of $ to rehab and repot my 'cheap' grocery store plants.. just as you warned

Aww, thanks so much Sally!
It is a learning experience....
Btw Trader Joe's has some nice Orchids and not expensive either.

One thing I didn't mention, I don't have a good track record for Phals at all!! However, right now I am growing two Phals, a miniature noid which I bought mounted a few years ago and it is spiking. And I picked up last year a nice one, which I mounted and it is doing fine, not great. It also started spiking. This way of growing works best for me, because I water my Orchids from a hose/sprayer. And they go outside in the Summer.

Ursula said:Aww, thanks so much Sally!
<snip>
This way of growing works best for me, because I water my Orchids from a hose/sprayer. And they go outside in the Summer.

I'm sorry Ursula but when I read this all I could think of was a sign that my parent saw hanging over a bar at a reunion they attended "We pour with a generous hand." Dad said they did - Ma got snockered on one mix drink.