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is it dying or just natural?


Question
i bought my orchid plat from Costco, i dont know what type it is( it has white flowers with purple spots on them), it had no tags and no one told me how to look after it. ive had it for almost 2 months now, and the flowers are starting to fall off, the tip of one leave is turning brown and is alot thinner than the rest of the leaf, but there is a new leaf starting to grow. i dont kno what to do with it, i have a spray bottle with some orchid food in it, and i spray the roots every morning(not alot just a few squirts) thats what the back of the food bottle said. i kno absolutely nothing about flowers. i really like it please help!

Answer
Miranda, you need to repot your plant.  This is a perfect time to repot since you have a new leaf growing.  You probably have a Phalaenopsis or "Moth Orchid" which is the most common type. Phalaenopsis have all their leaves at the base of the plant. The American Orchid Society has a Web Site (Google AOS) with pictures and culture information which might help you identify this plant.

These orchids need to be annually repotted in fresh orchid otting mix about this time of the year.  Purchase a small bag of orchid potting mix (maybe Costco has it).  Then unpot you plant and thoroughly wash all of the old potting mix from the roots.  If there are any "mushy" roots, remove them as they are dead (good orchid roots are firm and turn green when wet sufficiently).  Place the plant in a plastic pot that will easily accommodate the root mass and slowly pour the new potting mix around the plant until it is even with the base of the plant.  Best location for growth is an east window.

If you have another type of orchid, after checking the AOS website, we will need to revisit you question.

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