Not necessarily, Alexa, if you can correct the cause of the bud blast. We can help further if you let us know what type of orchid you have, how long you've had it, where it is growing and what your conditions are.

Julie

Hi Julie

I just got it a couple of days ago, so it may just be having trouble adjusting from where ever it came from to the chilly grocery store to the very hot car to my AC house. I had it where it was getting all day diffused light from a western window, but Richard suggested it might need more light. My options are to put it outside where it can get morning light then dappled shade all day or in my shady 3 season room where it can get morning light and shade the rest of the day.

Unfortunately it is very VERY hot here right now - mid to upper 90's so I am concerned it might be too hot in either location I mentioned.

I can also leave it near a northern window where it will be indirect light al day.

The first bud fell off a few minutes ago and several mroe are looking grim :-(

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: my orchid thread

Hi Alexa,

My dendrobiums always bud blast. It's quite unfortunate, but also not that rare of a problem. I have yet to get a really nice spike with more than 4 flowers (fingers crossed for this year - the new growths are super healthy). The hot-cold-hot would have quite likely caused this. Unfortunately, once a bud starts blasting, there is no way to reverse it...some people suggest cutting off each of the blasting buds, because they may release ethylene that causes the remaining buds to blast! It is possible that these buds were already destined to blast during their time in the grocery store.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any rapid bud-blast prevention techniques. Good luck!

Hmmm, if you did get it 4 days ago from a grocery store, well... I tend never to count on budded plants from grocery stores or hardware stores to actually flower. Any flowers I get I count as blessings. And as calvin said, Dendrobiums do have a tendency to blast.

In either case, cutting off the already blasting buds is not a bad idea at all. For now, I would put it outside. The heat will not hurt it at all, quite the contrary. A north window will definitely not be enough for this plant. The western window migh be enough, if the plant were actually in the window (acclimate it slowly, though).

Good luck.

Julie

Wel - I waved the white flag. It dropped 3 of the buds yesterday and the rest look grim so I decided to return it. Needless to say, the rest of the orchids they still had were well on their way to bud blast also, so I feel a little better. The damage was probably done before I even got it.

I think I will investigate some of the local orchid growers and plan to get one (or two) from a reputable local source rather than a grocery or box store.

I am not totally giving up though!

Alexa

You can find good ones at the grocery store every now and then...just give them a good looking over. I think a major problem with them is they are often transported and stored in refrigerated units. I just got 2 beautiful masdie's at my local Safeway. But the last 4 or 5 shipments they had gotten were not so healthy.
Happy orchid hunting!!!

This grocery store stuff is nonsence. It wouldn't matter where you bought. Warm growing hard-cane Dendrobiums are difficult despite what many here will say.

If you are not about to give up, perhaps give a Phalaenopsis a try as your second orchid.

Good luck in your search. There are several well known nursieres in your area. Check out paphs and phals for easy growing inside.

Brooke