I'm surprised that no one has attempted to give you an answer. Perhaps if you are really addicted you should buy a Humidity/Temperature gadget like the one that i keep in this room where i attempt to grow Phals with only a modest
amount of success.
The current reading is 26C and 69% humidity. YuK!

It is summer here, winter there. What happens with your central heating when polar air is taken in and heated up?

There are a couple of Phal. Experts in our local orchid society who have dedicated Phalaenopsis growing houses. The other 47 or so orchid growers in the society in the "sub tropics" regard Phalaenopsis as very difficult and avoid trying to grow them. Still, they should be easiest orchids to grow in colder climates with low light provided you are not a miser with heating.

Thank you Arthum. I don't know what's wrong. I read in orchid book and it says that might be the fluctuate of the tempt up and down. Or air is too dry. But 3 phals are in the same spot on my dresser but one opened all the buds but the other 2 opened a couple of buds and now they just die. Should I go and get a humidifier and leave the ceiling fan on all day while I am at work? do you think that would help? I don't understand what you meant by miser with heating? Should I keep it up or should I keep it down. I thought they have to be cool at night so I turned it down to about 60 or a bit more or less. During the day I turned it up around from 65 - 70 degrees. Would you please tell me. It is my first year, first of everything and I am trying to learn them. What is the "Humidity/Temperature gadge"? Is it in one unit? I know the Humidifier but don't know Humidity/Temperature gadge. Would Home Depot or Home Hardware or Canadian Tire have it?

Thank you,

Tanie

Another day in the sub tropics and.
the current temperature in this room is 25.9C and the humidity reading is 80% YUK!

Just looked up Calgary and it is -15C with 76% humidity. If you heat up that Calgary air without adding water you end up with air that is drier than the driest desert.

Phalaenopsis are narrow temperature range orchids 60 to 90F is the recommended range and they are not all that fussy about humidity either. Normal household humidity where you are comfortable is fine.

Haven't a clue about central heating so over to people in the frozen North who might like to add to this.

Thank you Arthum, I do hope someone in this region give me some advise.
Central heating is the heat come from a big furnace normally would be in the basement of the house distributes the dry heat all over the house with the out let to each room in the house. Depends on the size of the room, some bigger room would have 2 or 3 registers (outlet). A regular size bedroom is normally has 1 and it controlled by a thermostat to turn the temperature up or down. So as you said, in winter is much drier than in summer. For example, I watered my den in summer every 25 - 35 days in sphagnum moss to be completely dry, but now it dry out on the 4th or 5th day.

Thank you for all your help.

Tanie

Tanie, it could be a host of reasons. Hard to tell without seeing your plants and knowing your growing conditions. I've had buds dry up because the winter sun was hitting them dead on and they dried up. Didn't realize it until I moved the plant back from the window. I suppose it could be low humidity, but I doubt it. Could be a chill from the window? Maybe the plant is too cold.

Its so disappointing to get a plant to bud and lose the flowers...happens to the best of us. You'll learn something from it and change things next year.

BTW, Arthur, we have the same temps and humidity in Florida as you. Still amazes me a year after leaving NY that the air conditioner is running in December. Chill down today, 74F and tonight in the 40's. Feels freezing!

Jane

Hi Jane, here are a couple of pix so you can see. I can post only 1 @ a time. As you can see, in the same spike, 2 buds are gone, one is dead but still there and one is really trying hard to open. The following is the pix of it's leaves. They turned yellow from the inside first and gradually to the tip of the leaf. The bottom leaf is also yellowing. I checked the medium, I am sure I am not over watered it or under watered it. As you said, it might be too dry, too cold... The one with the white flowers seem to be okay.

Yellowing leaves.

The rest of the flowers.

This plant is in the same spot with the other 2 but seem doing okay.

They might be getting too much direct sunlight. I would move them back from the window to more shade. I like to give Phals lots of light and some sunlight as the spike develops. As the buds swell, move it back from the light. Won't hurt anything and will prevent the buds from drying out.

I've had the same thing happen. There is a certain point when too much light hurts the buds. Moving the plant into more shade won't hurt anything. The spike has developed as have the buds and now you just want to preserve the flowers.

Move the plants out of the sunlight.

Jane

Thank you Jane!

Tanie

Tanie, did they start drying up when you brought them home? It may be (1) the change in conditions between where they were growing before you bought them, and where you placed them at home, and/or (2) they were overwatered and/or otherwise traumatized before you even bought them and you're just seeing the consequences play out in your own growing space.

Someone with more experience might disagree, but particularly with losing two leaves at the same time, you might consider cutting off the spike/s and repotting. In that process you will see the condition of the roots and have a better idea of what might have gone wrong, and you'll hopefully be on the track to developing the plant so that it spikes again.

Hi JBW,

I can't remember they were dry or wet when I got them. I just got too exited and just bought them home from Costco. My friend said the workers in Costco (at least the one who takes care of orchids) knew nothing about orchids. She saw him turned the hose on and let water ran over top to bottom of orchids. I think you might be right about the care and the environment where they were before I got them to my home. 3 phals, the 2 from Costco's buds are dropping but the same size and almost same time, I got one (white flowers in the post above) from Safeway opened every buds for me and I have it since Sept. 27 and one spike with full flowers are still on. I repotted one and left one at the original plastic pot. I cut a lot of holes for air but both are at the same condition....Some buds are not open and dropped.. Some struggling to open but don't look like they are going to open up. The plant with yellowing leaves in the picture is the one I repotted. I have the ceiling fan on most of the days now too since the weather is sooooo cold here, I have to close (as tight as I can) all the windows.....So, I don't know what else to do...Just have to wait and see, may be they will do better for me when summer come?.....Thank you for your insight.

Tanie

I've had this happen to me several times -- the plant is abused at the retail outlet for the time it is on display and begins to go down a few days after it is brought home.

How did the roots look on the one you repotted-- healthy (green or white) or not healthy (e.g., black, or completely dry/brown)? In either case, if the buds aren't opening well and don't look like they're going to open, I recommend cutting the spikes. This will help the plant focus its energy on healing.

Basically, 'stuff' happens. I've had phals that were right in the middle of several others do this, sometimes it is the plant (it repeats the same thing each year, if so dump it as life is too short, IMO). The purple flowers look 'rough' and it appears it may be genetic, but I'd wait until at least another bloom cycle to be sure.
I would also pull the plants and check the roots, if they are bad cut the spikes and re-pot.

Good luck,

Bob

Thank you Bob and JBW!

I'll do that today since I have to take a day off to replace my furnace... it quit last night and the house is freezing right now and luckily, I have the fireplace going all night and the furnace guys are working.... My plants will soon be warm...Oh I am so jealous to you guys who are living in a warm sunny countries... This is s worst winter I've ever known....

Tanie