Nae Boston, ifraser25 is correct, but here are some possibilities you can consider: Watering too late ~ I have noticed with my blooming Phals that they need water a day sooner than when they are not in bloom. I water blooming plants when they are "a day more moist," than when they are just vegetating. Too frequent water ~ you can use a skewer left (all the time) about 2 1/2 - 3" deep in the medium or your finger, stuck to the same depth, to test for moisture. Direct sun on buds ~ Many tender buds are not heat tolerant and will cook in less than an hour of direct sun. Misting or spraying ~ It is not necessary to spray the buds of most orchids. This can promote fungus growth or chilling. Fertilizing plant while in bloom ~ For my Phals, this causes bloom drop. Cold air ~ Some orchids are sensitive to sudden temp changes. Knocking, jarring, falling, bruising ~ but then, you would Know if your plant had an accident. Spraying with insecticide ~ Many sprays labeled for orchids caution that they should not be used on blooms or buds. Insects and mites ~ Get out your magnifier and a white sheet of paper and give the fallen buds a good inspection, inside and out. It is also a good idea to look over the plant's leaves and nooks and crannies for black brown or red specks (mites), or other critters (thrips or scale, etc.). I'm sure others, here can provide more reasons for bud blast. I hope you are able to stop the process. If not, look forward to the next blooming ~ chances are, it will be glorious. Sweetcicely

I'm glad I tried the Groundcover Forum to see if Lamium was addressed. 2 Purple Dragon have been withering since I planted them in May. I cut off the withering & slightly slimy stems since I didn't know what else to do with them. They get new growth that looks nice and shiny for a week or two and then revert to that withering. A Silver Beacon has spread like wildfire that I planted in June. I just noticed yesterday a couple stems were doing the withering routine. They don't get dry but seem overly moist. I'll go with your experience, tangerine, and keep cutting them back when they get that wet, withered look. Seems like leaves don't like touching ground very much as they brown up wherever they're not held up on stem. Guess that's part of their nature too. The Silver Beacon is racing past its intended space. Was thinking of cutting it back and rooting it to spread around more plants but just occurred to me that might be its natural habit and won't take moisture/nutrients from plants it rambles around. Does it encumber other plants if it wends its way around them when Lamium not cut back or is it a friendly wanderer around upright plants? Silver Beacon has a few stems which have self-rooted themselves in soil. Didn't know they did that! So much to learn with so many different plants.

Ginger, You need to go to the American Orchid Society Web Site and find their culture sheets for Nobile type Dendrobiums. There are other web sites that also offer detailed culture instructions for these plants. Nobile Den's. grow a bit differently from other orchids, and you will have to conform to their wants and needs to get them to bloom. First, be absolutely sure you are rid of the scale. Scale suck the juices out of the plant, and are difficult to get rid of because most contact insecticides can't get through the scale to the bug. The scale is probably not what caused the leaves to drop.....That happens to the leaves every year. Next, any of the old canes on your plant that are shriveled, and DEAD, can be removed. Sharp sterile blade, and cut them off at the base. Be sure they are completely dead, because the old canes are storing nutrients for the plant as long as they remain alive. Now, growing the thing.....In the spring when new growth starts at the base of the plant...(Nobiles are prone to producing Keikis on old canes, and that's ok. Leave them on and let them bloom then remove them and pot up as new plants.....you need to really grow the plant. Lots of sunlight, water, and 30-10-10 fertilizer. You want those new growths to really grow big and healthy. In the early fall, the leaves will begin to yellow, and fall off the plant...normal..... At this time you should stop feeding the high Nitrogen fertilizer...use 10-10-10, or just stop fertilizing until spring growth starts again. If you are not growing the plant outside, it would be best take it outside in the fall. Let the plant stay outside until it experiences several nights of very cool temperatures....even a light frost won't hurt. When the weather gets too cold, bring the plant in and enjoy the blooms. When the blooms fade, reduce the amount of water you give the plant until new growth starts in the spring, then go back to the heavy feeding/growing of the plant. Once a cane blooms, its not going to ever bloom again. All leaves fall off in the winter. Bill

Wow, it is puzzling. It doesn't look like an ower-watering issue to me, but since we're not coming up with any more likely possibilities, then it is something to consider. This late in the year, it has likely stopped growing, even in Florida temperatures. Pothos tolerates drying out pretty well, so let the top couple of inches dry between waterings. How long have they been in that soil? Did they grow well all summer? If so, they might be a bit pot bound now, which can cause some dry spots in the soil, or some roots to become so restricted that they aren't able to draw enough water. It isn't the best time of year to re-pot, especially if something else is causing the problem, but you should at least check this. Can you pull the entire plant out of the pot with the soil and rootball intact? If so, a photo would help us. Check the root ball and medium for dry or mushy spots, for discolored or necrotic roots, for root parasites, crowding, etc. A few, small disrupted places in the root ball where you dig in to check the condition won't hurt it, even this time of year, and if it's very pot-bound, you can plop the entire thing into a larger pot of soil until the spring when you can do a better job or repotting, detangling, root-trimming, and so on. What parts of the plant are affected the most? Were the oldest/lowest leaves on each stem affected first/worst/most, or is the damage worse on the younger, more tender leaves? Are there any parts of the plants that aren't affected? When was it last fertilized, with what, and how often? (Do not fertilize it now- that's the worst thing one can do to a sick plant if the illness isn't due to fertilizer nutrient deficiency.) It might just be lighting, but the plant in the upper photo appears to have an overall yellowish pallor. That would support Tiffany's hypothesis of too much water. Also, I see a yellow leaf near the base of a stem in the second photo near that little sprig of Acacia or whatever it is that's taken root there. Some yellowing is normal, but check through the lower leaves for more yellowing. Too much water or nitrogen deficiency both tend to affect older/lower leaves first. Evenly yellowing lower leaves is more indicative of too much water or poor drainage, while yellowing that begins at the leaf margins is more often nitrogen deficiency. Other things can cause yellowing though, and that curious staining appearance isn't typical of either issue, so don't fertilize at this point. More photos wouldn't hurt: Entire plant Root ball free from the pot Close-ups of the "stains"