Why Phalaenopsis Orchids Drop Their Buds and Fail to Bloom After You Bring Them Home, and How to Fix It

According to incomplete statistics, sales of Phalaenopsis orchids at flower markets this year rose 3.2% compared with last year, proof of just how popular these orchids have become. But as more people grow them, the problems that crop up get stranger and stranger: some have leaves that split and wrinkle, some have dried-up buds, some have roots that turn black, and so on.

Recently a fellow grower messaged me to vent: he bought a Phalaenopsis orchid last month, watered it on the "dry before wet" principle, and kept it in a well-ventilated spot, yet within two weeks it started dropping buds. It is truly a headache. So what actually causes orchids to drop their buds?

In fact, everyone who grows Phalaenopsis orchids is surely eager to see them bloom, because once the flowers open they really do look as lively as butterflies in flight. When a Phalaenopsis orchid drops its buds soon after you get it, there are mainly two situations. The first is bud drop caused by temperatures that are too low, because in February the weather is still quite cold in many places. If the plant is not kept in a room with a steady temperature at this time, its buds easily turn yellow, and the leaves look dull and limp as well. Cases like this can be attributed one hundred percent to low temperatures.

The Phalaenopsis orchid is native to tropical rainforests and prefers a warm environment. If the temperature suddenly drops too low, it will sacrifice its buds to save itself. When the temperature falls, it is best not to put it on a balcony or in a drafty spot by a window, because a blast of cold air in these places easily triggers this problem.

The second situation: the plant looks quite sturdy and the leaf color is normal, yet the buds turn yellow bit by bit. When this happens, the air is very likely too dry. The Phalaenopsis orchid's native environment is fairly humid, so it has certain requirements for air humidity. If the indoor environment is sometimes too dry, especially after the air conditioning or heating is turned on, there is not enough moisture at that point, and the buds simply cannot grow well, so they can only slowly turn yellow and drop.

Take winter in the north, for example: indoor heating is strong and the air gets very dry, so when growing Phalaenopsis orchids you have to pay extra attention to humidity. In terms of care, as long as you understand these two common problems, you can avoid many detours when growing Phalaenopsis orchids and watch them bloom smoothly.