OMG I pee-ed a little reading this… I have gone through many a “Georgia”… sadly all of them died at the hands of a Serial emotionally manipulation . I buried them under my floorboards and told my Mother who gave them to me, that the Ex took them.

No worries CapeTownGirl, Orchids are ridiculously finicky and a very tough plant to deal with (I have several, here’s what advice I can offer!).

First, remember that when you receive and orchid from a store or as a gift, the flowers that have been in bloom on the plant have certainly been there for a few weeks and will wilt and die fairly fast now in your home. The bigger mission is to keep the plant itself alive, not the flowers :)

Second, do not water too often, but when you do (I do every 5-10 days depending on how the soil feels to the touch) drench the sucker like you’re putting out a fire. Orchids also love moisture and humidity.

Last, when you repot make sure to use orchid-specific soil (it retains moisture from when you water it, but allows the water to drain out so the roots dont sit/rot in water that collects in the pot). It’s ok if some roots snap. Actually, with most plants/flowers when a root breaks or is cut, it makes the root multiply and grow out again.

Myself, I’ve one orchid thats been going for 3 years. Two other younger ones haven’t flowered since I bought them 6 months ago. Two newer ones I’m still trying to get the hang of, too. Definitely takes time to figure these suckers out, so stay patient with em! :D

And so begins a lifelong love-hate relationship with all growing plants. I cried when my magnificent ficus dropped all its leaves and died. It had been my patio Christmas tree for 5 years and was permanently adorned with Christmas lights, which also died the day the tree died. Sigh.

My mother has many orchids and they just grow for her. I was given an orchid for one of my birthdays a couple of years back and it just died in a couple of days. I have many pot plants in my garden and they’re slowly dying. I freak out everytime I look at them..why do they die. why do they hate me? I feel your pain.

[...] relationship with my orchid has never been an easy one. From the start, I was plagued by doubts as to whether I was giving her all I could, whether she was really as happy as she appeared to be. [...]

I am convinced orchids are intrinsically EVIL – sent to earth to wreak havoc on the emotional stability of compassionate people. These bastard things are impossibly temperamental!