Which cat to kill? . . . and how do I save an orchid?

[DiamanteBlu]

They are lucky that there are six of them . . . I''m pretty sure I have it narrowed down to two . . . even they are lucky because they are in two . . .

I came into the kitchen this morning to find my orchid [which I have had for years and the only one I have managed to not kill - a pink phalaenopsis] in the sink filled with last night''s dishes, in a water filled bowl, with bark and clay pot bits all over everything. No dishes were broken but the top of the stem with the buds that were about to bloom was snapped off.

I am sure they were hunting bugs even though I had closed the window and the light was off so there were no bugs.

I took the pot and put it back on the sill, picked up the bark pieces and put them back in the pot. The plant seems looser than it was [it sits high with many roots above the bark] but the main root seems still secure.

Orchid experts - what else do you suggest I do to maximize the likelihood that the orchid will survive? Should I repot it, get more bark to put on top, or something else?

The guilty:

 

[Amethyste]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh they look like little heathens lol

As for your orchid - they are soooo picky. I have 2 at home and they do not like to be moved - if you repot, make sure its the right soil for the orchid. I don't have bark on mine, but some type of moss...
you will probably shock it, but its better to try than leave it in this sad state... I am sure others will pitch in...

 

[treefrog]

I spent several years during/right after high school working in a huge nursery. Unfortunately, orchids were not our thing so I don''t have any advice to offer there.

What I do know is... the bottom cat... guilty. Look, it won''t even make eye contact with you! It knows.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

LOL! They are lucky they are so cute!

 

[kenny]

The one on top looks more guilty.

 

[jewelerman]

They worked together on this caper!Who knows how far this would have gotten if you hadnt walked into the kitchen this morning!Send em both up the river!

 

[Lauren8211]

No advice on orchids, but top cat looks like he orchestrated the event, and bottom cat begrudgingly went along with the plan due to serious peer pressure.

 

[Amethyste]

Date: 8/20/2009 11:12:03 AM
Author: elledizzy5
No advice on orchids, but top cat looks like he orchestrated the event, and bottom cat begrudgingly went along with the plan due to serious peer pressure.

omg!!!!!!!!!!!! I am laughing so hard !!!! hehe

 

[sofi]

I think your orchid will be OK. You may want to make sure that it isn''t too loose in the pot, though, because it could become top heavy and pull itself out of the pot again. Some orchid growers use a "potting stick" to press the bark firmly around the roots, but I just use my fingers. Push the medium gently but firmly around the roots being careful not to push so hard that you break them, just enough to make it feel secure in the pot.

Are there still buds left on the flower stalk? If not then I would cut it off all the way down to the base. I know, you wait so long for the darn things to bloom, but it may do better if its energy is directed at making new roots.

Can you post a photo?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The bottom one is avoiding eye contact. Surely a sign of guilt!

 

[movie zombie]

don''t cut the broken bloom stalk beyond the bend. believe it or not, it may still bloom and/or sent up another stalk.

also, if any of the roots were broken, cut them with a CLEAN knife or sicissors. let the roots sit exposed to the air.....yes, unpotted and in the air out of direct light for about 24-48 hours. mist the folliage if necessary but keep water off the roots until repotting. broken roots will die anyway but you''re removing debris from the potting mix if you do this.

this type of orchid is alot more hardy than most give credit. don''t over water it. do some misting of leaves to give it time to recooperate.

mz

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 8/20/2009 11:12:03 AM
Author: elledizzy5
No advice on orchids, but top cat looks like he orchestrated the event, and bottom cat begrudgingly went along with the plan due to serious peer pressure.

Ditto. They were in it together. I bet you if you can separate them you can get the bottom one to flip and spill... looks like he''s the weak link.

 

[April20]

I don''t know anything about orchids, but I think they went in on it together. The one on the top distracted the bug and the one on the bottom swatted at him!

 

[packrat]

Top one is looking a bit smug, like Yeah, I did it, so what? Offer the bottom one immunity and he''d prolly roll over on his pal.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 8/20/2009 2:44:13 PM
Author: packrat
Top one is looking a bit smug, like Yeah, I did it, so what? Offer the bottom one immunity and he''d prolly roll over on his pal.

Hahaha, this is hilarious!!!

 

[tigian]

Total partners in crime! It is so hard to stay mad at animals.

 

[brightlight]

Date: 8/20/2009 10:10:57 AM
Author:DiamanteBlu

They are lucky that there are six of them . . . I''m pretty sure I have it narrowed down to two . . . even they are lucky because they are in two . . .

I came into the kitchen this morning to find my orchid [which I have had for years and the only one I have managed to not kill - a pink phalaenopsis] in the sink filled with last night''s dishes, in a water filled bowl, with bark and clay pot bits all over everything. No dishes were broken but the top of the stem with the buds that were about to bloom was snapped off.

I am sure they were hunting bugs even though I had closed the window and the light was off so there were no bugs.

I took the pot and put it back on the sill, picked up the bark pieces and put them back in the pot. The plant seems looser than it was [it sits high with many roots above the bark] but the main root seems still secure.

Orchid experts - what else do you suggest I do to maximize the likelihood that the orchid will survive? Should I repot it, get more bark to put on top, or something else?

The guilty:

I love their expressions. The one sitting up in the back has the "Who? Me? What''d I do?" expression. The one laying down in the front has the "Yeah, I did it! So what?" expression.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Aww sorry to hear about your orchid! Those cats are diabolically cute though! I think it was a collaborative effort on their parts!

 

[DiamanteBlu]

You guys really have me laughing out loud!

The two of them [they are half siamese] remind me of the siamese in "Lady and the Tramp"
"We are Siamese if you please
We are Siamese if you don't please
We are from a residence of Siam
There is no finer cat than I am . . ."

I reiterate - those two are lucky they are so cute!

I wonder if they know about the Prisoner's Dilemma [They have been around game theory long enough in this house so they should. LOL!]. Maybe I should interrogate them separately to see what I get . . . of course, since over 12 hours have passed since the "crime", I doubt that either of them would remember the incident.

Thanks for the instructions MZ. I'll let you know how the orchid fares!

Sofi - of course the stem with the nice big buds got broken off!

I clipped the bottom and stuck it in some water. I wonder if it will finish blooming? If it does I'll post pics.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Update on the orchid:

1. Plant still looks OK
2. The largest of the buds is blooming!