Repotting for species Phal?

[Nicolasdperez]

Hello, my Phal tetraspis has recently lost a leaf and another one has yellowed. These two leaves were somewhat yellow when I first got the plant but recently their condition has worsened. Additionally, new roots on the top have began to die off, there is heavy deposits, and I regretfully used poor quality medium when potting it up. I was also traveling recently and had to bring it with me. That being said, it still has a healthy new growth. Should I repot? Or could this possibly be a sign of stress? Or should I just wait a while to repot? (I let it dry in between waterings which is about once every week)

[YetAnotherOrchidNut]

Repot. Phals aren't very sensitive to repotting but they are sensitive to degrading media. You can even repot them when they are in bloom and they don't tend to resent it like many plants do. They grow on the sides of trees in nature, so they fall off from time to time.

[estación seca]

What are your temperatures and humidity? This is a warm-growing, humidity-loving species.

When you say poor medium, do you mean old or something else?

Phals usually carry more leaves in warm, humid greenhouses than in cooler, less humid homes. Often they will drop a few leaves as they get accustomed to a home.

The white deposits on the pot are probably from minerals in your water, not from the medium. Do you know the water quality report for your water?

[Nicolasdperez]

Originally Posted by estación seca

What are your temperatures and humidity? This is a warm-growing, humidity-loving species.

When you say poor medium, do you mean old or something else?

Phals usually carry more leaves in warm, humid greenhouses than in cooler, less humid homes. Often they will drop a few leaves as they get accustomed to a home.

The white deposits on the pot are probably from minerals in your water, not from the medium. Do you know the water quality report for your water?

My temperatures are about 71-80 and my humidity level is about 50%. The medium had a bunch of sticks and seeds in it which I picked out and it just wasn’t high quality sphagnum moss. The salt in my water is about 150-170 ppm.

[Roberta]

I'd go ahead and repot. The leaf looks like it's just an old one (they don't last forever) but if the medium is questionable, good idea to repot. Phals are growing and rooting all the time, so the usual cautions about waiting for new roots don't apply to this group.

Remember, fresh medium will dry out faster. Water when it needs it, not by the calendar. Very likely, with fresh medium once a week will not be enough.