Yellow tips on my phalaenopsis - Orchid Board

dana · #1 12-09-2022, 09:40 PM

Hi everyone,

Two months ago I bought this beautiful white phalaenopsis.

I am trying to take good care by spraying it with RO water whenever I see the roots are dry. I recently noticed the tip of the flowering spike is getting yellow. Is this something that I need to worry about or is it the end of the flowering cycle. Attached are some photos of the orchid.

Dalachin · #2 12-09-2022, 10:08 PM

It is wonderful that your Phal is in bark in a clear pot. I would give it a good soak once a week for 10-15 min in your ro water. You can run water through the pot whenever you see the roots are dry and silvery. Misting may not be enough, unless it is a lot of mist. The roots should turn green as they soak up the water.

The spike looks like it is done for this bloom cycle. When it dries up you can cut it. It’s bloom cycle may have been cut a bit short by its change in conditions, but that is protective for the plant. Make sure it is near a window that gets good light, but not in direct sunlight.

estación seca · #3 12-09-2022, 10:11 PM

You don't need to use RO water for hybrid Phals. Tap water is fine, plus it contains calcium and magnesium. You do need to use fertilizer.

I suggest you do some reading in a thread here about learning to grow Phals. From the left yellow menu choose Forums then Beginners. Near the top click on a sticky threat The Phal abuse stops here.

MateoinLosAngeles · #4 12-09-2022, 11:14 PM

Hi Dana,

Your orchid looks fine. After the flowers are spent the flower spike will either remain green or start to dry out. This is completely normal.

Phalaenopsis usually produce a new flower spike when temperature drops in the Fall/Winter. Growers can have orchids in bloom year-round by simulating this temperature drop. Phalaenopsis are not generally sequential bloomers, they will bloom once a year, then lose their flowers, and dedicate the rest of the year to build up their reserves, grow new leaves, and new roots.

Most growers choose to cut the flower spike after the flowers are spent as close to the plant as possible, many online tutorials will give you tips on how to do this, but basically you would cut using a sterilized pruner and then dab a bit of ground cinnamon at the wound, this will prevent the plant to try to grow new flowers in the old spike. Some choose to cut about 1.5cm above the node closest to the plant, some go as close to the stem as possible leaving barely 1cm. Your mileage may vary. Usually plants will put out a better show when the flowers come from a freshly grown flower spike vs an old spike.

After the flowers are spent and the spike is gone, it'll be time to repot. You will notice that your Phalaenopsis starts to produce green tipped roots, this is the signal to know that you can repot your Phalaenopsis.

Phals like to stay moist but not wet, and to have an airy medium. If you choose bark (such as the very good quality Orchiata Bark, size Power) you would only need to repot every 2 to 3 years. You should repot a new Phalaenopsis the first year you own it since you don't know how old the bark is. Choose a pot that provides drainage and aeration, such as a plastic pot with ventilation slits or a terracotta pot, preferably one with additional "holes" you can google Phalaenopsis Terracotta Pot. Since the Phals like to stay moist, the best way to water them when potted in bark is by really heavily drenching them in the sink about 3 times a week, without letting them get fully dry. You can also soak them in water inside the decorative pot for about 10 minutes as suggested above, this will potentially keep the bark wet for longer allowing you to water less frequently. New bark tends to take longer to take water in, until it starts to "open up" after a few waterings, so you might notice at the beginning your Phal will get dry faster than expected. You can prep the bark by running boiling water on it and letting it "open" for about 15 minutes before using it to repot. You can also simply add the dry bark (easier to handle) and let it "open up" on its own. This might be recommended with Orchiata as to not wash out the beneficial Dolomite that is buffered with.

Make sure you leave about 1-2cm distance between the decorative pot and the plastic pot, this will let the Orchid breathe. Remember that epiphytic plants mostly do their gas exchange through the roots as opposed to the leaves. You will notice that your decorative pot is made for the narrow nursery pot your Phal came in, so you might need a new one. You can keep misting with RO water, using RO water will prevent mineral residue from building up. You can probably use tap water to water, I personally use RO water as it allows me to better control what gets to the orchid and thus address issues.

As Estación mentions, you do need to fertilize, you can use First Rays PPM N calculator to know how much PPM N you're providing (that is Parts per million of Nitrogen) Fertilizer PPM Calculator › First Rays LLC

I water my plants two to three times a week at 25 ppm N, then "flush" them with clear water every fourth watering.

Finally, keep your Phal warm, well lit, in Australia keep them away from Northern exposure windows, west facing is best in your region. And in a place with decent air flow. If you follow these rules you will be able to make your Phal bloom for years to come.

If you want to water less often and make life easier for you, then look into Semihydroponics, that set up has allowed me more leeway in watering my plants.

I recommend reading all the free info on FirstRays.com, this is a good start: A Regimen for Growing Excellent Plants › First Rays LLC

dana · #5 12-10-2022, 08:30 AM

Thank you all for the detailed advice, greatly appreciated. I will do my best.