Phal - long neck

[miakaye]

Hello, y'all. My phal has been developing quite a long neck lately. Does anyone know what causes this, and what can be done to remedy it? Thanks!

[fishmom]

It's perfectly normal, as older leaves die off and new roots appear at the base. Pot a little deeper next time you repot, and check to see if there is any dead "Stem" at the very bottom of the plant, which you can trim off.

[tmoney]

yeah, looks good! some phals just grow this way, and admittedly we have found these plants to be tricky to pot correctly...but your plant looks happy!! what color are its flowers?

[miakaye]

Originally Posted by tmoney

yeah, looks good! some phals just grow this way, and admittedly we have found these plants to be tricky to pot correctly...but your plant looks happy!! what color are its flowers?

Thanks! Morticia started blooming in February and is just now dropping her blossoms. This was how she looked in March. I bought her (cheap!) in a sorry state last August on a markdown shelf in Kroger and nursed her back to health.

[Arizona Jeanie]

As suggested above--next time you re-pot, just set it lower, with the lowest leaves just above the bark.
If the stem is too long for this, it's ok to lop a bit off of the bottom. There are usually few if any roots on the lower portion.
I've done this a couple of times. I was surprised at how tough and woody that stem is, I had to use garden clippers. I didn't water for a few days, but had no problems with fungus or rot.
The plant just kept growing, and is doing better with keeping more leaves.

[miakaye]

Originally Posted by fishmom

It's perfectly normal, as older leaves die off and new roots appear at the base. Pot a little deeper next time you repot, and check to see if there is any dead "Stem" at the very bottom of the plant, which you can trim off.

Thanks, fishmom! I'll do that. 🙂

---------- Post added at 06:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Arizona Jeanie

As suggested above--next time you re-pot, just set it lower, with the lowest leaves just above the bark.
If the stem is too long for this, it's ok to lop a bit off of the bottom. There are usually few if any roots on the lower portion.
I've done this a couple of times. I was surprised at how tough and woody that stem is, I had to use garden clippers. I didn't water for a few days, but had no problems with fungus or rot.
The plant just kept growing, and is doing better with keeping more leaves.

Thanks, AJ! And when is the best time to re-pot?

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by miakaye

And when is the best time to re-pot?

Phals don’t seem to care, but repotting when you see existing root tips growing or when new roots just start growing, is typically considered the ideal time to repot. The new roots in the new mix will set the plant up for success. If the mix it’s in is still in good shape, you can wait. If the mix is old, I’d repot now or ASAP as soon as you start seeing root growth.

[miakaye]

Originally Posted by Dimples

Phals don’t seem to care, but repotting when you see existing root tips growing or when new roots just start growing, is typically considered the ideal time to repot. The new roots in the new mix will set the plant up for success. If the mix it’s in is still in good shape, you can wait. If the mix is old, I’d repot now or ASAP as soon as you start seeing root growth.

Thanks for the tips, Dimples!