Phal has wrinkled leaves

[William]

I've been noticing the leaves on some of my phals are getting a wrinkled look. It almost looks as though they're needing water. I they're kept outdoors in a screened patio. I water them almost daily and feed them every week. I must be doing something wrong. The fertilizers I use are varied. Since I don't have a wealth of experience, I just change every week from bloom booster 11-35-15 to orchid plus 20-14-13 to Jacks classic 7-5-6. So far I haven't had a problem and perhaps I'm making more of this than I should but this is my first real problem.

[William]

Here are a couple of pix. Some are the affected plants and two are the shlves where they're kept. One is in A.M. sun and one is in afternoon sun.

[Ray]

William,

Such a wrinkled appearance does indeed indicate that the plant is not taking up enough water, however, there are two, completely different reasons that can happen:

1. They are simply not getting enough water in the first place, or
2. The root system is compromised in some way, so is incapable of taking up water.

The bark mix in the photos looks fresh & pretty coarse, so it probably doesn't hold a lot of water yet, which suggests number one is a possibility. However, daily watering, coupled with the way you described your fertilizer use, worries me, and makes me think that second reason might be playing a role.

Don't get me wrong, daily watering might be appropriate in a very coarse mix, but as it breaks down and gets compact, it can suffocate the roots, killing them. Likewise, a regular fertilizer application is a good idea, but you have to pay attention to frequency and concentration (which you did not mention), or you can damage the roots.

That third photo shows new leaves that actually look pretty good, so maybe this is a problem you have already fixed. We'll need a lot more details to give good advice, otherwise it's all speculation.

[wahaj]

and i'm not expert on this, but the phals i have, i don't provide them with that much light. perhaps that's another issue?

on some part of the leaves, there seems to be almost direct light...

[Gin]

I would suspect a root problem in the pot , and the roots that are out of the pot drying to fast . Just my 2 cents worth .. Gin

[William]

I apply the fertilizer with a watering can. I first spray then water with the fertilizer using one of the scoops that come with the package per gallon of water. Too much? I'm also trying to change them around so they don't get that much sun. The screening is dark but not shade screen. I may just unpot the worse one and take a picture of it if that would help.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by William

I apply the fertilizer with a watering can. I first spray then water with the fertilizer using one of the scoops that come with the package per gallon of water. Too much? I'm also trying to change them around so they don't get that much sun. The screening is dark but not shade screen. I may just unpot the worse one and take a picture of it if that would help.

I'm agreeing with Ray. From the sounds of things, you are (or have) been burning the roots. Check out Fertilizer PPM Calculator and calculate for 125-150 ppm Nitrogen if you plan to use fertilizer every watering. That's what I do. Forget all the variations. That isn't necessary. Nitrogen is the main thing (as long as there is a bit of P and K in the mix).

[wahaj]

wao wao wao! ray and ross are right. that's toooo much fertiliser. A lot of people don't actually fertilise them at all. Remember like with a lot of plants the best way to grow them is trying to replicate their natural habitat the best you can.

Out there, they get barely nothing in terms of fertiliser, just a bit of bird poo every now and then, or leaf debris which normally is very low in nutrients any way.

the aeriel roots of some of my orchid sometimes have theit ends burn off if i use tap water when it hasn't rained for a while due to the high mineral contents. so that much fertiliser is a no no!

[Jkelee]

William, I'm soooo sorry your babies are doing this

I feel your pain cause some of my Catts are doing the same Don't know what the cause, nor how to fix. I just do what I feel is best, and baby them!