Help with a rescue

[cabbo]

I bought a struggling young phal noid a couple of months ago. It was doing alright, had 3 small leaves and a couple of blooms. I should have cut the stem in retrospect but couldn't bring myself to because of how unique the flowers were. Anyway I think I let it dry out too much because the leaves all turned yellow and fell off within a week. The strange part is that the roots still look great, green and plump like they should. I did cut the stem at the first sign of stress but the leaves continued to fall off. My question is this. Can the plant survive without leaves? Should I remove the sphag and try the sphag and bag trick? Or just leave it alone in its clear pot with sphag and see what happens. Thanks.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I had a Doritis pulcherrima var. champorensis that had all the leaves fall off and the plant tried to come back by growing a new shoot.

Then there's the case of a Phal lowii I have that had all but one leaf left but the roots were still alive. The roots were not actively growing either. This one now has three leaves after about a year.

So, in my opinion, unless everything is dead, your Phal hasn't thrown in the towel yet...

And I didn't do the sphag and bag thing on either one of the plants. Although the house is always at around 60% or 70% humidity.

[cabbo]

It stays pretty humid here too. I think I'll just see what happens. Nice to know they can rebound without leaves... it looks naked. I think I see it blushing! Thanks King.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by cabbo

Nice to know they can rebound without leaves... it looks naked. I think I see it blushing! Thanks King.

[cabbo]

Should I keep it in the same light though?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Just keep growing like you would grow a Phal normally. You know use a method of growing Phals the way you're accustomed to successfully growing them.