Phalenopsis leaves turning yellow

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Zoi2

If you are going to try water culture with a phal, stake it up so water DOES NOT get into the bottom leaf, it will cause crown rot. Change the water at least 2 times a week, clean the root area of all debris, and keep it out of the sun (shady North window is great). I also add a bit of KLN to the water.
Good luck with what ever you decide to do.
Joann

thank you for adding that! i thought i was forgetting something. for me, i change the water whenever the visibility gets low. and i dont use kln and it still works for me

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I think the easiest route is to get a new one.

Here's why:

1. The roots are pretty much all destroyed.

2. The leaves are on their way out. Notice the yellowing of the two mature leaves leaving only the lead leaf to be the only one green.

3. When the two mature leaves fall and leaves behind the lead leaf, that lead leaf is not going to have enough energy to pull through.

4. Water culture takes practice. People don't always get it right on the first run (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't).

This just happened to my Ceratocentron fesselii which is a relative of Phalaenopsis. It's also been the case with many of the Phals I've grown in the past that could not be saved.

I think the better solution is to start off with the healthiest Phalaenopsis you can find and make the necessary adjustments to do it right. If something goes wrong even after this, you may still be able to catch the problem in time if you see something wrong early to actually save the plant.

By buying the healthiest plant you can find, you ensure yourself of knowing what a healthy plant looks like, so if the plant looks anything other than that, you'll know something's amiss.

BTW I did not select the Ceratocentron fesselii, the seller did. I would've picked a plant where the roots were obviously still alive. The one sent to me already had rotting roots (probably because they couldn't see it, they were buried under moss). Granted Ceratocentron fesselii is a more difficult one to grow than Phalaenopsis, selection makes a big difference in your success.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

I think the easiest route is to get a new one.

Here's why:

1. The roots are pretty much all destroyed.

2. The leaves are on their way out. Notice the yellowing of the two mature leaves leaving only the lead leaf to be the only one green.

3. When the two mature leaves fall and leaves behind the lead leaf, that lead leaf is not going to have enough energy to pull through.

4. Water culture takes practice. People don't always get it right on the first run (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't).

This just happened to my Ceratocentron fesselii which is a relative of Phalaenopsis. It's also been the case with many of the Phals I've grown in the past that could not be saved.

I think the better solution is to start off with the healthiest Phalaenopsis you can find and make the necessary adjustments to do it right. If something goes wrong even after this, you may still be able to catch the problem in time if you see something wrong early to actually save the plant.

By buying the healthiest plant you can find, you ensure yourself of knowing what a healthy plant looks like, so if the plant looks anything other than that, you'll know something's amiss.

yes, but it never hurt to try. i think she should get a new one and a couple of tc's and still give the current plant a glimmer of hope left for life

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by help

yes, but it never hurt to try. i think she should get a new one and a couple of tc's and still give the current plant a glimmer of hope left for life

Alright, I'll buy that.

In the meantime...

Here're some tips, I suggest for selection:

1. Are the leaves turgid?

If they are. Good.

2. How many leaves are there?

The more the merrier.

3. What color are the leaves?

On a plain leafed Phalaenopsis they should be light green or dark green.

On a patterned leafed Phal, the mottled patterning is normal, and they should be silvery green on a green background giving it a blue-green look.

There should be no yellow of any kind unless they are from the very bottom leaves (old leaves do die back).

4. Is there a lead leaf and how does that look?

If there is no lead leaf, it doesn't mean it's a bad plant. The plant could just be resting.

If there is one, make sure it is not damaged or rotten (crown rot, bad). This part of the plant cannot be damaged under any circumstance. Should it be, do not buy it. There is a good chance it will not make it. Unfortunately, the lead leaf is also the softest part of the Phalaenopsis and is very easily damaged.

5. Is there beige or black spotting on the leaves? Pits?

None of these are a good sign. There is some sort of disease or damage involved here. If it's disease it is usually fungal. Although viral diseases can leave pits in the leaves.

Under no circumstances should you attempt to purchase a plant that has a viral infection. To date there is NO cure for a virus.

6. Are the stems firm?

They should be.

7. How are the roots?

They should be thick and firm and very plentiful. The color should be a silvery green with green or reddish-orange-brown tip. If a bunch of roots are climbing out of the pot it is a good sign.

8. Finally...flowers!

Flowers are not always a good indicator of plant health in an orchid. But people usually buy plants that are in bud or have a few flowers that have bloomed, so that they can enjoy the flowers longer.

If you like Phalaenopsis there are some books out there that talk about them. For example you can check out Stephen A. Frowine's Phalaenopsis book.

[Call_Me_Bob]

make sure, if you try water cultre. not to let the crown be wet

[AThoele]

If you don't want to try the water culture, I recently had two Phals in a very similar situation. After removing all of the rotten roots, there were none left. I got some very, very small pots (mine are ceramic because I couldn't find clear ones small enough) and wrapped the bottom of each plant in a small amount of sphag (soaked in water with Superthrive then rung out). I mist the moss with more Superthrive water when it dries out - every couple of days. One lost all of its leaves and died, but the other held on to one leaf and now has quite a few new roots and two new leaves coming in. I'm trying the same thing on two others my mother in law asked me to try to save. Anyway, it might not work, but it's pretty simple and it can't hurt to try!

Good luck!