Leathery Leaves- Phalaenopsis

[juneeb]

I got a Phalaenopsis 2 weeks ago. It's currently in full bloom. I just noticed the two bottom leaves becoming leathery looking. I haven't repotted since it's blooming so I'm not sure what the roots look like. For the past 4 days it's been sitting in a humidity tray in full indirect sunlight (about 2 inches from the window pane). It's in it's original plastic pot. There are drainage holes in the bottom and I added a few more holes on the side. What should I do about the leathery leaves?

[nenella]

I am not an expert - but my first thought would be to look at the roots. They are probably not in good condition, which is why the leaves are floppy. You need to take it out of the pot & check the roots out.Once you know lot's of people on the forum will be able totell you what the best procedure is in keeping it alive & re-flowering it. Photos of the roots will help alot!

[Zoi2]

Welcome to the Orchid Board. Yes, as nenella said--check your roots. The bottom two leaves should not be wrinkley or leather like.
Joann

[RosieC]

I agree, that looks like dehydration in the leaves and the most likely cause is that the roots are no good.

Take a look a the roots and post some pics of them here. We should be able to advise you based on their condition.

[irrka]

I know in my mature phals the bottom leaves will sometimes die off while the rest of the phal is doing well. As long as the rest of the leaves are ok, i wouldn't repot it until it's done flowering (otherwise you just lose the blooms) but make sure you let it dry between waterings and make sure it is not sitting with the bottom of the pot in the water. Just my 2 cents

[camille1585]

Leathery leaves are from lack of water, but the only way to find out if it’s from underwatering or from a bad root system is to unpot. I agree that on a healthy plant it’s preferable to repot outside of blooming periods. But in cases like this, where there are uncertainties on the state of the roots, it’s better to repot ASAP to know what you’re dealing with. IMO, it’s better to risk losing the blooms than to risk losing the entire plant.

[lostonthebeach]

I agree with Camille. Better to check now than to be sorry later.

[flowerpower]

Could it have had too much water?