Phals - great roots, pale leaves - Orchid Board

angeleyedcat · #1 10-31-2009, 04:07 PM

I've had a bit of luck with box store mark downs with no roots using bark, mounts, or spag and bag, but this group is different. These are the phals that come in the small ceramic containers. They each have an amazing amount of healthy roots but had been forced into that small container with about a cup of spag. I can't imagine how they were able to pack all that in and the plant lived at all. It was dry, packed solid, and hard as a rock. Water or air could not have gotten in. Most of the leaves are a medium to pale green, several have yellow areas.

I've removed each from the container, removed all spag, let the roots soak for about an hour in water and they've plumped up wonderfully, look great. The leaves tho still look the same at this point. I've repotted them in the chunky Better Grow Phal bark mix (all I have) which just happened to have been soaked yesterday while I was doing some potting. They aren't over potted - the roots fill about 3/4 of the 4 inch pots. Since they have great roots I also very weakly fertilized with Schultz Orchid Food (it's what I've got). I just got Eleanor's VF-11 - does anyone recommend using this on these plants?

Any suggestions how to help the leaves? I assume they will either improve or die off hopefully to be replaced with others? The flowers look fine but if the plants don't improve in a few days I'll definately remove them.

Thank you!

Undergrounder · #2 10-31-2009, 04:40 PM

The leaves look fine to me!

trdyl · #3 10-31-2009, 05:21 PM

The leaves do look fine. As far as the Eleanor's VF-11, I am not familiar with it. I tried looking it up and their website really does not say about its make up. other than it being a plant food and not use it with other fertilizers. It looks like they do not want you to know what it is.

angeleyedcat · #4 10-31-2009, 05:43 PM

The pictures do make them look better than in person but I'm probably seeing more yellow because my phals which do rebloom for me are a true medium green and not as light. Possibly these were given higher light. Thanks, I won't worry about it

As for Eleanor's VF-11 - I have heard excellent raves about it in a few hoya forums and have received a free sample to try on my hoyas. No, they don't explain what's in it, but there is a couple weeks worth in the free sample so I'll see how a few select hoyas like it. No, I don't expect miracles, just curious.

PaphMadMan · #5 10-31-2009, 07:37 PM

To me it looks like the older leaves are a little pale. This could be due to lack of nutrients in the old media and too-small pots. You might lose some of the old leaves but new growth should be fine in good media with moderate fertilizer.

Singingirl96 · #6 11-01-2009, 01:08 AM

I say re-pot and move it to slightly less light. It may be getting too much light.... I know that's weird advice, but that's the only other thing I can think of.

johnblagg · #7 11-01-2009, 08:43 AM

leaves look good to me also ...bottom leaves are a little yellow but that is the way it is old leaves die in time

angeleyedcat · #8 11-01-2009, 08:19 PM

Thanks everyone, I've repotted and will fertilize how I do my other phals. I've also moved them to less light to see if all this helps them green up. Thanks