Can leaves recover from "droopyness"?

[NTN]

I recently got my first orchid (phal) and after 3-4 days the leaves started to droop. I don't know what I did wrong but for now I moved it away from the window.

I watered it once before I knew that you shouldn't let water sit in the crown. I used the shower hose and let water run through it until the media was completely soaked. I then let the water drain through the holes of the plastic pot and I put it back in its decorative pot.

How sensitive is the plant? If I let water remain in the crown once would it take any damage? Is it possible for the leaves to perk up back to their initial states if I take good care of the plant?

Also, even though the leaves started to droop one of its buds are starting to bloom. Could the blooming bud be responsible for the droopy leaves?

Thanks.

[WhiteRabbit]

Hi and welcome
Droopy leaves could be caused by a few different factors - under-watering, or in many cases rotted roots from media remaining too wet. I'm not sure if it sounds like crown rot - tho a picture would be helpful if you can post one.
If the droopiness is from plant being too dry they might perk up with water, but since it sounds like this happened shortly after being watered (?) I don't know if that's the case.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Before I answer your initial question, I will recommend two things:

1. Steven A. Frowine's book on Phalaenopsis.

2. Go onto Flickr and type in the search box (field), "Phalaenopsis in situ".

To answer your initial question...

Whether the plant is able to recover from "droopy leaves" depends on a few things.

1. Are the roots still mostly alive and healthy?

I highly recommend you actually look at the entire root system. Not just the ones you see on the surface, or the part of the roots that are just peeking out of the potting medium.

It's recommended that you remove the entire plant from the pot and inspect the roots.

2. How often are you watering?

Phals like a lot of even moisture. And if you go to Flickr and type in "Phalaenopsis in situ" you'll see exactly what I mean.

3. What kind of media are you using?

Many people will have different opinions on what a good potting medium will be. But be aware that some media are not best suited for Phalaenopsis culture depending on how your growing environment is like.

4. How badly decomposed is the media?

If it's looking nasty, it most likely is not good and needs to be changed out.

5. What's the humidity like in your growing area?

Phals like moderate to high humidity (60% on up). Any lower and you might get the plant to grow, but when it blooms, the buds may blast.

Regarding some of your other questions...

1. The crown. Let no water sit in there at all. If you do the search on Flickr as recommended, you'll understand why.

2. Ease of care. In my opinion, Phals are not necessarily the best orchids for most beginners to start with. They do have a tendency to not be as forgiving as many of the other orchids out there. They're by no means impossible to grow, however.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

BTW, I recommend you water the plant thoroughly and get the roots nice and wet before removing the plant from the pot. The wet roots make it less likely to break roots. If some of the roots are stuck against the side of the pot, I recommend squeezing the pots to get the roots loose after you've wet them, they will pop off easier.

[Izzie]

I don't think anybody has answered the question in your title.

With my phals, they do recover from slight limpness. If they get to the point of being limp and slightly wrinkly, then they've either stayed that way, or died. Most often, the former.

We love pictures around here, and might be able to tell you more about the health of your plant if we saw pictures of the root system and media, and the leaves.

[NTN]

Thanks for the replies.
I got this plant a week ago as a gift. It was store-bought so I assume all is in order. Everything looks green, there's a flowering bud and the roots look well. Only the leaves changed :/

[johnblagg]

Im with Izzi on this the answer is yes they can....There can be other causes beside bad roots simply too hot and to bright can cause them to droop

[Izzie]

What a beautiful gift!
The roots look great- but I'd bet the media isn't as crispy as it once was. A healthy practice around here is to repot as soon as you get a new plant- so you can check on the root health, and make sure that it is in an ideal media for your situation.

Can you tell us more about your watering habits? If you're underwatering now, increasing that will help the leaves. But if something's going on in the pot, it might be best to get some fresh media in there.

A lot of people will say that you will lose blooms if you repot when the plant is in bloom.
But as many people also say they've never had a problem with it. I'm one of them- if it needs repotting, I bet it will be fine.


I don't see much moisture in the pot, which is why I ask about how you are watering. When we know that, we might be able to comment more on how to get your big beauty happy. It could be that you will be fine holding off on repotting until it's done blooming.

[NTN]

I watered it the same day I got it (July 12) and then again on July 16. I used the shower hose to soak the media for about 30 seconds and then let all the water drain through the holes on the bottom of the pot. I held the hose below the flowers but above the leaves so I guess there were some standing water in the crown when I was finished. Later I read that one should avoid watering the leaves, is that true?

Yesterday there was condensation in the pot but this morning it's all gone. The media still feels a bit damp in the middle so I guess it's fine in the water department.
Initially I placed the plant on my window sill with the window constantly opened due to the summer heat. Yesterday I moved it to my desk where it's shaded by the curtain.

edit:
Another question: The top flower on the left stem is a bit dried up. Should I just leave it be or remove it?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Oh...

The leaves are drooping naturally.

This is not caused by any problems. Your situation is a good case in point for showing photos first. The reason a photo is helpful in diagnosing potential problems/non-problems is that it eliminates the problem of having to guess from several different problems or non-problems that sound/look similar to each other with a verbal or written description.

Take a look at some of the pics of Phals in the wild, and you'll know why they do that.