Not sure if Iam over watering!

[flhiker]

Hi all, I noticed today that one the leafs on this Phal turned yellow! Is it just a leaf that is dying or could it be over watering? I have it on my front porch and It has rained 3 days in a row (possibly getting on the plant). I have only had it a couple of weeks and the leaf was real green two days ago. Hope I haven't drown it.

[Ray]

The pot and medium look bone dry to me, but that's just at the surface. How fresh is the medium, and is it 100% bark, or a mixture of stuff?

Moisture, by itself is not an issue. It's when it becomes compact and suffocates the roots that there's a problem.

[flhiker]

Thanks Ray I looked at the medium and it does look to me to be a little broke down (almost like dirt) I will repot it with new medium. The surface did look dry but moist underneath. Has the damage been done (will i lose the blooms)

[Ray]

Yeah, probably.

If the plant is stressed enough to lose a leaf, it's likely to dump the blossoms in favor of survival, but you never know!

[Dorothy]

Don't underestimate the hardiness of phals. I had one that suffered terribly from root rot. The blooms had stayed on the plant but the developing ones dried up and fell off. The spike's end stopped growing and I thought the plant was finished. I took the plant out of the medium it was in. The roots were surrounded by sphag moss causing them to rot. (Aside from the moss, the bark was also decomposed. ) I cut off the rot, leaving it with very little as far as a root system. I repotted in KK mix soaked in root tone and orchid food. I did not lose one open bud. In fact, the plant's spike is regrowing and new buds are forming. Surely, they will not be as big as the earlier ones but it just goes to show you how much they can endure!
flhiker - watch and see - you maybe surprised!
Good growing!

[Lagoon]

"Don't underestimate the hardiness of phals" For sure Dorothy!


I have noticed that repotting an orchid can give it much more vigor so have some faith. But regardless if it doesn't keep it's flowers it does sound like the Re potting sounds overdue anyways.
As Ray say's -- You never know!
I'll keep my finger cross for you

[Charles]

There's an old saying, spare the rod and spoil the child. If you do not repot, you will get more rot.
If you lose the blooms, after repot, it might live to bloom again. Do what you gotta do.

[flhiker]

I have already repotted and It seems to be hanging in. A new bloom opened and looks pretty good. Do you normally repot new purchases with flowers? I also have a Den in bloom that was potted in a hollowed out coconut that seems to have a leaf turning yellow. How hard is it to remove a plant from the coconut? These are all new purchases. Thanks

[Becca]

Dave,
I was given a dendrobium that looks exactly how yours is planted in the picture...I wasn't sure what the medium it was growing on. I re potted it since it appeared to have been that way for a while. The re potting didn't go so well, allot of the roots had grown into the medium and was very hard to get out and some of the medium was becoming soggy causing the roots to rot, but the plant looked healthy. And upon repotting, I found that there was actually two plants in the pot and not one, I guess I never paid attention...oops! I have since re potted in s/h and I am waiting to see if it will take root again since it's traumatic experience. It did have a new growth on it before re potting so hopefully it will be okay. Good luck with yours and let us know what you end up doing with it!

[flhiker]

Thanks RP I repotted it 6 days ago and the using a larger clay pot and Better-Gro special orchid mix. It is doing Great. I only lost the one leaf and 1 flower, The rest of the blooms are opening and look great
Hope you have the same outcome