The Phal abuse ends here. - Page 41 - Orchid Board

Rowangreen · #**401** 11-04-2012, 06:49 AM

It doesn't look too bad so far from what I can see in the pics.

You were right to loosen the medium, but changing it completely would probably be a good idea.

There's some red pigment on the edges of the leaves: that could indicate it's getting the maximum light it can stand. If you've got it somewhere bright you might want to pull it back a bit. But this could also be due to the treatment it got in the shop, and some phals naturally have more pigment in the leaves.

The roots might react a bit to change in environment. Better too dry than too wet in my experience, so don't worry too much. Keep a watch on the roots inside the pot: they should be going from green to silver before you water again. Don't worry too much about the arial ones.

The spots on the leaves could be due to it being watered and left wet when cold. They look quite old so I think that's probably down to the shop. Try and avoid watering in the evening.

silken · #**402** 11-04-2012, 11:19 AM

I agree with Rowangreen. Over-watering kills more orchids than under-watering. When re-potting, you should also remove any mushy rotten and totally hollow and dead roots. Put in a fairly small pot just what the roots will fit and water only when it is almost dry or completely dry right thru the pot. Your roots don't look to bad from what I can see either. When you water, give a good thorough watering but then allow it to get nearly dry before watering again.

jtruncali · #**403** 11-19-2012, 03:30 PM

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum and to orchids, but am excited to dig in and begin learning. And thank you all for your input throughout the rest of the forum; I've already learned a lot from this one thread alone. I was immediately drawn to this forum and thread in particular because my Phal is one of the "abused" from a local supermarket (I'm probably responsible for most of that abuse).

I received my first orchid as a gift a year ago and have had good success with it in leaf and root growth, but like many other orchid enthusiasts, I can't seem to get blooms again.

I've attached several pictures that may help, but basically I have had rather extraordinary leaf growth, but no spikes. In my ignorance, I was fertilizing with 24-8-16 all purpose plant food, but I just switched to a weekly weakly 1/2 strength dose of 15-30-15. Explains why the plant literally doubled in size and leaf/root count since I received it.

However, after all my research about lighting and watering, I still feel like I may be doing something not quite right. You'll see in the photos that my leaves are a dark green, suggesting insufficient light. I keep the Phal next to a North East-facing window in my office and thinking the light wasn't enough, I pointed an 18W 6500K CFL on it 12-hours a day.

But... you'll also see that one leaf that is actually covered completely by a larger leaf is bright green, despite very little exposure to light. So now I'm wondering if the rest of the plant is getting too much light. I noticed some black splotches and red tinges on the leaves, suggesting too much light as well, but the dark green color of the leaves say otherwise. What do y'all think? (yes, "y'all". That's a word here in Texas hehe).

I let it get fairly dry before watering (bark medium) and I'm about to re-pot it (was waiting to see if it would rebloom).

Thanks in advance for any advice y'all are willing to give!

The Orchid Boy · #**404** 11-19-2012, 04:12 PM

The leaf color is probably normal. Lots of times, phals with pink or purple blooms will have dark leaves. And that green leaf might just be an old leaf, maybe getting ready to fall off. How close is the plant to the light? Usually, give orchids as much light as they can take without burning their leaves. Doing this may cause some orchids leaves to turn redish or purplish. How long has it been since it last bloomed? If it's a noid phal, it may have been forced into bloom and needs to resume its normal schedule. The roots and leaves all look healthy. Just a side note, the roots would love it if they weren't covered with that clay cache pot and were exposed to the light. They can photosynthesize.

jtruncali · #**405** 11-19-2012, 04:43 PM

Thanks Orchid Boy for the comments! That makes me feel a little better.

I have it almost right up against the glass with no shades. The window only receives a few hours of sun direct sun in the morning, then it pretty much relies on indirect sun, my lamp, and the overhead florescent lights in my office.

The blooms are white, but with a lot of pink and purple spots, with the lips a dark purple. At least I think that's what they look like. It last bloomed in about August of last year. After the blooms fell and the spike began to brown, I cut it at the base. And I wouldn't be surprised if the blooms were forced.

Would you recommend more light? Also, when I re-pot, should I cover all the roots in the medium or leave some out like it is right now? I've read about both methods, so I'm unsure there.

silken · #**406** 11-19-2012, 04:55 PM

I agree with The Orchid Boy. Your Phal looks nice and healthy and as he said, many phals with pink or purple do have that pigmentation in the leaves. Phals are kind of the exception to the rule about dark leaves meaning not enough light. Many seem to have fairly dark leaves regardless of how bright. And then some (I often find yellow flowered or pure white ones) have a lighter green leaf.
It quite likely does have to get onto its own schedule after being forced to bloom. the only other thing might be some cooler temps for a few weeks with good light often induce blooming. Clay pot is fine, but Phal roots do seem to love clear pots also and I use all clear pots. The roots photosynthesize in them although I know clay keeps it from being top heavy. You could soak some of the aerial roots and gently get them into the pot. Remember to use a pot only large enough to fit the roots and not a lot larger. But if some of the roots don't go into the pot, that is fine too. In nature they live exposed so it is their nature to produce some air roots.

jtruncali · #**407** 11-20-2012, 12:23 PM

Thanks for the advice, Silken. The temperatures have just recently dropped here in Texas; the weather stays about 70-80°F (20-25°C) until November. So maybe with the cooler temps, the rest time it's had, good light, and proper food my little phal might become quite happy soon! Here's hoping =)

Also, I found a photo from google that very closely resembles my phal's blooms

silken · #**408** 11-20-2012, 12:25 PM

It's very pretty. Good luck and I hope you see a bloom spike soon.

JessieC · #**409** 11-25-2012, 01:09 AM

I am trying to keep my very first phal alive, but I think I'm failing. At first, I overwatered it, and since it was planted in dense sphag I lost a lot of roots to rot. I posted on orchidboard and got advice about repotting and cut away several black and rotting roots. Since then (and losing and cutting the flower spike) nearly all of the roots have dried up from the top. It almost looks like they are splitting away from where they attach.

I have three ok leaves and one good root, and just today that root started looking a little sick. It is near some rotted/dried roots. Should I cut away some or all of the dried up roots? Will they rot and kill my good root? Is there anything else I can do?

silken · #**410** 11-25-2012, 03:06 AM

I'm wondering of your Phal's roots went from one extreme to another. First too wet in dense moss and now too dry in new course bark. They look pretty dried up. If they are hollow or mushy remove them but if they are firm leave them on. New bark does not absorb water much. So it should be soaked overnight before using and then you would need to water more often for the first few months until the bark starts absorbing a bit more water. I find a mix of sphagnum moss and some course bark is a good mix and easy transition for Phals coming out of soaking wet moss.

Roots that are alive and moist will be green and alive dry ones are usually silver or white coloured. I would give this plant a good soak and if you can get some, try and find some kelp (seaweed) solution-either liquid or dry and add it to the water. This encourages root growth. If you can't get any try to find some SuperThrive or KLN rooting hormone. The seaweed can likely be found at a hydroponics store. When you water, soak the plant well and then let it drain well and don't water again until the pot is nearly dry. Using a kebab skewer in the pot is a good way to test if it is wet or dry. Insert it far down and near the centre of the pot and leave it there. Pull it out and see if it is dry or damp to decide when to water. Avoid getting water into the crown of the plant and if it really has very little live root you could try a light misting on the leaves daily to help it stay hydrated. Just don't let the water collect into the crown and do early in the day so it can be dry before night. I hope that helps.