Phal with dark green, wrinkled leaves

[alk301]

Hello all!

I have two phals that stopped blooming several months ago. When they stopped blooming, they started growing like crazy (roots and new leaves) so I repotted them in a bark mixture. They were doing great until a few weeks ago when their leaves started turning darker green and getting flopping and wrinkled.

I live in Maryland and it's been pretty gray outside, so I've used grow lamps on them for about 10 hours a day. Are they getting too much light?

The funny thing is, their root systems look amazing. They are still growing like crazy, with new roots growing off the main plant in little green buds. I don't see any root rot. I water them as needed based on how the roots look (dry, silvery), and it comes out to about once a week. Could they be over or under watered?

I had been keeping a humidifier in the room, but it seemed like that was keeping the plants too wet, so I stopped. Could it be they like the humidity, and I should go back to that?

I've included a picture of the larger plant here. Any information you could give would be so helpful. I've Googled like crazy, but I keep getting contradictory information, and I really don't want to lose these plants! They've been so healthy up until now!

Many thanks,
Alison

[silken]

It looks extremely dehydrated! If it was in pure moss and you went to straight bark, it may be that they are used to more moisture. If the roots are so good and you water once a week, its hard to explain what would be wrong. Are they getting a lot of sun? It may be heating the leaves and dehydrating as well. I would possibly try running the humidifier a couple hours a day and see if that helps. Make sure they aren't dry for days at a time. New bark dries out very fast.

[billc]

It looks to me like the leaves are not getting water from the roots. They look severely dessicated. If the roots are growing and look healthy, I would give it more water. You might want to knock it out of the pot and see if the roots in the mix are still good.

Bill

[Slobo]

How big is the pot? It looks a bit over potted.

Slobo

[alk301]

Thank you for the suggestions!

It isn't getting much natural light because spring here in Maryland is so gray, so I've been using grow lamps to make up for lack of sun.

I repotted it from old bark to new bark. The old bark was keeping too much moisture, but this new bark does seem to dry out very quickly. But I didn't want to overwater. I will try a little more often though. And I've turned on the humidifier today, so I will keep trying that.

The roots were completely cramped in the old pot, and I think this pot is just one step up from that (not 100% sure on the size). Is it bad to use a big pot? (Sorry if that's a dumb question!)

[silken]

They just get root rot easily if they are in a large pot as they take too long to dry out. But with new bark, if it's only a bit larger and the roots fit the pot, it shouldn't be a problem. I often mist a Phal daily when its struggling too, but you need to make sure it's not holding water in the crown of leaves or crown rot could happen.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[alk301]

Thank you! I will try these tips and let you know how it works. I really appreciate the help.

[james mickelso]

Sorry but it looks like your plant didn't get enough water after you repotted it. From my experience once the leaves get like this they won't get big and fat again although it doesn't mean the plant won't live to throw out new leaves. Barring root rot, it looks like the roots just weren't absorbing enough moisture. New potting mix doesn't "hold" moisture the way old media does. But now you need to make sure you don't compound what has already happened by overwatering it either. I would mist a couple times a day if possible or at least place the plant on a tray filled wioth gravel and water. And it could be that your lights were placed too close to the leaves or that they lights were not the correct wattage or type. But the picture shows a severly depleted plant like it was in the desert. One method you could also try is to place a plastic ziplock bag over the entire plant and try to keep it moist. 90% humidity would probably help. And don't give it too much light. Let us know how you do.

[Oscarman]

Looks like it is struggling. What I would do: Check roots to make sure they are firm and not rotted.
If good, place in plastic bag to help with moisture retention while it re-establishes. The bag needs a few small holes to prevent mold growth.
If poor roots, it would come out of pot and into bag with NZ moss, until new roots grow.
Water sparingly or mist until plant perks up.
Place in moderate light.