What causes phals to get yellowed leaves?

[naoki]

To me, it sounds like that you still have a high chance of saving this plant (if you want to). Top 2 new leaves (and the apical meristem) are still ok, right? You could try aspirin water if you don't have systemic fungicide/bactericide.

[RandomGemini]

My apologies for my limited knowledge of plant anatomy. These are my first plants, so I'm still reading and researching as I go along.

When I pulled back the yellowing leaves away from the stem, I found that the rot went all the way up into the top two leaves. It just wasn't visible because of the way the leaves overlap each other, but it was there. I did start by trying to just cut out everything that was dead and I ended up with nothing when I got to the end of it.

Now, I want to check all of my 'chids for similar cases, just in case, but honestly, the other orchids are better potted than this one was and I can see the stem clearly without having to disturb them. They all hold on to their medium really well. I shouldn't worry because it was probably just this plant. The other orchids that were in the same room are all showing signs of growth, new roots, new leaves, but I can't help it.

[naoki]

Oh, Ok, then it would be probably too difficult to rescue it. Sorry for your loss.

[RandomGemini]

Well, it looks like I was wrong about the rot going all the way up! I put it in a jar to dry out for a few days while I decided what to do because I couldn't just pitch it. When I came back to it this morning, I cut every piece of the stem that was dried out and dead and shaved away until I found green. The two leaves are OK! What I thought was rot, was actually a purple spot on the stem. I've put some aquarium gravel in the bottom of the mason jar and some water in it and I'll pick up some moss to wrap around the remaining stem.

Don't know if we can save it, but we're gonna try! How long do you think it will take for me to know if it's going to survive?

[Island Girl]

If it doesn't shrivel up completely and turn brown & die between now, and maybe 6 months... It'll probably survive! Sorry, but that's about the best answer I have...

[JMLand]

It sounds and looks to me that the plant is stressed. moved, cut, moved again and then repoted. Not to mention blooming takes allot of energy. The leaves look like they are pulling nutrition back to the plant before dropping. I would leave it be as much as you can and give it a slight boost in nitrogen for good measure.

[NYCorchidman]

I don't think it is rot.
Three most common reasons for yellowing leaves are for any orchids or plants,
1. natural aging process (and this doesn't always happen from the bottom most leaf, although that is usually the case)
2. Overwatering
3. Fungal (I forgot the name)

Rot on phals can be either seen on the growth center or cannot be seen when the rot starts from deep inside the growing point. When the latter occurs, plant is not worth trying to revive. Usually the whole thing collapse and that is the end.

I see the whole leaf yellowing down to the point where it attaches to the main "trunk".
Grab any green leaf on top and give a gentle jerk to the entire plant to see if the plant comes off.
If not, it is not a rot.
Also, place your nose very close to the plant, like right up against the plant almost touching, and see if you can detect any foul smell.
Pay close attention to the part where all the leaves meet and gently press and make sure it is firm.
If not firm, then you should worry.
Or take the plant out of the pot and take a look at the roots. If there are quite a few healthy roots, then no need to worry.

[Island Girl]

Ya just need to give it time, and let it rest... It will recover if it can, not much more you can do

[RandomGemini]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I don't think it is rot.
Three most common reasons for yellowing leaves are for any orchids or plants,
1. natural aging process (and this doesn't always happen from the bottom most leaf, although that is usually the case)
2. Overwatering
3. Fungal (I forgot the name)

Rot on phals can be either seen on the growth center or cannot be seen when the rot starts from deep inside the growing point. When the latter occurs, plant is not worth trying to revive. Usually the whole thing collapse and that is the end.

I see the whole leaf yellowing down to the point where it attaches to the main "trunk".
Grab any green leaf on top and give a gentle jerk to the entire plant to see if the plant comes off.
If not, it is not a rot.
Also, place your nose very close to the plant, like right up against the plant almost touching, and see if you can detect any foul smell.
Pay close attention to the part where all the leaves meet and gently press and make sure it is firm.
If not firm, then you should worry.
Or take the plant out of the pot and take a look at the roots. If there are quite a few healthy roots, then no need to worry.

I think you missed a later post in there somewhere. I don't know for sure what it was. I wish I had taken pictures at the time now, so that it could be identified. After I originally posted this, I ran to the grocery store to get some cinnamon and came home to find this orchid laying in the floor. When I picked the plant up to figure out what had gone wrong, the whole thing came right out of the pot. The roots were completely brown all the way up into the stem. When I'd repotted this orchid a few weeks before, the roots were bright green and healthy looking. Whatever happened, I feel like it happened very quickly.

I've cut back all the dead, brown and dying parts of the plant and am left with the top two leaves and a third leaf. I think that I may have one root still alive. It showed no signs of rot, but is very small and I'm concerned it may have been cut by the previous owner of the plant so I'm worried it may not grow.

The hardware store orchids seem to have rot issues. If I buy the just add ice orchids from the grocery store? No rot, but no ID and not a lot of variety. I'll be mail ordering my orchids from now on so that I hopefully don't have to deal with these issues again. In the mean time, keep your fingers crossed for this guy and thank you for your help!

[Orchid Whisperer]

From your description, it sounds like a goner.

Don't feel too bad. We have all killed a number of plants over the years. Remember too that most of these Phals are mass-produced clones of the same plant, so there are thousands of your plant out there and available. Maybe you will find another one like it and try again.

BTW, if you get one of the "add ice" plants, don't use ice. Pot it in bark, water like a normal orchid. I'm pretty sure the plants don't get watered with ice in the jungles of Asia - they probably are not used to that.