Half Yellow Leaf

[Ibronshteyn]

Hi! I received my first phal 3 weeks ago, and one of it's leaves was tinted yellow. Since then the yellowing deepened a little and the leaf became wrinkled. I'm new to this plant and aren't sure what I'm doing wrong. I'm watering when the soil feels dry and don't keep it in direct sunlight. Any ideas would be helpful.

[magicatt]

A couple of things, first off, don't worry about that leaf. It will naturally yellow and fall off. All of my phals will once in a while, yellow on the bottom leaf and it will just fall off. New ones always grow from the top so this is just a natural happening.

You say you phal is in direct sunlight. I would change that if I were you. Some direct sun early morning before 11:00 a.m. is ok and evening sun after 4:00 p.m. is ok but anything in the middle could put burn spots on your leaves. I don't see any on there yet but do watch out for that.

[quiltergal]

The yellowing leaf is just natural senescence. Resist the urge to cut it off. The plant will draw whatever remaining nutrients there are in that leaf and when nothing is left it will dry and drop on it's own.

It looks like that plant been in that media a little too long. It looks like pretty funky old sphag. The pot also looks like it could be too big. The roots should just fit snugly in the pot. If it's not in bloom now might be a good time to repot it. That way you can check out the condition of the roots and make sure there isn't a problem with root rot.

There is a lot of good information in the sticky thread at the top of the Beginners forum called The Phal Abuse Ends Here.

[Dan796]

I once had 100 Phals in my collection, and found that
Phals do best in bright light during the day. You can give them very early morning or very late afternoon sun during the winter months but, after April 1st, the sun is getting stronger, and can cause leaf burn. So, give them bright light with no sun after that time. They grow perfectly under fluoressent lights year round also!

[james mickelso]

We can explain to you how to repot this phal before the dreaded root rot kills it. I wouldn't water this until it is repotted to help forestall any further damage to the roots. Some times the yellowing of the leaves is normal as this is where phals store nutrients and moisture. But there are times when it is a sign of root damage and the plant which can't get what it needs from the roots starts to withdraw it's needs from the leaves. So a check of the roots is needed. Simply gently pull the plant from the pot and take some pics of the root area for us. It will help to determine how they are doing.

[Ibronshteyn]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

We can explain to you how to repot this phal before the dreaded root rot kills it. I wouldn't water this until it is repotted to help forestall any further damage to the roots. Some times the yellowing of the leaves is normal as this is where phals store nutrients and moisture. But there are times when it is a sign of root damage and the plant which can't get what it needs from the roots starts to withdraw it's needs from the leaves. So a check of the roots is needed. Simply gently pull the plant from the pot and take some pics of the root area for us. It will help to determine how they are doing.

I wasn't able to pull the plant from the pot. I slightly tugged on it, but it wouldn't give. I watered it a few days ago, so it's still damp and snug inside the pot.

As for the pot, it's the original one I bought it in, and has holes on the bottom to drain the water. I didn't replant it yet because it's blooming and has spikes.

[james mickelso]

Don't water it anymore until the flowers fall. Or until, when you pick it up, it feels very light weight. Once the flowers start to fall bring it here and we'll show you how to repot it. And it's very easy to do.

[NYCorchidman]

That leaf is just dying off naturally. nothing to worry about.

You can leave your phal in direct sun in the winter.
I live in the same city as you are.
Some of my phals are in direct sun all day in the winter. They thrive.

From about March or April til September, you don't want to do this though.
but still, make sure you give bright light for optimum growth and flowering.

[Ibronshteyn]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I hope this isn't the end for my phal.

[quiltergal]

Better to sacrifice the flowers if you are unsure than the whole plant if it turns out to have root rot. Just sayin.....