Yellow leaf on Phal but no root rot.

[crystalpistol]

About a month ago I bought a huge Phal from Trader Joe's. Almost all the flowers bloomed except for a few tiny ones that bud blasted and one good sized bud. I watered about once a week, but then the second leaf from the bottom started turning yellow. After a couple of days it came completely off and the bud that was still there, bloomed. I read about root rot so I assumed it was that and set out to re-pot the plant. The roots were wound pretty tightly and were pretty cramped. I now have the Phal in a slightly bigger pot in the window and the bloom finished opening last night. I read that normally you aren't supposed to re-pot until after it has finished blooming, but I was just so scared that it would have root rot. Will my re-potting have any serious consequences? Will it cause my flowers to fall off prematurely?

[WhiteRabbit]

Many Phals won't miss a beat after being repotted while in bloom, others may drop blooms and/or buds. Either way, there's no harm to the plant itself, and if there's concerns about the state of the roots and/or potting media, it's better to repot.

[RandomGemini]

I repot my large phals as soon as I get them home, in bloom or not. Most are in spaghnum moss when you purchase them and I prefer to have them in bark. No worries, it should be fine. Worst case scenario, you lose a bloom or two.

[Bill U.]

I also normally tend to repot my phals after they come home from a big-box store like TJ's or Home Depot. A thought about the yellowing of the leaf- this can also sometimes be caused by over-watering. And, knowing some of these stores, many of those phals either get water-boarded (waay too much water) or they shrivel up from thirst. The fact that you were able to get one of those buds to bloom can be a good sign. I would just keep an eye on the overall health of the plant and if anything rapidly changes- action needs to be taken. But for now, enjoy your blooms and follow normal phal care

If you are new to keeping phals, or orchids for that matter, you might want to take a look at http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html. I know that it is long, but there is a lot of good culture tips and things to watch out for in there!

[Optimist]

Leaves have a life cycle. If only one turns yellow and drops off it is just a natural thing.