Super Dehydrated Phal with keiki

[james mickelso]

Having just finished flowering and then growing a keiki I think this plant just used up a bunch of it's store of energy which is why the leaves look dehydrated. Nothing to worry about. It is making another leaf and a couple of roots. Phals store their energy in their leaves and roots. That os why they wrinkle when getting older. I would not repot it just yet. Wait until it produces a few more roots. Two leaves and three new roots will do wonders. The wrinkled leaves won't rehydrate but they are still photosynthesizing so leave them alone. When the upper part of the plant becomes healthy and has strong new growth, cut off the lower portion and repot. Repotting isn't a cure-all and may just damage or stress the plant more. Leave the keiki on for awhile. It isn't doing any harm.

[MrsH530]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Having just finished flowering and then growing a keiki I think this plant just used up a bunch of it's store of energy which is why the leaves look dehydrated. Nothing to worry about. It is making another leaf and a couple of roots. Phals store their energy in their leaves and roots. That os why they wrinkle when getting older. I would not repot it just yet. Wait until it produces a few more roots. Two leaves and three new roots will do wonders. The wrinkled leaves won't rehydrate but they are still photosynthesizing so leave them alone. When the upper part of the plant becomes healthy and has strong new growth, cut off the lower portion and repot. Repotting isn't a cure-all and may just damage or stress the plant more. Leave the keiki on for awhile. It isn't doing any harm.

Thanks! You set my mind at ease. I did pull it out of it's pot several months ago, because I thought I was having a root problem, but the roots were there and fine with no rot. I usually am a terrible root rotter but I've gotten better in the last year as I've learned how to tell when something needs water and when it doesn't, and I haven't had any problems recently.

I will wait it out and continue to monitor. Do you think I could put some seaweed on the keiki's roots to encourage growth?

[james mickelso]

I would elect to leave the keiki develop on it's own. Orchids are notoriously slow growers. the growth of the keiki isn't stressing the parent much, if at all, so leave it. Once the roots are around 1-2 inches, you can cut it but I would leave it until it really takes off. What happens when you cut the keiki off is that the growing roots haven't matured to the point where the velamen can readily absorb water and when you pot it up it starts to dehydrate. If you spray (with RO or distilled water) the roots of the keiki you can tell when they are starting to absorb water and then you can pot it. In nature I read somewhere that they stay on the parent for up to a year. Remember that the leaves that have wrinkled won't re-plump. But they are still photosynthesizing so don't sweat it.