Leaf issues

[james mickelso]

The media they are in currently is ok. Adjust your watering schedule. The leaves will more than likely stay limp but are still very functional. A little air movement goes a long way too. RH is not much to worry about as long as the roots get adequate moisture. Friends in Tucson, Aridzona grow phals in doors and they thrive. Phals roots are white when young because the velamen hasn't matured yet. Once they become mature they can be silver, whitish, grey/brown. Or green if they get a little sunlight. As for the limp leaves, the new ones will stand tall. And the limp leaves are still photosynthesizing.

[Suzanne17]

So don't worry about repotting? Just keep on watering more frequently?

[james mickelso]

If you recently repotted, I would leave them. What were the condition of the roots when you repotted them? If these didn't get adequate moisture until now then the leaves will wrinkle and droop but if you begin a decent watering schedule the new leaves will grow correctly. You can un-pot this now if you are careful in doing so. You don't want to do any damage to the roots. Just lay the pot it's side and roll around to loosen the media. let it fall out. Then look at the roots. If all is ok then just repot as usual. If the roots are rotting, then use the daconil.

[Suzanne17]

I repotted about a month ago when I brought them home, and they were not in good shape then from the nursery- rot and lots of dead roots. The media is loose enough like you said that I don't have any concerns about repotting again- I'm just more thinking about whether to put them back in the same mix or to change it up again. I feel like this mix isn't working for them...I check them with a skewer every other day or so like I do with all of the plants. I do seem to remember that the sunkist came home with the one floppy wrinkled leaf but the only picture I have from then is of the blooms.

My major concern this morning was that whitish spot on the Sogo Berry. That's new to me.

[quiltergal]

Try a top dressing of sphagnum. It helps encourage new root growth as well as keeping the evaporation rate in the pot a little lower. I was having an issue like this with my bellina and the top dressing saved the day.

I'm also wondering about those pots. They look like they would make the media dry out extremely fast.

[Suzanne17]

They actually are supposed to retain moisture- that's the principle behind them. http://www.repotme.com/orchid-pots/O...-Dual-275.html

I have the inner core elevated a little in the pics. Top dressing is an idea....I'm heading home with my new bottle of Daconil and will take a peek at them.


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[Suzanne17]

Ha!! Ok, no. I had propped the inner cores up on some pebbles a few weeks ago because the leaves were touching the outer cores and I wanted adjust them somehow, thus defeating the humidity action of the pot. Might as well have taken them out of the outer pot. Either way...I wasn't watering enough.


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[Suzanne17]

Ok, sorry for the overload of pictures upcoming...first 3 are Sunkist. Roots nice and dessicated, thanks bad orchid mommy. I'm paranoid the leaf is fusarium wilt but I think it's probably just dehydrated. No rot. I rinsed it off well and it's hanging out waiting for a repot. The leaf that isn't wilty had some white material on the bottom but it rinsed right off in the sink.

Now the last four pictures are the Sogo Berry. So sad! There were two longer roots that were rotted that I snipped. This is all that's left. There does appear to be a root nubbin that went black so maybe it tried at one point. I cut the spike when I unpotted and removed the rest of an old leaf sheaf that was hanging around. I don't see any other signs of rot and the crown is firm and the rest of these pitiful roots are firm. I hope this is also a better shot of the damaged leaf.

So...spray with the fungicide and leave them out to dry overnight and repot in the AM? Or no fungicide and just pot them up now? I'm torn. I'm soaking a mix of coco husk, perlite, and charcoal and I'll put them back in the oxygen core pots (cleaned of course).

[james mickelso]

The second phal will be a tough one. I would lay it in a small Tupperware without lid, paper towels wetted, and hope for the best. Or you could hang from a vase with water in the bottom but not touching the plant. That would give it humidity while allowing it to stay dry on the leaves. There should be enough energy to push a root. the other looks fine. Pot it up and keep it just damp. Not wet. Spray with the anti-fungal. These were damaged well before you brought them home. Once they start pushing roots and leaves, they are home free.

[Suzanne17]

Well, here is my own Stubby on a stick and suspended above a vase of water. I left him in the Eastern window with the other phals- should I move him to a darker area like my bedroom (west window but it's shaded most of the day)?

I potted up the Sunkist before I saw your message so no anti fungal spray but I can spray the leaves next weekend when I fertilize or next watering. Will be keeping a much closer eye on this guy. I already feel better having gotten a good look at the roots last night.



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