Big box store inquiry - phals

[HuniGems182]

At the store I saw the lovely phals, most of which were in the usually packaging, pot, plastic bag sleeve,etc. Well two were not in packaging. Of course the one I fell for was one not in the protective packaging. It was a beautiful phal, I was wiling to over see this. My question is, is there any risk to this? And also why would two randomly not be packed. This was Lowe's if anyone wanted to know.

Second question, despite my efforts to keep my phals away from my cat, a leaf was chewed, not badly, but it did break thru to the backside of the leaf. I put cinnamon on it in hopes to dry it out. Will I loose the leaf? It is a top leaf, very healthy, I'm afraid the cut will make it floppy.

[Salixx]

By packaging do you mean a pot or just florists plastic? Either way, if they are otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry about it too much. People are rough on plants at stores. Plastic can be ripped off and pots broken... You must guy even get a discount if it's a broken pot!

As for the cat bites, I wouldn't do anything. The plant will either heal over or have a scab. I have an old, ugly Cattleya with three distinct claw marks on a leaf... The leaf is at least four years old. They don't usually dump leaves for minor mechanical damage, worse things happen to them in nature.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by HuniGems182

At the store I saw the lovely phals, most of which were in the usually packaging, pot, plastic bag sleeve,etc. Well two were not in packaging. Of course the one I fell for was one not in the protective packaging. It was a beautiful phal, I was wiling to over see this. My question is, is there any risk to this? And also why would two randomly not be packed. This was Lowe's if anyone wanted to know.

Second question, despite my efforts to keep my phals away from my cat, a leaf was chewed, not badly, but it did break thru to the backside of the leaf. I put cinnamon on it in hopes to dry it out. Will I loose the leaf? It is a top leaf, very healthy, I'm afraid the cut will make it floppy.

I'll presume that the plant was simply not in a sleeve. It's possible that the two in question came from a different supplier than the plants in the sleeves. I personally detest the plastic sleeves; they hold everything in on the plant and allow virtually no air movement, and I've seen a lot of plants in those sleeves turn into bacterial puddles. So I think you chose the right plant.

In so far as your cat, I WISH I still had a cat in my house. I'm next door to a vacant, overgrown lot from which field mice the size of small rats come into my house and nosh on my orchids. They're especially fond of flowers but are also quite happy to take a few bites from leaves or roots. I get angry, re-declare mouse war, and find new ways to keep them from my plants (which, after a month or two, they devise a way around. Mice are quite clever little rodents.). Meanwhile, the orchids - mostly Phals - heal up, keep growing, and do what orchids do. The damage, apparently, does more harm to me than to the plants. So don't worry about the cat damage, it'll be fine. But feel free to bring your cat for a tea party with these mice!