Orchid sick? Yellow leaves with black... - Orchid Board

TwinKarma · #1 10-21-2018, 04:15 PM

So I just picked up a moth orchid and when I brought her home I noticed a couple of the bottom leaves were really yellow and had this weird bumpy leathery texture. One of them fell off and the other one broke off when I was worrying over it trying to get a good look underneath. Unfortunately when I looked yesterday (I only got her Friday) two more leaves looked like they were doing the same thing. I'm worried my plant is sick. I looked up pictures of crown rot but it doesn't look like that and the roots look pretty healthy from what I could see. (At least the ones in the bark a few on top look scraggly)

Anyway down below are pictures

Help

aliceinwl · #2 10-21-2018, 05:52 PM

I bought one in somewhat similar condition. It wound up having some kind of stem rot (crown was fine). The rot wasn’t apparent until I carefully removed the dried sheaths of the dropped leaves. I repotted mine and have been making sure the affected area stays dry. I’ve also taken the clear insert pot out of the clay pot so that it can photosynthesize through its roots too. Mine now has a keiki coming from just below the crown and two from the base.

In your situation, I’d be inclined to repot making sure the affected area does not contact the substrate, give the roots access to light, keep the plant on the drier side and peel back the sheaths of the dropped leaves as soon as they dry to see if there’s anything amiss underneath.

TwinKarma · #3 10-21-2018, 06:06 PM

Thank you. This was a lot more optimistic than I was starting to feel. I'm looking at repotting it anyway because its roots look too long for the inner pot. This is all a big jump into the deep end. This is my first plant and I just got it two days ago. Thank you again I guess its back to researching potting stuff. Also I didn't k ow they could photosynthesis through their roots. That's cool!

---------- Post added at 02:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:59 PM ----------

Also, does repotting while it is in bloom hurt the plant. I'm probably still going to have to repot it I just don't want to scare all its flowers off

Roberta · #4 10-21-2018, 06:49 PM

Phals don't seem to care about being repotted in bloom. Just be gentle so that they don't get knocked around. If you find the moss in the middle of the pot to be dry and hard, soak it well to soften up the rocklike stuff before trying to remove it. Don't remove any more roots than you have to..even if the outer part of the root (the velamin) is rotted, the central core may still be useful both for hydrating the plant and holding it steady in the new medium. Obviously the ones that will be the best are the one with good velamin, since they can photosynthesize as well as hydrate and anchor the plant.