Browning leaves

[krisschmitz]

I'm new to growing pharg. Attached are pics. Is this normal?
There is a bloom getting ready to open.

[estación seca]

It may be normal. How often are you watering it? What kind of water?

[krisschmitz]

Only had it for a couple weeks watered with tap with ph 6.3. And last time with distilled

[Roberta]

That's an old growth that has already bloomed. (you can see where the old spike was clipped) So it's normal. The plant sucks water and nutrients of that old spent growth to nourish the new one. Just let the leaves drop naturally, no need to cut. Phrags are a bit more particular about water quality than Paphs. So whether you use tap water or maybe mix tap with distilled half and half, depends on what's in your tap water. You can get a water analysis from your water company.

[krisschmitz]

Thank you.

[Ray]

Good catch, Roberta! When I first looked at it, I only “saw” a single growth.

In a well-grown phrag, the old growths hang around for a while, so I suspect this one faded early due to the stresses of transport, repotting, and new growing conditions. No biggie…

[krisschmitz]

Thank you

[WaterWitchin]

I'll second what Roberta says about old growth dying... perfectly normal process. I usually start cutting back really older dying leaves on phrags after the next one(s) in line have finished, but it's just aesthetics and growing space on the bench (because I grow inside).

I have quite a few phrags and used to use half tap water and half RO water. And I have bad for phrags tap water (very high TDS and high pH). Only had a few that didn't tolerate that well. Switched to only RO water quite a ways years back. Ones that really improved were species and primary hybrids. Phrag. schlimii x Phrag. klotzschianum, Phrag. Grande (caudatum x longifolium), Phrag bessae come to mind.

All grew marginally with straight tap, but struggled. Grew "okay" with the half tap half RO. Really flourished once I switched to all RO. It's something to consider if you start collecting more than a couple of the species or primary hybrids phrags.