den-phal may be dying

[seagull]

so my dend phal is on a windowsill with moderate light and is in the upper 60s. i am trying to let it dry between waterings but the media still feels moist when i stick my finger into it
the plant has been shedding off its lower leaves and i am not quite sure why
is it too dry?? is it not getting enough light?

[Dollythehun]

Are they the older canes? Den phals lose their older leaves. Seagull do you have enough posts to post pictures yet?

[seagull]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Are they the older canes? Den phals lose their older leaves. Seagull do you have enough posts to post pictures yet?

most arr but the start of a new cane also died
the leaves near the blooms are ok
and i dont have enough posts yet

[Dollythehun]

Seagull, I had one that lost a new cane like that last year. I think I had it a little cold and damp. I had it in a north window. I cut the rotted cane out, dusted with cinnamon and cut back a tad on water and moved to to a warmer brighter location. However, I can only speculate without seeing the plant.

[Roberta]

A question... what it is it potted in? If the medium that was there when it was purchased (especially if that is spaghnum moss), and it is staying damp, odds are good that the roots aren't in great shape. Repotting into fresh bark will tend to stimulate new root growth (make sure, especially if roots are bad or absent, that the plant is staked so that it does not wobble in the new medium. These orchids like a wet-dry cycle with air around the roots, and fresh bark will have that effect (but need watering more often)

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by seagull

most arr but the start of a new cane also died
the leaves near the blooms are ok
and i dont have enough posts yet

You have more than enough posts to be able to add photos. If you tried attaching multiple photos at once, reduce the number, usually 2 at a time works. If you can't even attach one, try resizing, the photo may be too large.

If that's still not possible (posting photos seems very hit or miss for some people), try with this site: ImgBB — Upload Image — Free Image Hosting No account required, just drag n drop a photo in and then copy/paste the resulting code into your post.

[seagull]

Originally Posted by Roberta

A question... what it is it potted in? If the medium that was there when it was purchased (especially if that is spaghnum moss), and it is staying damp, odds are good that the roots aren't in great shape. Repotting into fresh bark will tend to stimulate new root growth (make sure, especially if roots are bad or absent, that the plant is staked so that it does not wobble in the new medium. These orchids like a wet-dry cycle with air around the roots, and fresh bark will have that effect (but need watering more often)

that is my theory since the bark mix just wont dry despite everything else being dry
i will repot

[Dollythehun]

Re: your photos. I downloaded an app called Imageshrink which works quite well. Otherwise post one or two and then go to edit and put in a couple more.