Phalqenopsis Leaves limp and wrinkley

[Oscarman]

No doubt it has become obvious that there are as many opinions as there are growers.

My 2 cents:
- if you are not sure what is going on in the pot, always knock it out and have a look.
- if the current growing media does not suit your habits or growing conditions repot it into something that does. I now prefer to do it upon signs of new growth, although I used to do as Sue does....repot immediately upon receipt into the current media I was using.
- if your orchid is struggling, remove the flower spike and repot.
- if you are re-potting, remove the flower spike.

Cut off your phal spike 1/2" from the base of the plant. When it is healthy enough to support flowers, it will send out a new spike and flower again.

It is always better to sacrifice the flowers and spare the plant. They will look nice in a vase anyway!

If you cut it off above a node on the stem, your plant may try to grow a new flower stem from that node. Orchids can flower themselves to death!

Ok....that was really my $2.00 worth!

[dls10]

Thank you Dorothy and Dave for your 2.00 worth LOL I will cut the flowers off and put them in a vase. I will keep everyone updated on the progress of my poor Phal.

[dls10]

Well I would like to Thank all that have helped to save my Phal. I took everyone's advice and cut off the flowers, repotted and put in a plastic bag and I have a new leave that is now about 4" long. The other leaves look better but not as good as they should yet, but it is definately looking better and not dieing.
Now I would like to know when I should take it out of the bag and should I take it out of the bark to see how the roots are doing? I almost feel I should leave well enough alone and just watch it.

[justatypn]

Debra, sounds like your making one phal a happy camper. You've done well with the progress noting new growth, less-limp leaves. It will take a few months for the limp leaves to gain in strength, only from my experience.

Personally I would not take this guy out of the bag just yet. It will hender it's growth efforts if taken out to soon. I have kept my sphag n bag up to 3 months.

Go by your feeling of leaving well enough alone. Your going in the right direction, keep up the good work..

[dls10]

Thank you Cheryl, I will leave well enough alone and just watch it.

[orchids4me]

My view is that orchids suffer in the hands of the public, because so many are potted in sphagnum, and buyers lose the plant, never knowing why it died. Growers are the only ones that can deal with it ; should not sell plants potted in such a moisture-holding and hard-to-unpot medium.

[quiltergal]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

My view is that orchids suffer in the hands of the public, because so many are potted in sphagnum, and buyers lose the plant, never knowing why it died. Growers are the only ones that can deal with it ; should not sell plants potted in such a moisture-holding and hard-to-unpot medium.

Yes, but I think that is exactly why they sell them that way. When it dies you have to buy another one. I think the industry that sells to the big box stores is essentially selling cut flowers.....or they might as well be.

[cneos]

The only thing I would add to Sue's 'formula' is be sure to soak the new medium overnight.

If you simply pot in the dry mix, the medium will float away when you water. Dry medium will also suck the moisture out of the plant, rather than the plant absorbing moisture from the wet medium like it's supposed to do.

[Dorothy]

I think they are potted that way because they do grow under the conditions in their commerical greenhouses. Besides, it keep their weight down for handing and shipping. There should be care sheets (sometimes they come with little instruction tags but they only say so much) with phals and stress to repot it immediately. I think that growers don't mind if your plant dies as, yes, it would cause you to go out and buy another one.
On the other hand, people need to do their homework and thank God (and Marty ) for a site like this to help others by merely typing of a few words

[cneos]

BTW, I tried something new from Andy's Orchids on a couple of my phals - they are now in baskets and mounted on a wall. The baskets are lined with hardware cloth, then a layer of sphagnum, then the phal is put in a very well-draining bark mix, then top dress the basket with another layer of sphagnum. Then you wrap the entire basket / sphagnum topping with fishing line (to hold it all together), turn the basket on its side and voila. Water will never get in the crown when you water from the top. Harry Philips says this is good way to duplicate phal's natural environment (growing sideways in a tree crotch). So far, there's good new growth of roots and leaves. Will keep you posted with photos eventually.