flowering problem

[onlyartificiallight]

hey, i took my girlfriends grandma to the local orchid greenhouse and she got this phal. she went away for a month leaving it in the care of someone else and now the flowers arent opening all the way and they turn yellow and drop. is this from overwatering?? (sorry for the bad pics, was with cell phone)

[moogiemama]

Hi! Actually, the buds are probably blasting due to a change in temperature, humidity or light levels - maybe due to a difference in watering - but my guess is it's because of the changes I stated above.

[Dorothy]

:iagree: - Bud blast due to environmental change (temperature and watering changes) is most likely is the culprit

[mehitabel]

When a phal's roots are compromised, it isn't getting enough water to support a spike, and the flowers don't open properly.

That's not the only reason possible for what's happening, but that's what strikes me as likeliest given

a) if the plant is in its normal position, I believe it isn't getting enough light
b) substitute care for a month

I would gently ease it out of its pot and have a look at the roots, see if there are any, especially new ones starting. Health and vigor for any plant, including orchids, starts with good roots.

If roots are poor, it needs to go into a small pot, with a little sphag in it til it revives with new roots.

I also believe this plant needs a lot more light than it's getting -- an east window with 2-3 hours sun a day would be ok. Less than that is not enough. Ease it gradually into more light.

[Dorothy]

I agree with more light .. with slow acclimation.
(If you have a window with hard sunlight coming through, (like a southern exposure), it can take the shield of a sheer curtain placing the phal a little distance away from the window.)

[onlyartificiallight]

the leaves did seem a bit dark. i dont think there were any other changes though besides possibly the watering.

this makes we wonder too, ive read on here that once an orchid flowers, its ok to remove it from its "home" for putting on display in places with little to no sunlight?