New online purchase, Peloric white hybrid, but new pale at base leaf

[orchidhope]

This is one of the most exciting (to me) orchids of those I have recently purchased online and I'm concerned that the newest leaf is quite pale at it's base and I'm not familiar with what might be going on and how to best aid it's future healthy growth.

Any comments/advice appreciated

[Dalachin]

I would guess the growing conditions were different while that leaf was forming. As long as it isn’t yellow or brown it us probably fine! For my new phals I usually give them a few weeks to adjust, and when I see active new growth I repot into my preferred medium (for my conditions, bark + perlite is my current fave for phals)

[orchidhope]

Thank you Dalachin,

I suspected that might be in play and I'll just keep an eye on it while it acclimates with hope it stabilizes.

[Roberta]

It looks to me just like a new, young leaf. Certainly healthy.

It could probably use a repotting... that moss looks like it might be old and compacted. Be gentle, it is much better to leave some old medium than to damage roots. But after removing from the pot and giving it a good soak, you should be able to tease some of that sphagnum loose. Then you can put it in whatever medium works for your watering practice, either sphagnum or medium bark. (With bark, it's nearly impossible to over-water, just remember that you need to water more often in fresh medium than you did in the old stuff)

[orchidhope]

Roberta, thanks for a lot of helpful information.

I am prone to repot soon after receiving new orchids as I find they are often compacted so tightly in old medium and I always think new has to help.

I always thought it was necessary to be a stickler about getting the former medium dislodged from the roots so I will consider not being so thorough when it doesn't want to detach easily as I would agree, leaving an undamaged root is probably of greatest concern. Just had it in my head, if something was affecting the former medium, it would start to affect and spread to any new medium if some was left behind.

Also appreciated your comment of watering new medium more often, hadn't thought of that.

Thanks again.

[Roberta]

Glad to help!

When repotting, I just remove what I can of the old medium without being aggressive, then give a good rinse under the faucet. That cleans up "surface crud" and any "hitchhikers". Then, the natural drying that it gets because of the nice fresh air that it gets from the new medium will likely take care of anything else left behind. Root preservation should always be the priority.