Soft Spot on Phal orchid leaf

[starsinvtsky25]

I have a Phal orchid that has two droopy leaves. But only one of the leaves I am concerned with... It has become yellow and developed a soft spot towards the end of the leaf. The spot has been getting bigger as well... Please help!

[RandomGemini]

Suspect it has been overwatered. Phals only need to be watered once weekly, at most.

[starsinvtsky25]

I had done a little rearch online and my picture matched some of the ones for brown soft spot... I am not sure what to do/how to fix the leaf... Its clear that the bad spot on the leaf is getting bigger and taking over more of the leaf and moving up towards the rest of the plant.... How do I stop the issue before the rest of the plant gets mushy/looking wet?

[AnonYMouse]

You need to remove that with a sterile blade with a big margin. Sprinkle the "wound" with ground cinnamon (do NOT get cinnamon on roots).

[Orchid Whisperer]

I agree, you need to cut off a significant part of that leaf (maybe half). Flame-sterilize and cool the knife before and after cutting. The photo posted is tiny; is the whole leaf yellowing? If so, remove the whole leaf.

What kind of medium is it growing in? Bark, moss? Best medium is something coarse, like orchid bark. Water thoroughly once a week only, make sure no water remains on the leaves, especially the crown.

[tarev]

I would also inspect the roots, evaluate and see if they are getting too soggy. You may need to change the media as well or adjust your watering regimen.

[RandomGemini]

This reminds me of what happened to one of my first phals. I suspect that the plant has been overwatered, because of the bright yellow streak going down the center of that leaf and because, if you can zoom up the picture a bit, you can see that the leaf below the yellowing one is also looking wrinkled.

It might be a good time to take it out of this pot and see what's going on with the root system before you do anything else, just because it's possible that this plant may already be a lost cause. If the roots are green/white or yellowish in color and the texture of a fresh green bean, instead of black or brown and mushy, then go ahead and repot it and cut the leaf as advised above and everything will be fine.

If the roots are all black or brown and mushy, it's time to let this phal go. It might recover, but it will take a LONG time and if you are new to the hobby, it's easier to just let a phal in this condition go to the waste bin, rather than try to rescue it because recovery can take years.

Do NOT feel bad about that. It happens to all of us. Everyone on this forum has killed at least one orchid before. Go find another one just like it, or one that you like better and try again. Eventually, you'll get the hang of it.

Good luck! Here's hoping the roots look great and all you need to do is cut that leaf.

[LizB88]

Everyone on this forum has killed at least one orchid before.

Ha! so true we have all kill at least one