Need help with droopy leaves
 

I got this phal 2 weeks ago it is blooming and was a nice lime green with firm leaves when brought home. I put it in a west window and noticed the color was getting greener and leaves less firm. I put it in an east window for a day and it has continued to droop more.

The planting medium on top is dry but beneath still moist.

I have not changed the planting soil so I believe this is due to not enough light. I have a light stand I could put her in but I have 8 phals now that are blooming and
some are fine within the same window and some are getting droopy and greener. These plants are are in the family room/sun room area. Most of their light is from the west.

I have the following items on order or in posession.
for my grow room
Fan
Heater
Light meter
Grow stand with 2 levels of 5,000 k X (4) (each level) bulbs.

I have not taken out to look at roots as I do not think it is the problem. How would you go about the process of elimination here to be the least disruptive to the blooms.

Help please, already dealing with dying momma and 3 keikis I am trying to root under the light.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...phaldroop3.jpg
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If you don't want to check roots, what is your humidity level? I grow all my phals in a West window on humidity trays.
Joann

I do not know. I have 4 humidity trays that I could put them on. See if it helps.

Are you thinking the tray it is on is constricting air to the roots. I was considering this

I just added humidity trays to all the plants.

check the roots. its mostly there where the problem lies. no roots no moister getting to the plant.
spagnum moss is not the best growing medium; cause it can stay wet too long.
hope this will help you.

Phals need humidity to grow, as do most orchids. If you put some rocks in your trays and cover the rocks with water, as the water evaporates, it will add humidity to the air. Do you have good drainage in your pots so your plants are not actually sitting in water? You don't want your roots rotting by being too wet.
Joann

Please check the roots!! I got a NOID from one of the big box stores (blue) with a pot exactly like yours (6" diameter). I removed the moss on the top and looked at the roots. It had decayed bark and fungus growing everywhere. The root system was intact but further inspection resulted in these little white larvae critters which I found out through a search on this board is fungus gnats.

I repotted the orchid 2 days ago in fresh western fir bark (Better-Gro Orchid Bark) and I washed the plastic container.

IF you do repot soak it in Physan 20 (fungicide) and root hormone (Super Grow) for 30 minutes. I don't know how effective they are because I am new to the orchid world and started my orchids with them after reading numerous threads suggesting their uses.

You really should check the roots. The possibility of disturbing the flowers is low as long as you're careful and if you don't check the roots, you risk losing the whole plant and the years of beautiful flowers it could have produced. Even if you do lose the flowers this year, it's better to make sure the plant is healthy in the long run.

About sphagnum moss: I use it for my phal and it loves moss, as well as my Epipendrum and a few others. Yes, it can retain too much moisture in certain conditions, but I have found it very usefull for my orchids. The key is to keep it loose and fluffy and not pack it down. If you have trouble with it getting compacted, mix it with leca, course bark, perlite, or something similar to keep it open. Of course, some environments are not good for growing in sphag because they are too cold or humid or have some combination of conditions that do not allow the moss to dry out. Just my two cents.

It's already been suggested but just to support the suggestions and urge you to check the roots because this is most likely what's causing the sulking. Phals can take unpotting and re-potting without major setbacks. The most that would happen is a very minor and short time stall in the growth. You want to remove any mushy, dead roots and clean the plant. Soak in a little solution of possibly, Physan20 or give it some SuperThrive and pot in fresh medium. Any time Phal leaves begin to sulk, you want to unpot and see what's going on.

I checked the roots and they were fine. A few dead ones but nothing abnormal. I think they were moist too long and just starting to stress.

I transplanted into a bark/moss/perlite mix i obtained from Hausermann Orchids this morning and put her the grow light/stand to see how she responds.

As soon as my light meter arrives, I will check all windows to see what they are showing. I will check the grow station and I will put a heater in there and fan when they arrive as well.

Make sure the growing conditions are perfect.

Any suggestions on optimal conditions.
I know around 80 degrees but what about humidity?

Thank you for your help.!!!!!

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...t/plant001.jpg
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