phal growing suggestions
 

I am sending some pics of a little phal that I got last year. It had a bloom at the time & looked healthy. I have various other phals & they are exhibiting new growth & blooming.

I live in Cocoa Beach, Fl & keep all my orchid plants outside under a big shefflera tree on a protected northwest corner of the house.

I water once a week, the plant is in orchid bark & the pot is an orchid pot with 4 slits in the side. The roots look healthy to me, I have included a pic of both sides of the roots.

Please tell me your thoughts on how to make this little plant happy again. Thanks.

Tim Abbott

I think this phal looks very healthy. The roots are green and growing, and the leaves look very nice. I think it's just young and needs time to grow. Keep doing what you're doing now!

I guess it could be "resting". it hasn't had any new growth for quite awhile. I was concerned with the leaf on the left side, it seems to be losing its color & kind of yellowing.

Tim Abbott

The roots look great. The leaves have a reddish tinge around the ends. I always find my phals show more of this when they are too close to the sunny window. I move them farther back and they are happier. Do you think it is getting any direct sun from the west at any time of the day? Maybe near sunset?

Hi Tim,
Is that the pot you keep it in?
How often do you water?

AL

Hi Chips,

I agree the leaf color is unusual compared to all other phals I have, but they were this color when I got it last year, I guess that is one thing I thought was interesting about it. I keep it out of direct light, but I'll try a new spot for it.

Hello Bird Song Farm,

Yes that is the pot I keep it in, it has 4 vertical slits around the bottom. The growing medium is orchid bark & I water once a week by immersing the plants in water for a couple of minutes & when I lift them out the water drains out. Maybe this one has special needs, all of my other orchids are doing well with this routine (phals, oncidiums, catts,). By the way the lily I asked about some time ago and you identified produced a nice white flower the other day & looks like another one may be in the works.

Tim Abbott

Hi Tim,
You'll have to refresh my poor memory about the lily.

I'm just wondering about your phal. Since all the roots appear to be near the top of the plant, do you think they might not be getting enough water? The top of the medium dries out so much faster than the "interior". Perhaps a daily spraying of the top would help?

Al

It looks to me as if the bottom roots have rotted off leaving just the aerial roots. I would be repotting it and taking care not to overwater it.

I concur with "Cricketerry", but will add that it looks like the plant simply isn't getting enough moisture, and probably food.

The aerial roots in a plant growing happily will have active growth tips (they can be green, yellow, and/or reddish) that are not covered in velamen. As those are, it suggests insufficient humidity (not likely down there) or just being too dry.

If that were my plant, I'd repot into a more airy, open medium, and water more frequently.

Thanks Al, Ray & Cricketerry, good suggestions. If I find a solution I will share it.

Tim Abbott