Yellow & spotted phalaenopsis leaves
 

A year ago I bought a phal pulchra with one keiki. The mother plant did not grow any leaf since, still looks the same as when I bought it. On the bottom leaf it has this yellow discoloration with brown spots underneath the leaf and the other leaves show signs of discoloration as well.

When I bought it I removed the keiki and potted it. It looked ok and now after a year it finally grew a new leaf. But now on one leaf this yelowing and brown spots appereared as well.

Can anyone tell me what the probem might be?

It's common for phals to lose the bottom leaf. I think that's what's happening to yours. But the plant doesn't look very healthy. I would try to find a location where it will get a little more light. How often are you watering and fertilizing the orchid?

The phal is not losing the leaf. It looks like this from the day I bought it - which was one year ago. Otherwise it definitely is healthy - it blooms, has grown 3 new keikis, new spike and the roots keep growing at the ends as well.

What concerns me, is that the yellow and brown spots recently appeared on the keiki as well.

I am adding a picture of the whole plant.

Just my :twocents: That last pic looks like there could be mite damage. How's your humidity?

Judi

There are no pests in my flat. Not that I noticed or know of anyway. And all the other orchids are ok. Plant is on a window. It is a normal city flat, so not really a lot of humidity. I water it once a week - I fill the pot with water and leave it there for 30-60 minutes. Every other day I spray the roots a bit.

The leaves are pretty close to your potting medium. The undersides of the leaves look to me to have a fungal/bacterial infection, possibly due to not enough air circulation.
Joann

I think you have a combination of issues...but I agree with Judi about mites. It has some tell tales for that type of damage. I also agree some bacterial from the leaf discolouration. I think That since it has only put out keikis that the mother plant is probably not well. But it is fulfilling it's genetic destiny and reproducing!

Thanks for all the replies! :)

I really do not think that mites are the problem - I have never seen them (I think I would notice them) and no other plant has the same problem.

The keikis - it is phal pulchra which makes keikis really very often, so it does not have to be a sign of a problem (but could be, of course).

And what the fungal/bacterial infection concerns - is it possible that the keiki had the infection from the mother plant and when I potted it it showed no signs of infection for a year, and now (after a year) it shows the signs for the first time? What about some virus? Could it be? Hope not...

Hmm...well I don't know if the mother plant carries a dividing membrane to protect the keiki, but I do think that given the opportunity of stress that any disease would take the opportunity to show itself. I mean, it may not have mites but it may have had something before you got it that opened up the plant to infection. The reason I am thinking stress is because it hasn't produced new leaves. It doesn't have a spike coming from the center of the plant does it (top)? I didn't think so but thought I would ask. Have you used any sort of remedy on it?

ETA..Camille might know the answer to dividing membranes....

I agree that it is definitely weird that it did not produce a new leaf for over a year (especially when it produced a new spike and 3 keikis on two old spikes). No spike in the center. And I did not use any remedy, it seemed not to be spreading (until I have found the same spots on the repotted keiki).