Who Has the Correct Answer?

[Mike O'C]

Originally Posted by isurus79

I have been following this thread for a while now because my Phals (all 2 of them!) have a tendency to split their leaves as well. In fact, my Dtps Minho Princess has two leaves that have split along the middle for almost the whole length of the leaf. Just a thought, but we humans tend to grow our Phals upside down. By this I mean that in the wild, Phals tend to hang down, while we tend to keep them 'upright' (from our perspective). Could it be that there is some sort of unatural stress on the 'seams' of the leaves that cause them to split because of the orientation that we force them to grow? Does anyone who grows their Phals in the natural postition (ie. hanging) experience this phenomenon? Any thoughts?

Steve,
Here in South Africa (thanks mainly to the Taiwanese) Phalaenopsis are being sold in supermarkets as "disposable" pot plants. By that I mean that those who buy them do so in place of buying a bowl of cut flowers because they are cheaper and last longer than the cut flowers but in buying them they stand very little chance that they will be able to grow and flower them again the next season. Reason? It is too cold to grow them out of doors. When you see them offered they are growing in a pot and all the leaves are pristine with no splits. Maybe they cull those with split leaves. So I do not think that growing them in the "upright" position causes stress to amke the leaves split. Just a thought!

[Vulpes Velox]

hey.. i found this question very interresting so i wrote a proffesor i used to have about it, since his main field of interrest are orchids. i explained to him (forgot to send pictures though). his answer was that it most likely sounded like physical damage or to much watering that can make the leaves to "crisp"

if its new leaves on plants that isnt moved around then i guess it happens from to much watering, since im sure very few abuse their orchids

[Ray]

I don't buy the "too much watering" scenario, as all of my phals are in semi-hydro culture - with an unlimited water supply - and I have not seen such splitting in a long time.

[Leisurely]

My question is not how you get higher than 99% but how do you get 99%. During the recent tropical storm, my greenhouse stayed at about 85% humidity for about five days and it smelled like a funky cellar from all of the mold and mildew, even though I had lots of fans running. It seems to me that humidity in the 90's would just be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Leisurely

My question is not how you get higher than 99% but how do you get 99%. During the recent tropical storm, my greenhouse stayed at about 85% humidity for about five days and it smelled like a funky cellar from all of the mold and mildew, even though I had lots of fans running. It seems to me that humidity in the 90's would just be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus.

My reference to 99% was for Angraecoids, that do same thing sometimes. They all grow fine in a "tank" (an orchidarium, with misting and closed environment but constant air movement from DC fans.) Yes rot and mold is a constant battle, but certain plants demand this environment, and I choose gladly to provide it Sorry it was not for Phals, the subject here, but I had made a point, I think.

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