phal repot, yellow stem and leaf

[VickiC]

Hi,
Will you please take a look at my phal and tell me when you think the best time would be for me to repot it.....after it finishes blooming or should I wait a few months until Spring/Summer, even though the medium is breaking down and the roots are crowded (pressing tightly against the side of the pot)? Also, I noticed a few days ago that the stem and leaf were beginning to yellow. Do you think there is a connection?

I would very much appreciate your advice,
Vicki

[neb]

How long has it been since it was repotted? That media doesn’t look too bad to me. The roots look healthy as dose the rest of the plant.

[OrchidSue]

I agree. The plant looks healthy. The lower leaf getting yellow is probably part of the natural cycle of things-old leaves die eventually and the plant grows new ones. I wouldn't repot until after blooming unless you have to for some reason.

Susan

[VickiC]

I repotted it very shortly after I bought it..about a year and a half ago.

As for the medium, the portion in the lower part of the pot is mainly what has concerned me. When I would test for dampness with a skewer, it seemed to be about the consistency of potting soil. As for the roots, yes do seem to be very healthy...but very tight in the pot.

Thanks for your reply,
Vicki

Originally Posted by neb

How long has it been since it was repotted? That media doesn’t look too bad to me. The roots look healthy as dose the rest of the plant.

[VickiC]

I've had a few phals whose lower leaf would yellow then drop off because of age, but the yellowing on this phal seemed to be a little different, especially since it involved the stem, too. Maybe I was worrying for no good reason, so thank you for your reply.
Vicki

Originally Posted by OrchidSue

I agree. The plant looks healthy. The lower leaf getting yellow is probably part of the natural cycle of things-old leaves die eventually and the plant grows new ones. I wouldn't repot until after blooming unless you have to for some reason.

Susan

[Sandy4453]

Nice Phal!! Since it's budding now and it's going to take a lot of handling to get those roots into another pot, I'd leave it alone until after it's done blooming. You're going to have to soak the roots to get them pliable enough to fit into another pot, even if you go up a size. I wouldn't soak it now while the buds are forming and typically don't see any problems with repotting while buds are growing but, yours has an extraordinary amount of roots you need to be creative with when repotting so, my suggestion is to wait. Just be careful with the watering if the medium is getting mushy...water less frequently and keep checking inbetween watering.

The bottom leaves turning yellow is just the natural cycle of the plant.

Enjoy!

[Undergrounder]

I agree with the everything said, repot it after it flowers, or even just leave it as it is. The roots look great and because you've got a clear pot you can watch them like a hawk.. no need to repot a Phal. while the roots are that healthy, they actually like to be compact in the pot.

Plus they will actually handle a very compacted medium if they are used to it. You have the advantage of being able to watch them through the clear pot. I would resist doing anything to them while the roots are clearly thriving.

What are the other Phals in your second picture potted in? have they been watered and fed the same way? The reason i ask is because i notice four or five of your other Phals have large, dark, floppy lower leaves and much smaller upper leaves.

This indicates one of two things.. either they're steadily getting worse (due to root loss, under-watering or not enough light) or that something sudden happened to them in the past (like repotting into a drastically different media, root loss, or a different growing environment) and they've been slowly recovering since..

it's hard to tell which just from the pictures but you'll probably be able to tell. It's those ones i'd keep an eye on, the plant in flower is doing great

[VickiC]

Thank you for your advice...you have helped me understand better.

As for my other phals, most of them have had a very rough journey in the past. I bought the majority of them from Lowes (and a couple from Walmart), and from what I have learned, they were not treated as they should have been before they reached the store. Then, when they DID reach the store, I have also learned that they most likely were still not treated well there, either. Unfortunately after that, a person who had absolutely no orchid growing experience bought them...me, as I said. Sadly, they were still not treated as they should have been (but only because of ignorance this time...I tried).

Anyway, I have learned quite a bit over the last year and a half (thanks to OB), so I think I can do a better job of keeping them alive and growing better, as they deserve. Bottom line: They are recovering and most have new leaves, although some still have their old lowest ones. (more pictures included). All of my phals are potted in "basically" the same medium: coconut husk, sometimes a tad or coir, bark, charcoal, and a little perlite...except one small plant in all sphag because it has almost no roots. 100% sphag may not be the best way to help an orchid re-root, but it has worked for me before....especially if I supply higher humidity by putting the plant in my little homemade ICU.

All of them are watered from 5-9 days, depending on their size (except for the phal in bud, which I have been watering from 10-12 days because of the broken down medium...tight pot, etc.). Everything is fertilized the same.

I realize that I have learned only a tiny tip of a huge iceberg, but I'm hanging in there and still learning. Now, if I can just keep my plants hanging in there with me.

Thanks again,
Vicki

Originally Posted by Undergrounder

I agree with the everything said, repot it after it flowers, or even just leave it as it is. The roots look great and because you've got a clear pot you can watch them like a hawk.. no need to repot a Phal. while the roots are that healthy, they actually like to be compact in the pot.

Plus they will actually handle a very compacted medium if they are used to it. You have the advantage of being able to watch them through the clear pot. I would resist doing anything to them while the roots are clearly thriving.

What are the other Phals in your second picture potted in? have they been watered and fed the same way? The reason i ask is because i notice four or five of your other Phals have large, dark, floppy lower leaves and much smaller upper leaves.

This indicates one of two things.. either they're steadily getting worse (due to root loss, under-watering or not enough light) or that something sudden happened to them in the past (like repotting into a drastically different media, root loss, or a different growing environment) and they've been slowly recovering since..

it's hard to tell which just from the pictures but you'll probably be able to tell. It's those ones i'd keep an eye on, the plant in flower is doing great

[Undergrounder]

Ah yes i recognise that syndrome.. very few Phals i get from big box stores come back with good root systems, and it takes a while for them to re-establish to their original leaf size. Same thing happens when i pot from bark into S/H or sphag.

Good luck with the slow recovery! Keep checking that each new leaf is bigger than the one before it and you'll know they're on the mend..

[VickiC]

Thanks for your reply and info, Nick

(Ok, I'll fess up...I didn't know your first name, but I noticed it as I read back on some of your old threads in hopes I could see more of your pretty orchids than were in your gallery..and I did)

Anyway, I'm unclear about your advice that I keep a check to be sure each new leaf is bigger than the one before it, so would you please elaborate? You most likely think that I'm rather dense, but since new leaves emerge small, I'm confused? (pretend that you're explaining to a six yr. old, if you don't mind)

I would also appreciate any other advice from you or anyone else who doesn't mind chiming in.

Thanks again,
Vicki

Originally Posted by Undergrounder

Ah yes i recognise that syndrome.. very few Phals i get from big box stores come back with good root systems, and it takes a while for them to re-establish to their original leaf size. Same thing happens when i pot from bark into S/H or sphag.

Good luck with the slow recovery! Keep checking that each new leaf is bigger than the one before it and you'll know they're on the mend..