Annoying NOID!!

[Cavs n' Orchids]

Well, I guess at least it is flowering, but pretty pathetically. It blasted about 12 buds for no apparent reason. Nothing changed to cause it. I am pretty disenchanted with my phals lately. Many are just giving up for no visible reason. Healthy root system, good temps, no visible pests or disease, lots of big healthy leaves, and then all of a sudden the leaves just go limp, slowly turn yellow and fall off, and then the whole plant dies. I have been growing phals for 10 years and it seems like some are resilient and others just eventually give up. Very frustrating. My cattleyas on the other hand love me. Maybe those mass produced phals that are packed in sphag like cement and forced to flower just run out of energy and thats why they give up. Hmm. Annoying anyways, and I am done with collecting them for the near future. Didnt think the day would come that I would be so picky over orchids, but my Phals just dont hold a candle to my catts anymore. (Other than the massive white phals, those are classic and timeless...)

Anyways, here is my little NOID

[camille1585]

Nice veining on it, it's cute Shame about the blasting, some seem to do that for no clear reason.

I feel your pain, except for me it's not just the Phals, it's everything. I was the best with Phals, always tons of blooms. Now I have rot popping up left and right, sudden and mysterious root rot that killed an entire root system literally overnight, and nothing wanting to bloom anymore. If they do, it's pathetic. Don't get me started on the other orchids... And my pride and joy, a large Miltonidium Rosy Sunset that is in full bloom, is suffering severe root rot. I keep it at work, and lately it's really chilly there so the pot isn't drying out very fast....

[Leafmite]

For me, it is the cattleyas! I have a few that are super healthy but the rest! So, even if they are recovering, new homes are in order. They only bloom once a year, anyway, and get huge. Free OS (with honest explanation) give-a-ways.
Leafmite

[orchidsarefun]

that the orchids from the big box stores are sprayed with some sort of "keeper" hormone to make the flowers last longer/or the plant look better.
I say this because of the 3 phals I got at 2 big stores -
1) hasn't reflowered, but has lush growth and good green roots
2) + 3) Spikes are twisty - like lets grow sideways, then back, and then maybe up straight. New leaf growth is good, but the older leaves are very floppy and crinkly.
There is no comparison to the phals I got from nurseries or the internet. All are grown in the same conditions.
Well thats my conspiracy theory and I am sticking to it .......maybe I need to give them another year.....
BTW - does anyone know how long phals are supposed to live for ? I have one that is over 8 yrs old and it is doing really well still. Anyone know how old that is in human years ?

[camille1585]

I've ehard of some being 15 years old, and suspect that they can get much older than that.

[tucker85]

Over the years I have managed to accumualte a collection of orchids that do well for me. I have a tendancy to focus on those that don't do well. I get frustrated and then I remind myself of the ones that never have a problem and bloom each year. Orchids can do poorly either because they're a genetically weak cross or because they just don't like the environment and culture techniques I use. Either way I'm better off giving them away and sticking with the ones do well in my environment.

[camille1585]

Some orchids leave me really bafflled though. I have 2 Phal equestris keikis of the same age, from the same mother plant. In the 2.5 years they've been potted up, one is always blooming and now has 4 spikes as well as a keiki, while the other just sits there and occasionally spikes, and is smaller. They are growing in the same medium, their pots are right next to each other too.

[Leafmite]

I agree that some are genetically weak and I think some, due to their various ancestors, are not as adaptable or prefer different conditions. Interesting about the keiki's. Maybe there is some minute issue that makes a difference. I take cuttings of many of my plants and they all grow at different rates while young even though they are genetically the same and close in size when started.
Leafmite

[silken]

Once I figured out what to pot my Phals in, they have all done wonderfully, even wintering in a greenhouse cooler than they should really be in. Every single one of them is in spike this year! They were almost all just raffle wins from our society. A large Safeway store donates them after the blooms are not salable. While I love my cattleyas and other types, its the Phals that give some of the longest and showiest blooms for me. Quite a few of these Phals in spike are ones I've never seen before as they were done blooming when I got them. So it will be kind of fun to see what they are

[vjo]

Sorry to hear cavs (but a little relieved) to know that someone else is having the same the same problem as I am. I have more Phals in isolation than I do in growing area this year. I have no Idea what is happening to them. Like you say, the leaves just turn floppy are still nice color and then just turn yellow and fall off one by one until nothing left. some are even growing new roots while doing this. I dont know what to so either.....good luck...Jean