I have a few orchids now and I'm wondering what is normal for a leaf to look like as some of mine have changed a bit. When they were purchased they were thick, upright and very rigid. Now, some have flopped over a little bit and lost some of their rigidity. Is this normal or should they be as stiff as a board?!
I think that your leaves should remain firm. If you have a long leaf it won't be as rigid. Possibly your plant is too hot and dry or perhaps your roots are damaged. Check your roots and repot if you have to. What are your watering habits like? Phalaenopsis should be watered before the media dries out completely but should not remain sopping wet. If your plant receives more light then it will need more frequent watering. I lost more roots in my first years as a grower due to overwatering, now I'm lazier (busier) and I have more plants so I tend to grow drier (but with higher humidity) so I suffer less root damage. Shaun.
I usually water the phals in moss once every 10-14 days, depending on moisture, and the one I have in bark/charcoal every 4 days. The trend has been as soon as the flowers have dropped the leaves have started to droop down a bit. It's not out of control but certainly noticable. They're weakly fertilized 3/4 waterings and I see new root and leaf growth but find it odd that the existing leaves are having a tough time staying up....
