this orchid's really putting me through it at the moment.. it's gone through a stage of dropping all it's larger leaves and growing new ones. the biggest of which is now about 3 inches long - so a lot smaller than the old ones. about 3 days ago i noticed it's started to develop it's first stipe in about a year, but yesterday i noticed that the oldest leaf has turned a strange colour.. i don't know what i'm doing wrong! many thanks
OMG....way too wet! You're getting root rot and the orchid is shedding leaves to balance the declining root system. Repot ASAP in very chunky orchid mix. If you have one, a clay pot, the same size as the pot you currently have. I have no end of difficulty with Phals. They are so easy to overwater...you have to find a system that works. I lightly mist any exposed roots every 1 or 2 days, then do a full watering every 1-2 weeks depending on the season (more often in the summer). Good luck Simon
I would agree with that. Re-pot asap. Cut off anything that is black and mushy. Don't worry about that yellow leaf, it will drop off by itself when it is ready. That little green nub there is not a flower spike - it's a new root. That's good to see - it means your little Phal is still fighting! Once you re-pot, keep it in a shadier spot for about a week before moving it back to it's original spot & don't water it for about a week or so - at least until the pot feels light. I have great success with Phals. I keep them all in cheap clay pots (cheap ones allow water to evaporate thru the pot much better than the expensive ones). I throw maybe 6 or 7 styrofoam beads in the bottom & pot up in Chilean Sphagnum. I water my Phals when they need it - there's no real system for them as they're all different sizes & some have way more roots & leaves than others. If the pot is super-light, it gets fully watered. If it's not, it doesn't get water. This can be anywhere from 7 - 12 days depending on how warm it is or if I've turned the heat on or not. I live in Toronto, Canada - it's not that humid here & I never, ever mist either the leaves or the roots. In summer, I keep many of my Phals outside in the shade & I keep others indoors (space is limited as I'm in an apartment). Right now, about 75% of my Phals are producing spikes. I have much more success with Phals than anything else - in fact, I'm thinking of giving away all my Miltonias & Dens to make room for more Phals! Good luck on your little fighter - keep me posted - I love a good revival story! K.
