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Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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Posted by anya_marie (My Page) on Thu, Nov 12, 09 at 20:02
| I have had my phalaenopsis for over a year. It has been a very health plant, with new root shoots and leaves quite often (only bloom I saw was when I bought). Recently I noticed a leaf turned completely yellow literally overnight. I decided to repot, to see if the medium was too wet. Today, a week later, I have 4 more deep yellow leaves and 2 more green leaves left on the plant. These leaves are going fully yellow by the day. Please help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| How were the roots when you repotted? You need to give more info--light, temps, watering. What zone are you in? Come back with more info. Jane |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| Hello Jane. Thanks for the follow-up. The leaves were plump, but browning. I live in the tropics where the temperatures are typically between 85-95 degrees farenheit during the days and approximately 75-85 degrees at nights. I have them under a shaded patio, where it just receives light (no direct sun light). I water every other day. The plant seems almost dead now, with 1 standing green leaf and 1 completely yellow. The others have fallen off completely. The standing green leaf has a rippled effect and another phal under the same conditions have started with the same problem. (Please note that there were no changes whatsoever in watering, light, temp, etc. since they were in this position, which is over a year). |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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First off you should change your potting mix. What are you using? Because you are watering heavily during the week use either straight medium grade fir bark or coconut chunks. Also check your water. It should be rain water or reverse osmosis water, not tap water or conditioned water. Even well water may not be suitable.
Do you track your weather conditions? If there were any sudden temporary changes in air temperatures that would cause a chilling of the plants this kind of condition could occur within a day or two of its occurrence. Also the other major condition would be root loss due to soil mix breakdown. If you have other phallys check the soil mix to see if it has deteriorated.
If your conditions are so stable you may want to consider growing the phallys in baskets that hang from your patio rafters. Use a bark and moss mixture. Water heavy once a week but spray mist daily when your local humidity drops below 70%. Check one of the weather web sites to find out the conditions for your location. |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| There are SO many "issues" in terrestrial man's post! I chose the easiest one. "Also check your water. It should be rain water or reverse osmosis water, not tap water" Maybe, the tap water where terrestrial man grows orchids is not "suitable" for orchids. Don't ass-u-me that is the case everywhere. My tap water has been suitably growing flowering orchids for over 30 years. --Stitz-- |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| Did any water get into the crown of the plants? You don't say what order the leaves dropped, from the oldest to newest or vice versa. |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| I can't recall water getting into the crown, but the leaves started to yellow from the oldest (last at the bottom of the plant, to the newest (leaves at top). This yellowing all occurred within a matter of 2 weeks (the plant had about 8 leaves) and they all yellowed and dropped within that 2 week period. The plant remains standing with 1 single green leaf. I use coal chunks & orchid potting mix (the ones sold fro home depot in the bags) for the medium. I don't think the water is the problem, for its the same water I'e been using over the years. I am a major orchid lover, but don't seem to be doing well with any. I need an "orchid doctor" urgently :) |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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I REPEAT:
First off you should change your potting mix. What are you using? Because you are watering heavily during the week use either straight medium grade fir bark or coconut chunks. Also check your water. It should be rain water or reverse osmosis water, not tap water or conditioned water. Even well water may not be suitable.
Do you track your weather conditions? If there were any sudden temporary changes in air temperatures that would cause a chilling of the plants this kind of condition could occur within a day or two of its occurrence. Also the other major condition would be root loss due to soil mix breakdown. If you have other phallys check the soil mix to see if it has deteriorated.
If your conditions are so stable you may want to consider growing the phallys in baskets that hang from your patio rafters. Use a bark and moss mixture. Water heavy once a week but spray mist daily when your local humidity drops below 70%. Check one of the weather web sites to find out the conditions for your location.
IF IN DOUBT CHECK THE LINK BELOW FOR A PROFESSIONAL GROWER'S ADVICE. If you are having probelms overall with your culture you need to begin changing your culture. The first step should be the mix you use, then the environment the plant is in, and then water conditions. NOT ALL WATER IS CREATED EQUAL!! |
Here is a link that might be useful: HOW TO GROW
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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| Really? Must not use tap water? Don't tell my orchids that! They have living, growning and blooming on NYC tap water for years. |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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smwboxer,
Amazing. We're 200+ miles apart! It's wonderful to have excellent quality tap water. :) I enjoy mine every day! --Stitz-- |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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It's obvious you are overwatering. Let the plant dry out.
When you think its dry, wait 3 more days. Then slowly reintroduce water over a 10 day period, with a very weak solution of high nitrogen fertilizer. Once the leaves are
greened up or you notice new growth the plant has restabilized. Then switch to a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10)
at 1/4 t0 1/2 recommended mixture and water every ten days.
Phals also like to sit on some wet pebbles. Y/w. |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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Some people are lucky.
For hard water areas one method to counter salt accumulation is to flush out the salts by very heavy watering at least once a week. Even this practice is not that great if the mix is deteriorating as the smaller particles can bind to salts. A telltale sign is a crusty appearance around the drain holes in your pots. If you see it then check the mix or try using reverse osmosis water or rain water instead. |
RE: Yelloiwng leaves of Phalaenopsis
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Hello all,
I must differ with terr. man on the water thing. She has
been watering heavy (every other day) for a year. There is no evidence of fertilization, and no mention of an amount that would result in the amount of salts build-up that you speak of. The shorter, cloudy days of her winter environment
has resulted in an over-watered condition. Combine that
with the shock of repotting, and lack of light and you get
a plant in acute dormancy with waterlogged, lower yellowing leaves. These are orchid basics. |
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