Is there something wrong. My other orchid is in full bloo...
7
Hi. That's not an easy answer. Drying blooms would be normal, depending on how long it has already been in bloom/ whether you got it recently and it maybe experienced some transplantation shock or bad care in the shop etc.
Most phal hybrids can bloom for several months until they drop their blooms and start growing vegetatively, but that time can be significantly shortened by a bit of stress. And especially with new orchids is hard to know what they've experienced or how long they've already been in bloom before we even bought them. So: drying blooms? Not necessarily something to worry about.
*However*:
The condition of the leaves makes me pause. The state of phalaenopsis leaves is generally a way better/ more important parameter when we want to assess the plants overall health. And they do look like something is up with that plant. Usually they should be plump and firm and be able to extend outward/ slightly toward on their own.
If you indeed have bought it recently, it would explain their direction (weirdly upward and a bit twisted) since during transport, they are often forced up by their plastic packaging.
But even then they should be more plump and shouldn't have wrinkles, like your left upper leaf clearly does. Limp wrinkles leaves like that are a clear sign of dehydration.
Only sometimes (but not often) watering too little or to seldom is the cause of this much dehydration. Phals are very slow to show damage, so we are talking too little/ infrequent water uptake over a prolonged time. Since many people (including shop people without orchid knowlege) tend to over- rather than underwater them and often the medium the plants are in also is quite old already, the cause for dehydration can more often than not be found in damaged roots. Which is one thing I would first look at with this plant. Dehydration would also explain significantly shortened bloom time s well.
Phals are resilient. So even if it turns out to be a destroyed root system, a repot into fresh appropriate medium after trimming away the rotted roots, and watering according to the plants needs in the future should lead to a steady recovery.
Most phal hybrids can bloom for several months until they drop their blooms and start growing vegetatively, but that time can be significantly shortened by a bit of stress. And especially with new orchids is hard to know what they've experienced or how long they've already been in bloom before we even bought them. So: drying blooms? Not necessarily something to worry about.
*However*:
The condition of the leaves makes me pause. The state of phalaenopsis leaves is generally a way better/ more important parameter when we want to assess the plants overall health. And they do look like something is up with that plant. Usually they should be plump and firm and be able to extend outward/ slightly toward on their own.
If you indeed have bought it recently, it would explain their direction (weirdly upward and a bit twisted) since during transport, they are often forced up by their plastic packaging.
But even then they should be more plump and shouldn't have wrinkles, like your left upper leaf clearly does. Limp wrinkles leaves like that are a clear sign of dehydration.
Only sometimes (but not often) watering too little or to seldom is the cause of this much dehydration. Phals are very slow to show damage, so we are talking too little/ infrequent water uptake over a prolonged time. Since many people (including shop people without orchid knowlege) tend to over- rather than underwater them and often the medium the plants are in also is quite old already, the cause for dehydration can more often than not be found in damaged roots. Which is one thing I would first look at with this plant. Dehydration would also explain significantly shortened bloom time s well.
Phals are resilient. So even if it turns out to be a destroyed root system, a repot into fresh appropriate medium after trimming away the rotted roots, and watering according to the plants needs in the future should lead to a steady recovery.
Sadly: the bigger problem I see are the other leaves. If you can somehow carefully straighten the leaves and take better pictures of them, I or others in the orchid community here could give a better/ more confident assessment.
But usually the leaves should never yellow like that.
Though they can drop the bottom (at most, under stress, the two bottom most) leave(s), the way they've yellowed seems... off. If they yellow naturally, e.g. because they try to combat that dehydration, they would look like the plant withdrew all that energy first. Leading to a deep yellow, wrinkled look, yellowing from the tip towards the stem. From what I can make out, yours even look almost plump. The yellow seems to extend from the stem outward, which *never* is a good sign. And even with dehydration, losing two leaves almost simultaneously on an orchid the this size also isn't normal.
All of this makes me fear that dehydration isn't your only problem. If you can, try to gingerly touch the stem on the area those brighter leaves emerge and test if if still feels firm. Try to "encourage" the leaves to extend outwards to be able to check in those spaces whether there is any trapped humidity and help ventilation near the stem.
My fingers are crossed that I'm way off base here (which could well be, because it's hard to tell by the picture) because stem rot in all likelihood would be devastating.
For good measure, it could help to get more opinions. Maybe you could drop the #orchidlovers tag into your main post? You would need to edit it into your original post, so that the orchid people get it in their fyp. I'll also drop some of the tags that come to mind when talking orchids.
Good luck @MariansOasis @smushface @DreamMachine
But usually the leaves should never yellow like that.
Though they can drop the bottom (at most, under stress, the two bottom most) leave(s), the way they've yellowed seems... off. If they yellow naturally, e.g. because they try to combat that dehydration, they would look like the plant withdrew all that energy first. Leading to a deep yellow, wrinkled look, yellowing from the tip towards the stem. From what I can make out, yours even look almost plump. The yellow seems to extend from the stem outward, which *never* is a good sign. And even with dehydration, losing two leaves almost simultaneously on an orchid the this size also isn't normal.
All of this makes me fear that dehydration isn't your only problem. If you can, try to gingerly touch the stem on the area those brighter leaves emerge and test if if still feels firm. Try to "encourage" the leaves to extend outwards to be able to check in those spaces whether there is any trapped humidity and help ventilation near the stem.
My fingers are crossed that I'm way off base here (which could well be, because it's hard to tell by the picture) because stem rot in all likelihood would be devastating.
For good measure, it could help to get more opinions. Maybe you could drop the #orchidlovers tag into your main post? You would need to edit it into your original post, so that the orchid people get it in their fyp. I'll also drop some of the tags that come to mind when talking orchids.
Good luck @MariansOasis @smushface @DreamMachine
@MusicalRedmint I think you’ve covered all that I’d say 👍. The yellowing leaves are a bit of concern probably due to stress and they’ll eventually get limp and yellow enough to gently pull off. Some people pull them off knowing they’re not going to survive but I hate to open the plant up to bacteria etc so I like to wait until it’s naturally shedding them. But if it’s indeed yellowing from stem out well like you said that could be a different issue. At this point I’d definitely do what I can to save it starting with cutting off the flower stems to direct energy towards healing and examine the roots and medium. Now a days a lot depends on how invested I am in a plant. Years ago I would have gone to any lengths to save a plant. Now, especially with Phalaenopsis orchids, they’re not expensive, you can get them ANYWHERE 🤪 so give it a go and if it’s making life messier trying to save a $10 plant, I say buy a new one and enjoy!!🌸
@SteadyUrnplant @MusicalRedmint @MariansOasis I think everything that I would say has been well covered.
If, after you have checked the roots, removed any rot and are looking for a good way to help your phal recover, I have been loving the very classy damp moss or perlite in a large ziplock bag method. Humidity can be kept high in their own little bubble. 🫧 🌿
If, after you have checked the roots, removed any rot and are looking for a good way to help your phal recover, I have been loving the very classy damp moss or perlite in a large ziplock bag method. Humidity can be kept high in their own little bubble. 🫧 🌿
First reaction: “oh, she sad”
It is concerning that the wrinkled leaf is a top leaf, though the bottom leaves look more plump. Color (pale) on the bottom leaves is also very concerning… how long have you had this plant, and were they always that way?
I would remove the stakes and let the plant spread out so the leaves aren’t being shoved up vertically like that. Make sure your plant is positioned so the tops of the leaves are in the general direction of its light source (looks like the opposite). Keep the flower spikes, if it needs to end its bloom cycle to recover it will start draining the nutrients from the spike (and you should let it, the leaves and spikes are full of nutrients it spent a long time storing up, and it wants to reuse them)
I would also be concerned about it having crown rot (even if it’s cannibalizing leaves to sustain blooms, it wouldn’t do it from 2 leaves at once) or root rot, so I would pull it from the pot and give it a sniff and a closer inspection in general.
Another possibility here that the light from the light source behind it is SO BRIGHT that it’s skipping from sunburn straight to the destruction of its chlorophyll and just bleaching out part of the leaves in that one area… and the top leaf on the left and the blooms got hit with enough light and heat to wither but not bleach out. Is there anything either reflective or decorative glass near your window that might be shining concentrated sunbeams on it, or is that half of the table getting direct summer sun for part of the day? If so, consider moving it to somewhere with more indirect light, or try putting up a gauzy curtain to filter the light’s intensity without darkening the room. If there’s no rot happening, my money is on this. The wrinkled leaf will never fully recover, but you should still leave it on for as long as the plant wants to keep it.
Also, fertilize if you haven’t done so recently since, again, she sad.
It is concerning that the wrinkled leaf is a top leaf, though the bottom leaves look more plump. Color (pale) on the bottom leaves is also very concerning… how long have you had this plant, and were they always that way?
I would remove the stakes and let the plant spread out so the leaves aren’t being shoved up vertically like that. Make sure your plant is positioned so the tops of the leaves are in the general direction of its light source (looks like the opposite). Keep the flower spikes, if it needs to end its bloom cycle to recover it will start draining the nutrients from the spike (and you should let it, the leaves and spikes are full of nutrients it spent a long time storing up, and it wants to reuse them)
I would also be concerned about it having crown rot (even if it’s cannibalizing leaves to sustain blooms, it wouldn’t do it from 2 leaves at once) or root rot, so I would pull it from the pot and give it a sniff and a closer inspection in general.
Another possibility here that the light from the light source behind it is SO BRIGHT that it’s skipping from sunburn straight to the destruction of its chlorophyll and just bleaching out part of the leaves in that one area… and the top leaf on the left and the blooms got hit with enough light and heat to wither but not bleach out. Is there anything either reflective or decorative glass near your window that might be shining concentrated sunbeams on it, or is that half of the table getting direct summer sun for part of the day? If so, consider moving it to somewhere with more indirect light, or try putting up a gauzy curtain to filter the light’s intensity without darkening the room. If there’s no rot happening, my money is on this. The wrinkled leaf will never fully recover, but you should still leave it on for as long as the plant wants to keep it.
Also, fertilize if you haven’t done so recently since, again, she sad.
@MusicalRedmint my theory evolved as I wrote my haphazard comment, but at the end after zooming in on the photo a few times I landed on my prominent theory being it could be getting hit with direct or concentrated sun at the bottom part, like maybe the sun hits half the table and it blasts it hard enough to bleach out the bottom part of those leaves (they probably have the greatest humidity exposure from their proximity to the bark as well and that could be why they’re still plump but the chlorophyll is destroyed), and the left part of the plant is being hit with the reflected heat/light from the table that is strong enough to wither the top leaf and blooms but not strong enough to bleach since it’s indirect
@smushface
Love your first reaction 😅 had the same after dealing with my first knee-jerk "okay, let's respond to another 'blooms are drying' post" reaction.
I know what you mean about the light and about adjusting theories while already writing, I had the same issue - there is ac lot going on with this one. She indeed be sad.
I also had the "hmm, maybe light" thought. But then I thought a) if it is indeed rot, that would be the a more immediate problem to address.
And then, when I took another look I wasn't so sure it could be light, after all. The color would fit the theory, yes, especially for the right one. But with the pink center, I feel the plant might have enough athocyanins to at least have a hint of red on the underside of the leaves when it has received enough sun to turn this pale. And I don't think I've seen this much yellowing on a stem from light alone.
What's more, the left bottom most leaf is too covered from above. I just don't see how it could turn this yellow without the leaves above it also receiving a lot of light a well. And, like you pointed out, the top leaves are wrinkled. I agree that that is in and v of itself highly unusual while the lower leaves are still plump. And any sun/heat damage that would turn that left leaf this pale would have devastated those dehydrated leaves above it, imo.
I like the humidity from the out idea generally, I'm not so sure about it here. For one, wouldn't the orchid even in that case still distribute the water throughout the plant in a normal way if nothing else was the issue? Humidity chambers work well on orchids because they can use that water so effectively. Not just to tamp down on hydrationloss but because the leaves can utilize the surrounding humidity, i.e. distribute it. Furthermore, even if that weren't the case, wouldn't the humidity from the pot (since it isn't trapped in this case) quickly disperse all around? I just feel that the humidity difference between the general surroundings and the area directly above the substrate would have to be immense to account for that much of a difference in a high light situation.
All of that is just spit-balling and theorizing of course, but it led my own gut feeling away from light as the issue here.
And in that case, I just don't understand why the top leaves would show signs of too little water, and the bottom would stay plump and get this much dechlorination solely from high light. The more I look at it, the more I think that maybe the stem could be damaged in the middle. The progression of damage would fit: let's say a slower form of rot got into the stem somewhere near the top, that did enough damage there to have separated the plant and cut off (or at least restricted) the water supply from the roots to the upper part. That way, the lower leaves could still stay hydrated while the upper leaves would wrinkle earlier. and when the rot then spreads downward, it could affect the lower leaves. it even looks like maybe a leaf has already dropped on the left side between the yellow and the green one? (Might be confirmation bias on my part combined with a trick of the perspective played on my eyes, though. Not sure on that one. But: if it indeed is missing a leaf there, that would fit that theory as well.) So: the prison could fit and - if it is indeed a new orchid, that would fit a likely reason how it might have gotten infected in the first place. If the leaves are forced upwards like that because of the plastic packaging, rot like that is a common problem (I hate those wrappers!). They are sold with leaves forced upright, the packing function basically like a plastic funnel that sends any water directly down towards the stem, trapping it in the spaces between the leaves. In high humidity with no escape. Add to that possibly very old medium, wrong temperatures and lots of different spores and bacteria present in grocery stores/ flower shops, as well as the fact that store personnel often tend to overwater and mostly top-water carelessly without knowing they need to be careful with those wrappers, etc and you create the perfect storm for this situation. 😡
But again and as so often recently: without further information, my guess is as good as yours here.
I think it's a tricky one. In diagnosis, but also regarding advice. For example, I also agree with your advice regarding the spikes, no matter the cause. In many other cases, I would cut them, just like @MariansOasis suggested. But since in this case most blooms have already faded anyway, maybe it's better to leave them up, for now at least, in case it can reuse the energy. Just like I agree that the leaves should be left to drop on their own like Marian said. Even if i think it might be rot, I would wait for confirmation of that to avoid creating more damage.
@SteadyUrnplant: for now my fingers remain crossed. Maybe you can keep us updated? Or supply more information? I hope that Aly's light theory proves to be the correct one. It's far less difficult to fix and the plant would recover easily afterward. And if it isn't, just keep in mind that the damage here might have not even have been caused by you. I think Aly's advice to spread out the leaves and look for possible reflecting surfaces would be great no matter what. You always want to have good ventilation and avoid setups that could trap water near the stem anyway and want to be aware of possible lighting problems in any case - whatever the cause here - since it all helps to prevent future rot or heat/sunburn problems.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your orchids.
Love your first reaction 😅 had the same after dealing with my first knee-jerk "okay, let's respond to another 'blooms are drying' post" reaction.
I know what you mean about the light and about adjusting theories while already writing, I had the same issue - there is ac lot going on with this one. She indeed be sad.
I also had the "hmm, maybe light" thought. But then I thought a) if it is indeed rot, that would be the a more immediate problem to address.
And then, when I took another look I wasn't so sure it could be light, after all. The color would fit the theory, yes, especially for the right one. But with the pink center, I feel the plant might have enough athocyanins to at least have a hint of red on the underside of the leaves when it has received enough sun to turn this pale. And I don't think I've seen this much yellowing on a stem from light alone.
What's more, the left bottom most leaf is too covered from above. I just don't see how it could turn this yellow without the leaves above it also receiving a lot of light a well. And, like you pointed out, the top leaves are wrinkled. I agree that that is in and v of itself highly unusual while the lower leaves are still plump. And any sun/heat damage that would turn that left leaf this pale would have devastated those dehydrated leaves above it, imo.
I like the humidity from the out idea generally, I'm not so sure about it here. For one, wouldn't the orchid even in that case still distribute the water throughout the plant in a normal way if nothing else was the issue? Humidity chambers work well on orchids because they can use that water so effectively. Not just to tamp down on hydrationloss but because the leaves can utilize the surrounding humidity, i.e. distribute it. Furthermore, even if that weren't the case, wouldn't the humidity from the pot (since it isn't trapped in this case) quickly disperse all around? I just feel that the humidity difference between the general surroundings and the area directly above the substrate would have to be immense to account for that much of a difference in a high light situation.
All of that is just spit-balling and theorizing of course, but it led my own gut feeling away from light as the issue here.
And in that case, I just don't understand why the top leaves would show signs of too little water, and the bottom would stay plump and get this much dechlorination solely from high light. The more I look at it, the more I think that maybe the stem could be damaged in the middle. The progression of damage would fit: let's say a slower form of rot got into the stem somewhere near the top, that did enough damage there to have separated the plant and cut off (or at least restricted) the water supply from the roots to the upper part. That way, the lower leaves could still stay hydrated while the upper leaves would wrinkle earlier. and when the rot then spreads downward, it could affect the lower leaves. it even looks like maybe a leaf has already dropped on the left side between the yellow and the green one? (Might be confirmation bias on my part combined with a trick of the perspective played on my eyes, though. Not sure on that one. But: if it indeed is missing a leaf there, that would fit that theory as well.) So: the prison could fit and - if it is indeed a new orchid, that would fit a likely reason how it might have gotten infected in the first place. If the leaves are forced upwards like that because of the plastic packaging, rot like that is a common problem (I hate those wrappers!). They are sold with leaves forced upright, the packing function basically like a plastic funnel that sends any water directly down towards the stem, trapping it in the spaces between the leaves. In high humidity with no escape. Add to that possibly very old medium, wrong temperatures and lots of different spores and bacteria present in grocery stores/ flower shops, as well as the fact that store personnel often tend to overwater and mostly top-water carelessly without knowing they need to be careful with those wrappers, etc and you create the perfect storm for this situation. 😡
But again and as so often recently: without further information, my guess is as good as yours here.
I think it's a tricky one. In diagnosis, but also regarding advice. For example, I also agree with your advice regarding the spikes, no matter the cause. In many other cases, I would cut them, just like @MariansOasis suggested. But since in this case most blooms have already faded anyway, maybe it's better to leave them up, for now at least, in case it can reuse the energy. Just like I agree that the leaves should be left to drop on their own like Marian said. Even if i think it might be rot, I would wait for confirmation of that to avoid creating more damage.
@SteadyUrnplant: for now my fingers remain crossed. Maybe you can keep us updated? Or supply more information? I hope that Aly's light theory proves to be the correct one. It's far less difficult to fix and the plant would recover easily afterward. And if it isn't, just keep in mind that the damage here might have not even have been caused by you. I think Aly's advice to spread out the leaves and look for possible reflecting surfaces would be great no matter what. You always want to have good ventilation and avoid setups that could trap water near the stem anyway and want to be aware of possible lighting problems in any case - whatever the cause here - since it all helps to prevent future rot or heat/sunburn problems.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your orchids.