New Phalaenopsis with issues

[metucker]

Hey I have a Phalaenopsis that has some issues. Out of the four leaves, the bottom two are browning and starting to wrinkle in the green areas and the roots that are above the chips are brown and dry looking (basically dead looking). the upper two leaves look very healthy as do the blooms. So... what could the problem possibly be? I am planning on re-potting within the next day or so. If anyone has ANY suggestions, please o please let me know

[mayres]

Hi Missy! Welcome to the forum.
As a matter of fact, phalaenopsis orchids usually loose the bottom leaf or two every year. It is usually a slow process that takes a few weeks - slowly turning yellow and eventually falling off. This is normal. No panic. If any of the upper leaves do this and the bottom ones do not - then we have a problem. Among other things too much sunlight can do this. Air roots commonly have a brownish appearance when taken out of the greenhouse environment and placed in less humid places. If they are still plump they are probably still viable. If they are thin and papery they have wasted away from lack of water. Either way the roots of major concern are the ones deep inside the pot. Is your plant in bark or some other media and approximately how often are you watering? Over watering is one of the major reasons for loosing a phal. Taking the plant out and examining the root system is an excellent idea - it may or may not need new media depending on what type it is in now and how long it has been there. There are MANY options of media to use on phals and everyone seems to have their favorite that works for them. It is not a one size fits all proposition. mike

[fred]

metuker

hi and welcome to the forum
I hope that you enjoy your stay with all of us orchidgeeks
I have inclosed a link to the AOS culture sheets I hope they help
Feel free to ask any questions as we have all the knowledge here you will need with the awesome members and within the forum
happy chatting

[metucker]

Thank you so much! I just got them the other day, So... Im not sure how old they are, how long they have been in the medium, or when the last time they watered/fed them. Plus theyre just kindof in tacky plastic green house cups, so there isnt alot of room. I have a slightly larger (not too much) pot that has holes and I have fir bark to transfer them in.

[pikevi]

Welcome to the forum,metucker.

Thanks mayres: two of my Phals are showing the symptoms you described. All my Phals are outside. I will watch if these two have some 'extra' light falling on them through the screen and the grapevine.

[charleyismydog]

Hi and Welcome!

[mayres]

metucker - two things concerning your upcoming repot. You want to be careful not to overpot size-wize. Your best bet is to use the smallest pot you can easily get all the roots in. The "tacky" green plastic pots are excellent for orchids in that they are VERY cheap for growers to use and come in every imaginable size. For the home grower they work well too - you can place them inside a ceramic or otherwise decorative pot for aesthetic purposes if you like. If you are using bark be sure to soak the bark for 24-48 hours ahead of time to get some water into the bark for starters. You may need to soak the bark, pot, roots and all for a few weeks or months depending on how well the bark retains moisture from the start. Some bark does well from the beginning and other bark is real stubborn about starting to absorb and retain moisture. When you look over your plant prior to repotting cut off any mushy, dehydrated, or otherwise wasted away roots. Good luck - mike