Phal Turning Blue!!

[theorist]

Oh no!! First this had happened back in September and I asked about it: buds falling off and now this morning when I woke up I saw the petals of one of my Phals turning blue at the edges! (and no, I haven't been putting dye in the water.) The other flower is dying too and they only bloomed in September! All the other flowers died off and I thought they just ran their course but untrue!! Now my babies are dying =( HELP! WHAT'S WRONG!!

The photos don't do justice as to how blue it actually is. Trust me, it's definitely blue.

[jbigio]

Hi it's hard to tell from the pictures but I would guess that the flowers have run their course. You said you lost buds, was the plant a new addition and if so the change in environment (humidity water quality and light) could be responsible for what’s referred to as bud blast. It would be helpful if you posted pictures of the leaves and the potting mix you use as well. If the leaves are firm and the plant is not being over watered (something we all do at one time or another) you should be fine. I have what looks like the same plant and mine has re-bloomed more then once when I cut the spike above one of the lower nodes. I look for the fates one and cut the spike. Hope this helped.
Joe

[brookn]

I agree with joe, looks like it has run it's course. The blue, that is confusing, could it be the fertilizer that you are using? I know that some of them have dye in them.

[theorist]

i'm not using fertilizer either, and if you want to see more pictures, it's in the other thread.. i'm pretty sure the blooms haven't run their course--not the new ones because they're still new--less than a month old! phals have blooms that last 2-4 months! and it can't be overwatered because i'm using the skewer method.

quick! help! my youngest baby bloom is closing up but not scrunching up--it needs to be saved!

[morphiii]

Originally Posted by theorist

i'm not using fertilizer either, and if you want to see more pictures, it's in the other thread.. i'm pretty sure the blooms haven't run their course--not the new ones because they're still new--less than a month old! phals have blooms that last 2-4 months! and it can't be overwatered because i'm using the skewer method.

quick! help! my youngest baby bloom is closing up but not scrunching up--it needs to be saved!

Take the plant out and check the roots. You would be surprised at the conditions of the roots even when you didn't overwater.

[PhalPal]

theorist - Your blooms have run their course and are fading naturally. Most phals are just NOW coming into season and yours was most likely 'forced' to bloom out of cycle by the grower. Forced blooms never last as long and if your orchid was stressed at one time (back in Sept) the buds that remained will not last as long. Flowers often change color throughout their short life and it is nothing to worry about. Wait until all the blooms fade and cut off the spike near the bottom.

Another note, once a flower or bud starts to fail, there is no saving it. Period. If you have never checked the roots, now is a good time.