Should I change Phalaenopsis Growth?

[nertel]

Hi! I bought a Large Phalaenopsis with several spikes blooming and staked last November. The flowers are gone now and I've cut off the old stems. At that time the plant was upright. Since then has gone crazy growing new leaves. Now it has 12 new leaves but instead of growing upright , it has grown down the side of the pot and will soon be lower than the pot itself. I know in the wild that the leaves grow so that water doesn't lay in them. My question is -what should I do now. Is there a way to make it grow up?
Should I be happy it seems healthy and let it do what it wants?
I don't know a specific type it is as it had no tag on it when I got it. Any ideas would be appreciated!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Any chance for a digital picture? Are you sure it is a Phalaenopsis? When leaves flop over in a direction I don't like, I will find something to do to get them held for a while in the proper position until they take a 'set'. Yours sounds like something stiff and upright for the plant to lean against would work. Poking a stake into the pot is something I like to avoid because you can transfer virus if the stake is not brand new and unhandled. I like to take a stiff wire and a needle-nose pliers and make 2 small circles at one end of the wire so that they act like a paper clip and slip this over the edge of the pot with the rest of the wire sticking straight up or bent a little to what ever angle I need. That way you do not poke anything into the pot, stabbing roots. Cynthia

[nertel]

I tried to upload the photo. It is named floppy phal. The instructions said I would get a code to put in thread but I didn't. Instead it said that it would be reviewed and posted but it didn't say how I could get it attached to this question. It is floating around out there somewhere.

[mayres]

Did you use the method described by Dave in his post concerning uploading? How To Upload Pictures and Post Them

It would sure help in discussing your situation. Personally I cannot imagine a phal with that many new leaves - in my experience they only get a few per year.

[desertgal]

My Phal's have never put out more than 2 leaves a year and only one at a time. The leaves are slow growing and grow directly out of the crown of the plant. The first picture is of a large phal that is in bloom now. Note that the bottom leaves are hanging down lower than the newer ones. The second picture is of some of my resting phals. You can see how the leaves grow from the top of the crown. All of the resting phals have bloomed once each for 2 years. It is possible that your plant was mislabeled or misidentified.

[jumbojimmy]

when a phal has more leaves does that mean there will be more spikes between the leaves growing out?

[desertgal]

My Phals have always spiked at the bottom of the plant regardless of how many leaves they have. Most have only one spike per blooming season. I have had some with 2 spikes and some that had branching spikes. Some of the new hybrids do put put out more spikes. There are many members out there with a lot more experience than I have, perhaps they will advise you.

[flaorchidfan]

what part of the country are you in. my phals here in central florida flop towards the sun. i have had fun every two to three days turning the plant around away from the sun. it is a little game me and the plant are playing. i only have one large new leaf to deal with right now though, sounds like you need something a little stronger. i would still try turning the pot now and then too.

[desertgal]

My Phals have always spiked at the bottom of the plant regardless of how many leaves they have. Most have only one spike per blooming season. I have had some with 2 spikes and some that had branching spikes. Some of the new hybrids do put put out more spikes. It is also common for Phals to lose a lower leaf occasionally as new ones grow. There are many members out there with a lot more experience than I have, perhaps they will advise you.

[jerrymeola]

I have mentioned this in many posts before but I guess it is time to say it again.

Phals in nature grow DOWN with the roots at the top and the leaves and flowers growing down from the branch onto which it is attached.



Your plant is doing its natural thing just perfect. It is un-natural to grow them in a pot (I am not suggesting that we stop using pots just understand the plant).

When they grow down the side of the leaf facing the sun (the bottom away from the sun in a pot) protects the plant from high light levels as this side is almost insensitive to light. The top of the leaf in a pot normally faces the ground and is extremely light sensitive since it is usually getting bounced light.

I grow my mounted Phals right next to my oncidiums outside but this light level would burn a potted Phal.

This is also why potted Phals have those air roots. The roots naturally grow up looking for the branch it expects above. Look at the air root in the photo and you see it going up. I rarely have mounted Phals grow roots down.

From your description you probably have two or more plants in the pot. This is becoming common in Florida nurseries.

The best way to have the plant look like it is growing leaves upward is to re-pot every year and rotate the root ball so the plant now looks like you want it. It is much less strain on the plant then trying to force it up by staking. Nurseries almost always re-pot Phals before shipping for sale to get the look with which you are familiar in a store.