Phal leaves unsymmetrical at the tips...normal?

[loviek]

We went to the Lowes store not too long ago just to look at the orchids and I noticed that just about every one of them had unsymmetrical leaves. It was like one side of the leaf slightly bowed outward near the tip of the leaf. Is this a sign of pests or root problems? The leaves were nice and green, no flaws that I could see and the plants were in bloom...I wasn't able to look at the roots though. Just curious to know if this is typical of phals.

TIA!

[mehitabel]

The leaf on one side is likely to be larger than the other, because in a healthy phal, a new leaf comes in bigger than the one before.

"leaf slightly bowed outward near the tip"-- not sure what this means, but I don't think it means anything. Depending on ancestry, some phals grow with leaves that are kind of V shaped, while others grow with leaves that are shaped like inverted U.

Also, leaves can be shaped to a certain extent by being kept in a particular position while they mature. I have occasionally bought phals from Hawaiian growers with leaves and aerial roots encased in a soft, narrow sleeve and pointing straight up. They obviously used the sleeves to save bench space.

If there's something wrong, the leaves will look unhealthy.

[loviek]

I guess a picture would help, sorry I'm not sure how to describe it. They kinda looked like the plant on the second row on the right in the auction picture here: Baldans/Carmelas Phalaenopsis Phal Orchid Lot-5 Orchids - eBay (item 220502089495 end time Nov-04-09 12:10:00 PST)

The leaf is deformed, it's shorter on one side and curves inward slightly...?

[mehitabel]

I don't know why that happens. I wouldn't worry about it if the new leaves come in normal.

That said, don't buy a plant if you think it isn't healthy. That's just paying good money for grief.

[janet_a]

gonna go out on a limb here and say it's phototroping. if the plant's not rotated often enough, the sides of the leaves closest to the light will grow faster.

maybe.

[kmarch]

I don't think I've ever seen an orchid with symmetrical leaves. There's almost always some characteristic whether normal or not that makes them off at least a little. I'd probably pay more attention to the other characteristics of a good healthy plant. I can't agree enthusiastically enough with mehitabel on the healthy plant point. If, for any reason, you suspect a plant is not healthy, avoid, avoid, avoid.