My Phal is drying...

[Black_Jasmine]

Hi! It looks like that my Phals are drying out... I try to water them more, but the result was awful: one died because of too much water. The leaves are wrinkled and yellowish. What to do? Thanks!

[catasetum-ian]

what media are they in? might need to re pot it.
i usually treat problematic phals by tying them to fern roots, then lace down several strings of sphag moss but not too much, treat with fungicide after getting all the diseases roots trimmed off then water them freely. keep away from direct sun during this period until you see active foot growing. first sign of the phal is hydrating back is the firmness of the leaves is back. sometimes i trimmed about 2/3 of the leaves away if amount of roots left is too little, to reduce transpiration.
lately i had been experimenting with a problematic phal. schilleriana that i had, and it turn out fine.
i removed the plastic during the night time once every alternate night (for aeration of the leaves and during night time transpiration is minimal). CARE NOT TO DISTURB THE ROOTS WHILE REMOVING THE PLASTIC BAG
there is a lot of different methods u can use, perhaps some other forum members will chime in. the one i describe on above is just my new experiment. hope your phal make it, it is often rewarding to rescue one.

[Emma Grey]

Hi Black Jasmine,

It looks to me like that leaf on your plant is yellowing. Is it? If it is, did the yellow start at the tip of the leaf or from the center?

If it were my plant, I would take it out of the pot to check the roots. Trim any bad roots and put the plant into a pot that just fits the remaining roots. Then fill it in with whatever medium you choose and give it a good drink.

I like to use plastic pots because it's easy to tell when to water. I water a plant when I don't see any condensation on the inside of the pot. This can be anywhere from every other day to every week depending on the size of the pot, temperature, humidity, etc.

[Leafmite]

The goal of growing any plant successfully is trying to give the plant conditions similar to those where the plants grow wild. In the wild, phals grow on trees, roots bare to the humid air. We can't usually provide this humid air in the home so we use a medium to keep humidity around the roots. However, if the medium stays wet, the roots rot. Without roots, the phal can't get enough water and the leaves droop. So, I would take the phal out of the pot and check the roots. If they are firm and green/white, they are healthy. If they aren't firm, they have rotted.
I grow all my phals in lava rock (most of my other orchids, too) because it delivers the humidity without rotting the roots. Catasetum-Ian has some good advice on rescuing your phal. Good luck!
Leafmite

[Black_Jasmine]

Originally Posted by Emma Grey

Hi Black Jasmine,

It looks to me like that leaf on your plant is yellowing. Is it? If it is, did the yellow start at the tip of the leaf or from the center?

at the tip

[Black_Jasmine]

Originally Posted by catasetum-ian

what media are they in?

the same mix for orchid as I have bought it

[orchids4me]

Un pot it and check the roots. Most problems with leaves usually are due to root rot or root loss so.. Check your roots....