I have a small phalaneopsis that I received as a gift about a year ago. It
bloomed nicely on a single flower spike last winter, and just before the
holidays, the spike branched in two places and produced some new flower
buds. However, the leaves are not looking very healthy ... they look
shriveled and are very limp. Also, the tip of the flower spike is shriveling
a little as well. I water it regularly (daily in the dry winter environment
of my house), and it sits on a dish of gravel and water, so it's getting
decent humidity.

I had to repot the plant in the late fall, because the pot it was in broke.
There were a number of dead roots, which I trimmed away; there weren't a lot
of new green healthy roots, but it seemed like there were enough to support
the plant. I repotted it using a mix of fir bark and charcoal.

Any thoughts on what the source of the problem might be? I wondered whether
the new potting mix is TOO porous, and not enough moisture is being retained
for the rather underdeveloped root system?

Any suggestions would be welcome ...

My guess is too much water (=dead roots) and not enough humidity + dead
roots is causing the shriveling.

"Allan Risk" wrote in message
...
I have a small phalaneopsis that I received as a gift about a year ago. It
bloomed nicely on a single flower spike last winter, and just before the
holidays, the spike branched in two places and produced some new flower
buds. However, the leaves are not looking very healthy ... they look
shriveled and are very limp. Also, the tip of the flower spike is
shriveling
a little as well. I water it regularly (daily in the dry winter
environment
of my house), and it sits on a dish of gravel and water, so it's getting
decent humidity.

I had to repot the plant in the late fall, because the pot it was in
broke.
There were a number of dead roots, which I trimmed away; there weren't a
lot
of new green healthy roots, but it seemed like there were enough to
support
the plant. I repotted it using a mix of fir bark and charcoal.

Any thoughts on what the source of the problem might be? I wondered
whether
the new potting mix is TOO porous, and not enough moisture is being
retained
for the rather underdeveloped root system?

Any suggestions would be welcome ...

"Allan Risk" writes:
a little as well. I water it regularly (daily in the dry winter environment
of my house), and it sits on a dish of gravel and water, so it's getting

*Daily*?

I water all my orchids once every 7 days in winter.

Geir

Hmm ... I guess that's possible. ... though the potting mix I am using seems
to be extremely porous, and didn't seem to be retaining much moisture.
That's why I was watering more frequently. I'll take the plant out of the
pot and check out the roots.

BTW, to help the plant recover, do you think I should cut the existing
flower spike off? I wonder whether the plant is trying to put our more
energy to flower than it can really handle with it's compromised root
system.


"Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message
news:4Sj%9.136111$Ve4.9263@sccrnsc03...
My guess is too much water (=dead roots) and not enough humidity + dead
roots is causing the shriveling.

"Allan Risk" wrote in message
...
I have a small phalaneopsis that I received as a gift about a year ago.
It
bloomed nicely on a single flower spike last winter, and just before the
holidays, the spike branched in two places and produced some new flower
buds. However, the leaves are not looking very healthy ... they look
shriveled and are very limp. Also, the tip of the flower spike is
shriveling
a little as well. I water it regularly (daily in the dry winter
environment
of my house), and it sits on a dish of gravel and water, so it's getting
decent humidity.

I had to repot the plant in the late fall, because the pot it was in
broke.
There were a number of dead roots, which I trimmed away; there weren't a
lot
of new green healthy roots, but it seemed like there were enough to
support
the plant. I repotted it using a mix of fir bark and charcoal.

Any thoughts on what the source of the problem might be? I wondered
whether
the new potting mix is TOO porous, and not enough moisture is being
retained
for the rather underdeveloped root system?

Any suggestions would be welcome ...

On Mon, 3 Feb 2003 08:10:30 -0500, "Allan Risk"
wrote:

Hmm ... I guess that's possible. ... though the potting mix I am using seems
to be extremely porous, and didn't seem to be retaining much moisture.
That's why I was watering more frequently. I'll take the plant out of the
pot and check out the roots.

BTW, to help the plant recover, do you think I should cut the existing
flower spike off? I wonder whether the plant is trying to put our more
energy to flower than it can really handle with it's compromised root
system.


"Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message
news:4Sj%9.136111$Ve4.9263@sccrnsc03...
My guess is too much water (=dead roots) and not enough humidity + dead
roots is causing the shriveling.

Allan -
If the house is dry, mist the plant. Watering causes the mix to
hold water and can cause the roots to rot. If your leaves are
wilting, sacrifice today's flowers for tomorrow's. Cut the
spike. Cut the daily water back to 1-2 times a week, dry is
better than wet mix.
If it is terribly dry in the area:
Put in a humidifier.
Mist every time you enter the room.
Put a large collection of plants together in one location of
the room.
Put an aquarium air stone in a pot of water and pump air thru
it to create a mist effect.
Put a plastic bag over the plant to keep the humidity up around
it.
Any or all of the above will help raise humidity. The higher the
humidity the less water the plant will loose to the dry air and
the less the roots have to provide to the plant.

When you water make sure the surface roots, those out in the air,
turn green. If they are still silver and your done watering, you
have not applied enough water in the proper locations.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

what she (Susan) said

I'd only add to be careful not to mist too late in the day. You want the
leaves and especially the crown where the new leaves come put to be
completely dry before it starts cooling down in the evening otherwise you
risk crown rot.

I do agree that I think the problem is low humidity w/ unhappy roots.

"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Feb 2003 08:10:30 -0500, "Allan Risk"
wrote:

Hmm ... I guess that's possible. ... though the potting mix I am using
seems
to be extremely porous, and didn't seem to be retaining much moisture.
That's why I was watering more frequently. I'll take the plant out of the
pot and check out the roots.

BTW, to help the plant recover, do you think I should cut the existing
flower spike off? I wonder whether the plant is trying to put our more
energy to flower than it can really handle with it's compromised root
system.


"Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message
news:4Sj%9.136111$Ve4.9263@sccrnsc03...
My guess is too much water (=dead roots) and not enough humidity + dead
roots is causing the shriveling.

Allan -
If the house is dry, mist the plant. Watering causes the mix to
hold water and can cause the roots to rot. If your leaves are
wilting, sacrifice today's flowers for tomorrow's. Cut the
spike. Cut the daily water back to 1-2 times a week, dry is
better than wet mix.
If it is terribly dry in the area:
Put in a humidifier.
Mist every time you enter the room.
Put a large collection of plants together in one location of
the room.
Put an aquarium air stone in a pot of water and pump air thru
it to create a mist effect.
Put a plastic bag over the plant to keep the humidity up around
it.
Any or all of the above will help raise humidity. The higher the
humidity the less water the plant will loose to the dry air and
the less the roots have to provide to the plant.

When you water make sure the surface roots, those out in the air,
turn green. If they are still silver and your done watering, you
have not applied enough water in the proper locations.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Phals seem to do better inside the house. Raise the humidity with a
tray beneath the plant or grow in a bathroom.

Crown rot is a major problem in a greenhouse. After experimenting with
phals in my greenhouse for some years, I have found a low-light (phals
were getting too much sunlight from the sides) on the greenhouse floor.
Phals seem to be doing well.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System
http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html -- the best of the databases and
ideal for Valentine's Day

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry Hoffmeister wrote:

what she (Susan) said

I'd only add to be careful not to mist too late in the day. You want the
leaves and especially the crown where the new leaves come put to be
completely dry before it starts cooling down in the evening otherwise you
risk crown rot.

I do agree that I think the problem is low humidity w/ unhappy roots.

"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Feb 2003 08:10:30 -0500, "Allan Risk"
wrote:

Hmm ... I guess that's possible. ... though the potting mix I am using
seems
to be extremely porous, and didn't seem to be retaining much moisture.
That's why I was watering more frequently. I'll take the plant out of the
pot and check out the roots.

BTW, to help the plant recover, do you think I should cut the existing
flower spike off? I wonder whether the plant is trying to put our more
energy to flower than it can really handle with it's compromised root
system.


"Jerry Hoffmeister" wrote in message
news:4Sj%9.136111$Ve4.9263@sccrnsc03...
My guess is too much water (=dead roots) and not enough humidity + dead
roots is causing the shriveling.

Allan -
If the house is dry, mist the plant. Watering causes the mix to
hold water and can cause the roots to rot. If your leaves are
wilting, sacrifice today's flowers for tomorrow's. Cut the
spike. Cut the daily water back to 1-2 times a week, dry is
better than wet mix.
If it is terribly dry in the area:
Put in a humidifier.
Mist every time you enter the room.
Put a large collection of plants together in one location of
the room.
Put an aquarium air stone in a pot of water and pump air thru
it to create a mist effect.
Put a plastic bag over the plant to keep the humidity up around
it.
Any or all of the above will help raise humidity. The higher the
humidity the less water the plant will loose to the dry air and
the less the roots have to provide to the plant.

When you water make sure the surface roots, those out in the air,
turn green. If they are still silver and your done watering, you
have not applied enough water in the proper locations.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php