Question
sick orchid
After years of no flowers, my phalaenopsis orchid has finally grown a spike with multiple flower buds on the end. But, today, I noticed that parts of the leaves are limp, withery and a bit different in color (darker green /yellowish brown). The two bottom leaves are about half affected, and parts of the other four leaves are as well, the parts closest to the stem and about half the length of each of the leaves. I think the spike may be discolored close to the stem. The plant was in a cool drafty area, and then was near a heater and then back in the cool area. It had also been recently watered with fertilizer and some water remained in the dish beneath the pot. What can I do? Please help!
AnswerThank you Karin for the picture. The plant has definitely been stressed and the leaves with damage may fall from the plant as a result. The good news is that you have healthy new root growth. Temperature changes can induce flower spike initiation so it is likely that is what happened. At this point, you can benefit the plant the most by repotting it using fresh orchid potting mix. Be sure to use a plastic pot slightly larger than the pot the plant is now in. The plastic pot should have lots of drainage holes in the bottom. Locate a source of fir bark based orchid potting mix and, when you are ready to repot, soak a portion of it while you unpot your plant. Rinse off the roots and remove any roots that are mushy as they are dead (healthy roots are firm and turn green when wet). Place the plant into the clean pot rotating the pot as you lower the roots so as to minimize root damage. Add potting mix and tap the sides of the pot to help distribute the mix among the roots. Try to get as many roots into the potting mix as possible. Be sure to keep the crown of the plant (ie where the leaves originate) slightly above the potting mix. Place the plant where it can drain over the next several hours and then move it to its growing location. This plant's normal temperature range is 60-85 degrees. The overall plant health seems fine but you may loose some of the affected leaves. Concentrate on growing new leaves and roots for now. Do not water for at least a week. Too much moisture at this time could cause fungal or bacteriaal infection of the damage leaves which could spread to the crown and kill the plant. You could locate a copper-based fungicide to spray on the plant to help prevent worsening of the condition. You could also remove a couple of the worst leaves by cutting them as close to the crown as possible. The plant seems mature enough to support flowering so I would stake the flower spike after repotting. Try to avoid allowing the pot to stand in any water so after watering always set the plant aside to drain for a nhour before setting it in a dish or tray. Always water or spray first thing in the morning so that plant tissues dry by nightfall-- a small fan could help the drying process. After the first week following repotting you may resume watering once per week.
