Hi there! I got a small phal a couple of months ago as a gift, it has been in bloom since I got it, but yesterday a small bottom leaf fell off of the plant and I am concerned about its appearance. The orchid is in sphagnum moss which is keeping it much wetter than I’d like, but I’m afraid to repot it while it’s in bloom! Any advice? Thanks so much!
It’s not uncommon for plants to drop a leaf when moving into a new environment, especially if it’s lower light than what it’s use too. Typically those leaves yellow before dropping. I do find sphagnum difficult to manage moisture. What do the roots look like? Firm or papery/mushy? If they are dying back, then it will be difficult for the plant to take up moisture. And the leaf in the photo looks dehydrated. If other leaves are looking dehydrated, I would guess root loss. Repotting would be the best bet for the long term health of the plant.
2 likesHi there, thanks for weighing in. My concern stemmed from the abnormal look of this leaf (ie not yellow) before dropping, and the plant has been in this same spot for nearly 3 months now (is that still within the window of adjusting to a new location?). I still see several firm and green roots on the plant and the other leaves look healthy to me (aside from a tear in one of them that happened before we got it)!
0 likesA couple green roots (which feel firm) in addition to some dead ones visible in the photo, if you can tell! I know the glare is bad, that was the best I could do!
The leaves and roots look good to me. Three months is not an excessively long transition period. But I agree the green dry leaf is weird. I would watch for signs of dehydration or root death. It looks like it’s still in the same media it came in. I have the worst luck with sphagnum. I would move it to a 50/50 bark/sphagnum mix.
1 likeI totally agree - sphagnum just seems to hold too much water - but I’ve been too scared to repot it while it’s still blooming (unless it was an emergency)! Do you think it’s ok to wait?
1 like The roots look good so I think you are fine to wait until flowers drop 😁
1 likeThank you so much for all the help!
1 like