I have a phal with potting material that retains a great deal of moisture and I unknowingly overwatered. It has two spikes, flowers on one, none on the other. All buds have dropped (flowers have remained) and one of its three leaves has turned yellow. What to do?

a) clip the yellow leaf?
b) repot in dry medium and water in a week?
c) clip back the bare spike?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Shulamit

Shulamit wrote:
I have a phal with potting material that retains a great deal of
moisture and I unknowingly overwatered. It has two spikes, flowers on
one, none on the other. All buds have dropped (flowers have remained)
and one of its three leaves has turned yellow. What to do?

a) clip the yellow leaf?
b) repot in dry medium and water in a week?
c) clip back the bare spike?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Shulamit

1) cut off both spikes to base of the spike.
2) repot in new medium, usually presoaked fir bark with perlite 3 parts
bark, 1 part #3 perlite (aka large perlite available at most garden
centers.) in a pot just large enough to hold the remaining healthy roots
3) make sure the plant is not wobbly in the pot.
4)Water in one week.
5) buy the book by Ortho (if you are in America) 'All a about growing
orchids'
6) wait until next year for blooms

K Barrett

Starting with the very top leaf as number one which leaf is turning yellow?

Bob

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Shulamit wrote:
I have a phal with potting material that retains a great deal of
moisture and I unknowingly overwatered. It has two spikes, flowers on
one, none on the other. All buds have dropped (flowers have remained)
and one of its three leaves has turned yellow. What to do?

a) clip the yellow leaf? b) repot in dry medium and water in a week?
c) clip back the bare spike?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Shulamit

1) cut off both spikes to base of the spike.
2) repot in new medium, usually presoaked fir bark with perlite 3 parts
bark, 1 part #3 perlite (aka large perlite available at most garden
centers.) in a pot just large enough to hold the remaining healthy roots
3) make sure the plant is not wobbly in the pot.
4)Water in one week.
5) buy the book by Ortho (if you are in America) 'All a about growing
orchids'
6) wait until next year for blooms

K Barrett

[quote=Bob Walsh;754326]Starting with the very top leaf as number one which leaf is turning yellow?

1) There are three leaves, two top ones and one underneath. The underneath one is the yellow one. Should I clip it still? As close to the root as possible?

2) Should I clip both spikes - with flowers and without? Or clip the bare spike, repot, then wait til the flowers drop before clipping the second spike?

Thanks so much for the suggestions for what to do! I will buy the book you recommended.

Shulamit

The yellow leaf will come off in a few days, I would not cut it. Follow
Kathy's advice. My concern was that if it was the top leaf (#1) you can
rarely bring them back, and then only through a basal kiekie.

Bob
"Shulamit" wrote in message
...

Bob Walsh;754326 Wrote:
Starting with the very top leaf as number one which leaf is turning
yellow?

1) There are three leaves, two top ones and one underneath. The
underneath one is the yellow one. Should I clip it still? As close to
the root as possible?

2) Should I clip both spikes - with flowers and without? Or clip the
bare spike, repot, then wait til the flowers drop before clipping the
second spike?

Thanks so much for the suggestions for what to do! I will buy the book
you recommended.

Shulamit




--
Shulamit

Personally, I'd decide if it's worth trying to salvage depending on what it
is -- something you really love, or just something green that you hate to
toss. Also consider the condition of the roots when you get it out of the
pot. If there is still a good root system, chances are good. If there's
not much healthy root left, not so good. Can you replace it for less than
you're going to spend trying to save it? If it's from one of those box
stores with the 1-year guaranty, you might just trade it in (some will let
you do this even without a receipt).

If you decide to save it, then pretty much what K said. Yes, cut both
spikes -- put the one with flowers remaining into a bud vase with water if
you want, it'll probably last longer than roses. Flowers suck energy from a
plant, and if it's already struggling, that's not good. Use clips and/or
stakes if you need to, to keep it from wobbling in the pot. And if it's
really precious to you, consider a fungicide dip while it's out of the old
pot, before it goes into the new. On the yellow leaf, unless it develops
soft black spots, I'd leave it to fall off on its own.

Good growing, Kenni

Unless the yellow leaf develops soft black spots, leave it to fall off by
itself.
"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Shulamit wrote:
I have a phal with potting material that retains a great deal of
moisture and I unknowingly overwatered. It has two spikes, flowers on
one, none on the other. All buds have dropped (flowers have remained)
and one of its three leaves has turned yellow. What to do?

a) clip the yellow leaf? b) repot in dry medium and water in a week?
c) clip back the bare spike?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Shulamit

1) cut off both spikes to base of the spike.
2) repot in new medium, usually presoaked fir bark with perlite 3 parts
bark, 1 part #3 perlite (aka large perlite available at most garden
centers.) in a pot just large enough to hold the remaining healthy roots
3) make sure the plant is not wobbly in the pot.
4)Water in one week.
5) buy the book by Ortho (if you are in America) 'All a about growing
orchids'
6) wait until next year for blooms

K Barrett