To water or not to water my phal orchid?

[Sirena]

Hi all,

I just got my first Phal yesterday and found this forum last night. After reading through several posts I decided to get my plant out of the moss potting mix and repot it. It's a good thing I did. About half the roots were dead. Now that my phal has been repotted, should I water it right away or give it a few days (or longer) before I water it?

Thanks

[tucker85]

You can water it right away. When you water it, put it in the sink and water really well so the medium is saturated. Then don't water it again until the medium is almost completely dry. Some people use a bamboo skewer to test for moisture in the medium. When you're not sure if the medium is dry or not, it's best to wait and extra day or two. Watering too often is what kills a lot of phals.

[Sirena]

Great, I was worried about giving it too much water. Thanks for telling me about using bamboo skewers, I wasn't quite sure how to check for moisture without moving the potting all around.

[Orkala]

I don't have much luck with Phal. It could be I may be over watering. The bottom leaves get mushy and yellow. Thank you for the information.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I'll agree and add - Welcome to OrchidTalk!! Looks like you are finding your way around well.

cheers,
BD

[Terri_R]

I live in Darwin Northern Territory and have some real problems with 3 of my Phallies.

3 are doing well and 2/3 have flower spikes, however the other 3 had yellow leaves which fell off, so they now have none.

They are all in the same area, they do get more light than they should, but why are 3 doing well and 3 are not?

I put them into sphagnum moss, because our dry season was so dry & windy this year, but now that the humidity has come, it's a different ball game.

Should I repot them, and if so, into what?

[Desdinova]

What kind of phals do you have? Could you possibly post their names? It may be that you have some deciduous ones. Some phals do lose their leaves, but I won't know until I see the names.

[Terri_R]

Only one, and that's:

Dtps: Queen Beer, but this could be Queen Bee - not sure.

[shirleycox]

If your bottom orchid leaf has turned yellow it does not necessarily mean your orchid is sick or dying. You can not prevent your bottom orchid leaves from turning yellow because this is the natural cycle of an orchid. Cut it off. Use a clean tool to avoid the possible spread of disease. Apply cinnamon (yes, the common household spice) to the area you just cut as a preventative measure against any possible infection that may try to set in.

---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:24 AM ----------

If your bottom orchid leaf has turned yellow it does not necessarily mean your orchid is sick or dying. You can not prevent your bottom orchid leaves from turning yellow because this is the natural cycle of an orchid. Cut it off. Use a clean tool to avoid the possible spread of disease. Apply cinnamon (yes, the common household spice) to the area you just cut as a preventative measure against any possible infection that may try to set in.

[Kimberly]

Cheers on the cinnamon tidbit, shirleycox! Never heard of that.