Leaf growing through other leaf?

[jssj]

Hi all!

A phalaenopsis of mine had a weird problem last year - it grew a new leaf which cut into an existing leaf! In the end I cut the new leaf off because i thought it was going to end up damaging the plant.

Fast forward to now, the plant has recovered from the shock of losing a leaf, and its just started to grow a new one - in the same place!! Underneath the existing leaf, all set to grow up into it and cut it again.

What should I do? Should I just let it grow? Or maybe I can put something under the existing leaf which forces the new one to grow out rather than up?

Thanks in advance!
Jenni



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[raybark]

Being monopodial plants, new leaves typically grow up through the bases of the former leaves. In this case, it appears that the apical meristem has taken a turn - possibly due to damage to the previous "crown" - so all the growth is going to be from there in the future.

Never remove new leaves!

[jssj]

Oops! So I shouldn't have removed the other one? I kind of thought that myself after there was no new growth (except root) for a whole year after I did!

If it cuts the old leaf in half (which it was set to before) shall I remove the old leaf?

[Azizan]

Oops! So I shouldn't have removed the other one? I kind of thought that myself after there was no new growth (except root) for a whole year after I did!

If it cuts the old leaf in half (which it was set to before) shall I remove the old leaf?

I agree with Ray. I think it tried to produce new growth in different direction instead of upward but get interfered in the process due to the new leaf cutting.

No, don't cut/remove anything else anymore. The leaves looked green and fine. Never ever cut a green leaf. Even if it grows odd, at least they are growing. Let it do its thing which is growing. You can think of it as odd growth, not a disease or anything. You are lucky it did not get infected in the first place after you cut the new leaf.

In short, just let it grow.

[JDT]

I would agree with both Ray and Azizan leave it alone and let it do it's thing, it will grow on. Lesson learned, one of many you will come against, in the future you can always ask before doing anything! We tend to baby our orchids sometimes doing more harm then good, think of what they go thru living in the wild with no one taking care of them, nature has a way for them to survival!

[jssj]

Eeek, I wish I'd have known about this forum last year!!

Thanks for the advice guys, lesson learned indeed - wondering where my plant could have been this year if I'd have just left it alone!

Interested to see how it grows now
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[Moonshine]

hi i have the same problem. it‘s actually the second leaf on this orchid that got splitted on the same side (the leaf now being splitted grew into its predecessor). The last leaf yellowed and died prematurely, lets hope it doesnt continue this way and our orchids find out which direction they wanna grow


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[Dorsetman]

You do not need to completely remove the leaf which has split , just extend the split all the way to the tip, and it can continue working. Won't look too neat and tidy, but will still do its job. Later, as more new leaves grow and the oldest turn brown and fall off, you will be able to remove both halves, and once again have a "proper" plant.

[Moonshine]

so the split leaf wont die if i cut it all the way? do i understand correctly, i shoud extend the split to the tip of the leaf and the two halves can keep on photosynthesizing? thanks for your reply
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