*sigh* So frustrated.

[Ania]

Is there any pitting or discoloration on the leaves? Can you post a picture?

A

[Hoa Tony Nguyen]

I repotted mine the day I got it. The roots were fine. I put in a clay pot with bark and moss, because as Ania said and from personal experience, bark dries too quickly while moss remains too soaked. The light was strong enough to begin a concentrated sunspot on a leaf, but I moved it back and slow aclimated it to the light. I just have no idea.

At this point, a picture might help. It is possible that the medium is drying out too quick for the plant (especially that you have it in a clay pot), and the plant is loosing more water than it is taking in. Don't let the medium drying out with phals. I grow phals much wetter than other orchids, much much more than dends or catts. (However, phal species like it drier and many do well with mounting.)

[jkhom]

I'm in the same boat as you. Last year I had crown rot on a phal that my wife bought for me. Luckily I was able to save the plant by repottiing in bark, still don't know why phals always come potted in sphag moss. Now I have one that spiked almost two months ago, but seems to be in a holding pattern, hasn't shown any growth. My Catts and Oncidiums all bloomed and now show new growth. I don't know what's going on.

[GiovannaD]

Maybe your phal is trying hard to get accustomed to the new medium, mine stall and wilt a little right after repotting and for a week or two, and on the third week they start to show signs of revival.

[pavel]

Whoever said Phals are the easiest orchids to grow must have been on crack.

LOL -- that's how I feel about folks who extoll the ease of growing paphs & phrags. [And if there any of those folks out there tempted to voice that very thought -- don't make me hurt you.]

I'm on my fourth phal, with completely healthy roots, and AGAIN the leaves are losing turgidity, wilting, and begining to wrinkle. I'm giving it plenty of light. I water it before it gets bone dry. Fertilize it. Give it good air circulation. The only thing lacking, I suppose, is high humidity...but this doesn't bother any of my catts or dends or my other orchids. Maybe that's the problem, though? Perhaps it's time to just throw in the phal towel and call it a day lol

How long have you had this one, Kelly? If it is very recent, then it may just be sulking as a result of the change in its growing conditions. If you've had it a while, you may want to take another peek at the roots.

Lack of high humidty, IME, should not be an issue.

[Jmoney]

I agree that improperly potted sphagnum dries out way too slow, and I rarely use sphag in plastic pots because the plants will tip over very easily when in spike when it dries out.

In clay pots, however, especially if it's a *new* clay pot, and properly potted (i.e. *loosely*), I find plants dry out VERY quickly. I just potted a phal a few weeks ago into clay/sphag, and had to water every 3-4 days. mind you, this is on a windowsill with low humidity, but relatively cool temps & shaded light here in NYC.

I would knock the plant out of its pot and look at the roots. I would suspect they're alive but shrivelled, in which case you would need more frequent watering.

[cherublace]

just the advice i needed!!! thanks all! good luck sand tiger! i with you, figuring it out is driving me nuts. I have one i don't do anything to but water and feed. Its been in the same spot for about a year and has a plant of equal size right next to it. the roots look textbook. i usually even forget its here because it sits with my violets under some lights. i