3 leaves at once! 2 flipped 90 degrees!

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

I have what I find to be a strangely behaving phal. Three leaves are growing at the same time. As can be seen in the picture I’ve attached, one leaf is normal while the other two are flipped 90 degrees and are growing vertically as opposed to horizontally. All three are growing at the same time. She was reported recently because I had noticed some unhappy roots and the small, normal leaf to the right had stopped growing. I assumed this was due to some stressor or another, hence the repotting. The third leaf to the left started growing, stopped for about a week (?) and then restarted growth, joined first by the larger center leaf and then by the smaller. All of the leaves are appropriately thick and stiff and there are a lot of happy roots growing. I water and feed her once every week to week-and-a-half, depending on how fast she dries out, with a good soak and Miracl-Gro tomato food. I mist almost daily. She did bloom this year and it lasted a good amount of time with new looks appearing before the old ones died off. This is definitely a happy orchid so I’m not worried about end of life stuff I’m just… confused. I’m hoping someone might be able to explain to me what’s going on. Thanks!

[Shadeflower]

A leaf turning 90 degrees is not that unusual, if you position the phal so the light hits it sideways this is more likely to happen when the leaf is forming. I suppose if you turned the plant around 180 degrees because it started leaning in one direction then the next leaf might turn the other way next but I haven't seen it that symmetrical before.

The leaves have a different shape to the leaves before them but I have no explanation for this. I've seen it before but not sure what causes it if I had to take a guess I'd say the Miracl-Gro is making the leaves perform miracles?

I don't know what would cause a plant to grow a little abnormally so my first instinct would honestly be to question what chemicals are in your fertilizer(or lack of - it contains no calcium for starters). That's just me though maybe as I am quite picky about my fertilizers. Could just be that the plant will naturally grow out of this phase and carry on growing normally. I've had phals grow slightly wonky leaves from what I suspect was due to stress.

[tmoney]

howdy, and welcome! we have one or two that did the same thing this summer, most notable was a phal lds bear king. my assessment was/is based totally on nothing other than observation, so just be wary of anything i type!

anyways, your plant looks pretty good from what i can see in the photo, so, not sure. but, the bk threw out 3 new leaves in rapid succession, and while growing they all were heading in different directions. it was kinda cool cause it looked like a propeller, just like yours does. it also started doing this (growing leaves) right after repotting. my take was that conditions improved and so it was putting on leaves quickly, but that it couldn’t make room within itself like it normally would (that probly doesn’t make a whole lotta sense). but, after they have grown, it’s more clear to me that the plant was grown with light coming from one direction, and now the light in our care is coming from the opposite direction. it’s like the small young leaves are facing backwards now.

so yeah, i really have no idea what’s going on, but all that was to say that i don’t really feel anything is majorly wrong with your plant. maybe im completely Erin and itll die tomorrow!! but hopefully not

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

These things happen. So long as the leaves look normal I don't bother with them.

[YetAnotherOrchidNut]

You plant looks fine if maybe a bit dry. I have plants that have done this. Depending on how you orient them to the light this can happen.

FWIW, I might consider watering more often, and NOT misting especially if you have water that is anything close to hard. If you do mist make sure you flush vigorously and regularly. Misting is a great way to create a salt build up on the plant. The water comes with salts in it. The water evaporates and leaves the salt behind. Repeat enough times and the plant is in a bad place.

I dont mist phals once they are past the juvenile stage, it is lilkely to be counterpropductive. Better to just pot your phal so you can water it nearly anytime you like. Look for articles by "herebutnot". He has some excellent explanations of growing orchids in your living room.

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[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

I’m not sure if this should go in this thread or in a new one but this same orchid is growing leaves again, two at the same time, but it’s different. I think it tried to grow two before this but they didn’t get past 1/4 inch or so but I can’t find them to take a pic. The two new leaves are positioned like normal leaf growth in the same direction as the leaves before the two weird ones. I’m wondering if it is developing a new branch of leaves. It kind of looks like it might be splitting into another orchid? I’ve attached some pictures of what’s going on. This is definitely not a sign of anything bad. Lots of recent and continuing root growth and a full spine of flowers. I would have had a second but I broke it. Twice 😓. Is it eventually going to start growing roots and I’ll be able to separate it? Is this even a thing?

[estación seca]

It might be forming a second crown. That is good news. When it gets bigger it can make twice as many flowers.

[Roberta]

If it is indeed a new growth, it should not be removed... it will share a root system with the mother plant, and not an independent keiki. But as ES pointed out, it likely will become a new source for flowers. Depending on ancestry, some Phals tend to form clumps - and that can be quite spectacular.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If it is indeed a new growth, it should not be removed... it will share a root system with the mother plant, and not an independent keiki. But as ES pointed out, it likely will become a new source for flowers. Depending on ancestry, some Phals tend to form clumps - and that can be quite spectacular.

A question, Roberta. Remember my phal that divided which I recently posted, and Camille was saying the Harlequins tended to color morph? I see this is a Harlequin, and wonder if the genetics also apply to it doing the basal split more readily? It would make sense, right?

Or maybe Camille can come along and respond?

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

WaterWitchin, can you send me to that thread? It sounds like there might be some relevant info for me there. Also, what do you mean by a Harlequin?