Leaves Falling Off + Old Age??

[orchidgirl82]

Hi Everyone,

I've been having issues with my orchids this summer. I pride myself on taking great care of them and for some reason this summer they are just not doing well.

I came home from work today and saw a leaf on the floor. A perfect green firm new leaf. It came from my 3 year old orchid which has tons of leaves and roots and air roots. The only suspicious thing i see wrong with it is that the crown looks a bit yellow which is odd. I dont see how it would have crown rot b/c given there are so many leaves the crown is about 4" from the base.

Does anyone know what could be the cause of this. The orchid looks very healthy and has a baby leaf coming out from the center...

Do orchids ever die of old age??


Thank you!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I would assume they would, but...I think they'd have to be very, very old. Three years is nothing for many epiphytical orchids.

What is it, a Phal? Sounds like it.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You know what...how's the air circulation in the growing area during the summer?

What is the medium you're growing them in?

How often are you watering them?

[orchidgirl82]

Hi everyone,

Yes it is a phal, i can post a pic if you like...

It is three years old. It is potted in sphagnum moss. I water it one a week or whenever the medium feels dry. I don't really have much circulation as I am in an apt. I just looked at the roots and they look ok...it seem more like a problem with the crown. it's turning a bit yellow!

Does this sound like crown rot? I am always sure not to get water in the top area where the leaves are. I'm not sure why a healthy leaf would just fall off from the top.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

One of the problems associated with sphagnum moss is pH (too acidic). Another is that it can compact. Poor air circulation adds to this problem.

Can you add a little fan by it, but not blowing directly at it?

Honestly this is the same problem I had with all my Phals prior to mounting them. I may have occassional situations with my mounted Phals, but not as insurmountable as when they were potted (especially in full moss).

Think about it, a cultural error over an issue of age makes sense...

Many epiphytical orchids can take up to 3 yrs or more to get from seed to small seedling. From seedling to first blooming season can take up to 5 to 10 yrs depending on the species of epiphytical orchid. Afterwards no one's really recorded. But there is reportedly a lady who has had a Phalaenopsis for about 20 yrs. Another example is, from what I understand, the father of the owner of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate had once told me about one of the Cymbidium species he carried. He had told me that this was a division from the same plant that someone had owned either several decades ago (maybe in the 1920's or a couple centuries ago, I don't recall).

Your Phal's problem isn't age, it's cultural. There's something wrong, and your plant's trying to tell you things aren't okay.

Like I said, owning an orchid for 3 years is nothing. They can live to be much, much longer (I hesitate to say definitively, but I believe their life span is closer to the hundreds, basically when they're grown correctly they'll outlive you).

Although the above statement DOES apply to Phals, it may not apply to all other species or genera, but is most likely true for many.

[orchidgirl82]

I attached pics of the orchid. it's getting worse! How can i save it. Please help!

[Narnia]

I think you should listen to King's advice. He's probably right on with the air circulation thing. You could also repot it in a bark mixture and ditch the moss since you're in an apartment. I also grow in an apartment, and I noticed when I got a phal in sphag that it just wouldn't dry properly no matter how many fans I had running. It was freaking me out so I just repotted it mid bloom and it thanked me by opening the rest of its buds.

[Zoi2]

The aerial roots look good, but what do your bottom roots look like?
Joann

[Ross]

This look like more than root rot. The aerial roots look OK from the photo. It looks suspitiously like heart rot to me. If not too advanced, you may save the plant with a dose of Thiomyl. But if the leaves are dropping, I think it has advanced too much. The start probably was the decayed or compacted moss as others have suggested. I use very large chunks of fir bark for mine, but some folks here mount there plants so they hang horizontally, just as in nature. The important thing is to balance moisture with plenty of air movement - to dry the crown and the roots. Never water until the roots turn white (you can see all the roots, right? )

[orchidgirl82]

Can you please give me more info. on heart rot. i've never heard of it and i'm unclear how this happened. What is Thiomyl and how do i use it? I have physan 20, is that something that would work as a substitute or is there a big difference between the two? If so, can you tell me the best way to use it in this situation?