RIP My First Phal.
 

My very first phal has collar rot. I've done the reading... I know I could try to treat it, but I think the plant is already too far gone for me to save.

I'm probably going to pitch it because I don't want to risk infecting the rest of my orchids, but I'm so sad about it that I have to share.

My daughter got it for me for my birthday last year. It started an addiction that went from one plant sitting on my desk, to over 30 on a rack behind me just over a year later. My best and worst luck has been with Phals. Most of my reblooms have been with phals, I've had success with a couple of other things too. Something about this phal has always been off.

It has never grown well for me. Lots of others have, but this one has always been sort of behind the curve. I wondered if it was something I was doing wrong. I don't think so now. This is the only one of my phals that is afflicted. The others look great and all are growing new roots or leaves or are in bloom. I think this one might have been infected all along.

It's just a bummer to come back to this plant a year later and find that I'm going to chuck it in the bin.

Bloom pic:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5525/...048b3f0b86.jpg

Awwwuh! I'm so sorry. It's always hard to toss one, but especially one that was gifted. From what you describe it does sound like this plant might have had some mistreatment before you became the caregiver. Honestly, we really never know if a plant was exposed to less than desirable environmental conditions, and some things, like a cold shock, can take a long time to actually surface. This is one reason I think it's better to buy from greenhouse operations, rather than retail outlets or even florists, since the likelihood of mistreatment is minimized when an entire grow house full of valuable plants would be at risk if things weren't well monitored and controlled.

Thanks. I appreciate your comments. I have new growth on everything right now, so that helps some too. It's hard to think that I did something wrong when everything else is doing so well, but I can't help feeling like I did something wrong.

Well, lesson learned. No more grocery store plants, no more big box store plants, unless they come from Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's hasn't failed me yet.

I have a love hate relationship with phals.I am pinning my hopes on a DTPS that is growing some great roots. I did not choose it because the flower was especially interesting. In fact I kind of think it is ...meh. not so much...it is light yellow covered with purple pink splotches. I chose it because it had massive roots and nice thick leaves. I hope to see it rebloom some day. If And when I buy another phal it will be, big that is to say, mature,several layers of leaves, also many good roots, and finally grown in bark from birth. I won't buy any of these Taiwaneese phals. They all die on me.

I have one that I bought like that. I chose it because it had great big, fat roots and eight full leaves. The flowers, they were ok, but I hadn't seen a healthier phal. I haven't even bothered to bring it upstairs. It's happy on my kitchen table, of all things.

Sorry to say that I've been schooled by too much dissapointment and wasted money. I want to see what I am buying! Id rather have a healthy plant than a particular color flower. All flowers are pretty!

Noooooooo

If it makes you feel any better, it sounds to me like the plant may have been virused from the get-go. I got two from K-mart in February, and while one is growing happy new leaves and roots, the other is in slow motion. And you know that when an *orchid* is in slow motion...well, that's SLOW. It is growing a new leaf which is streaked with light yellow lines and splotches, and it is losing lower leaves one by one.

I will give it as comfortable hospice care as possible, but I'm not expecting a recovery.

I'm sorry for your possible loss, but I don't think in any case that it is your fault in the least.

Hurry up and get that violacea :)

Awww...sorry.

I'll ditto Cambria...it could be your plant has been virused which would explain everything you mentioned. Many times plants will carry virus but show now outward signs...except that they are kind of weak and don't grow well. Don't beat yourself up over it.

CambriaWhat, I did order a violacea, along with Phal. Yu Pin Pearl and Neostylis Lou Sneary. I'm interested to see what both phals look like. I'm told the leaves on Yu Pin Pearl are purple. I would love a phal with unique looking leaves in my collection. That would be great! I'm just waiting for it to be shipped.

Amazing choices!! The neostylis is on my list too. By the way, happy one year orchid board anniversary, to you and me!