# Brown tips on Phrag. leaves



## abax (Feb 14, 2017)

Might over-watering during the winter months cause brown
tips? I'm not fertilizing very much so that's not the cause.
My Phrags. are spiking and blooming well, but those damn
leaf tips are making me crazy.


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## Linus_Cello (Feb 15, 2017)

What temperature is the water? Could there be still lots of minerals in the water?


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## abax (Feb 15, 2017)

I generally use rain water at room temperature in my
greenhouse about 70F. Who knows what's in rain water
these days considering pollution, etc. The Ph tests neutral
to very slightly acid.


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## NYEric (Feb 16, 2017)

A photo would help.


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## gonewild (Feb 16, 2017)

abax said:


> Might over-watering during the winter months cause brown
> tips?



Not unless the roots are damaged by over watering.



> I'm not fertilizing very much so that's not the cause.



That probably is the cause. Calcium deficiency is suspect.


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## abax (Feb 17, 2017)

Even with K-Lite as the fertilizer?

Nag, nag Eric! It'll be May before I get out of my Verizon contract.
When are you getting a new PC? Hmmmmm?


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## gonewild (Feb 17, 2017)

abax said:


> Even with K-Lite as the fertilizer?



Yes even with K-Lite. 
And that also brings up possibility of potassium deficiency.

You suspect over watering might be a problem so that indicates you use a lot of water that will leach out nutrients. You said you don't use much fertilizer so that means you have a lot of leaching of nutrients. 
Regardless of the nutrient ratio you still must supply enough.


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## Ray (Feb 17, 2017)

Can be be a bit more specific than "not very much?" How often / how much per gal?


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## NYEric (Feb 17, 2017)

abax said:


> Nag, nag Eric! It'll be May before I get out of my Verizon contract.
> When are you getting a new PC? Hmmmmm?



When I stop buying orchids!


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## Kalyke (Feb 17, 2017)

Tap water?


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## abax (Feb 17, 2017)

In winter I fertilize with K-Lite twice a month at 1/4 tsp
unless the days are really dark and rainy. It's been that
way a lot. I usually use rain water. Sometimes a mix of
rain water and tap. My tap water is quite good with a near neutral Ph and low salt content.


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## gonewild (Feb 18, 2017)

How much water does each plat get when you apply fertilizer?
How many times do you water between fertilizer applications?

Use the answers to those two questions to calculate how little nutrients you actually are applying.


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## Kalyke (Feb 18, 2017)

low calcium/magnesium?


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## Ray (Feb 18, 2017)

If the plant is calcium deficient, it is the new growths that will show leaf-tip necrosis. Damage occurring on more mature leaves is more often a result of "poisoning" of some sort, whether that be from too much fertilizer, hard water, _really_ bad pH, or just a buildup of plant wastes in the medium.


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## abax (Feb 18, 2017)

Thank you all for the information. I'm in the process of
repotting and will see if that resolves the issue. I'm thinking build up of plant waste and perhaps too much
watering during the winter months. Ray, I'm repotting
into power #5 and a good bit of coarse perlite in clay pots
with lots of holes. I'm seeing some root damage and the
air flow in the pots should improve that situation. I didn't
really account for the very high humidity in my greenhouse (90% or higher) when watering. I only have
a learner's permit with slippers.


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