# Phrag problem, maybe?



## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

Well, my first Phrag and my first Phraggin problem perhaps? LOL... Sorry, bad joke...

I noticed today that the very top leaf had died, although the rest of the fan and the two new fans appear healthy. Is this natural or something I should be worried about?


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## Erythrone (Jan 9, 2013)

Not normal... 

How was the leaf when it died? reddish and dry? Still green but water soaked? Other signs ?


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

It was drying out and was light brown. Pulled/broke out fairly easily and didnt appear to be moist/mushy from what I was able to get. My first thought was rot at the base, but not sure.


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## Shiva (Jan 9, 2013)

Probable condensation at the bottom of the leaf. The top leaf (or center leaf) is always very thin at the base and it doesn't take much rot to kill it. The rest of the plant might be OK, but if that growth hasn't flowered before, it won't for sure now. There is no remedy that I can think of. By the time you notice the leaf drying, it's already too late. Good thing is, it doesn't happen often, so far as I know.


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

Whew... It had just finished flowering ad the stalk was dead and cut a few weeks ago. I'm grateful though it has 2 new growths! It is one of the most expensive orchids I own, but I got it on the discount/done blooming rack along with a 20% membership discount, so the $85 original price ended up being total discounted to around $20! LOL. Bargain shopping at its finest!

So, I assume there is nothing I need to do then? Just protect the new growths from water in the crown?


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## NYEric (Jan 9, 2013)

Yes, be careful watering. What Phrag did you get?


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## Rick (Jan 9, 2013)

Shiva said:


> The rest of the plant might be OK, but if that growth hasn't flowered before, it won't for sure now.



In most cases I would say that is true, but soon I will be posting a pic of a blooming wallisii that did loose the small center leaf to rot, and then went ahead and spiked anyway!!

I thought for sure that growth was a loser, so I'm very amazed myself.

I don't think its very odd to loose those old sheath like leaves to rot like conditions on old bloomed growths.

But if I do have an unbloomed growth that looses the youngest middle leaf as described, the plant usually puts out some new basal growths pretty soon after.


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## Rick (Jan 9, 2013)

I've also had a few cases that after loosing the crown leaf, the plant put up a whole new growth (almost like a kieki) from the crown, which ultimately bloomed when it matured.


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## cnycharles (Jan 9, 2013)

a few years ago I had some phrags in a water trough in my cool bedroom and I think when things got too cool for them, some of the plants had this happen when the new growth aborted. it could have been from condensation, or just the growth shut down because of the temps and didn't start back up again. could also have gotten dry in between while being too cold; that was happening at that time periodically


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

Interesting. Thanks everyone!

It's a Phrag. Grande 4N x (boisserianum x pearcii). I know I like Grandes, so I'm sure I will love this one. Just not sure what it really looks like, lol...


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## Rick (Jan 9, 2013)

The restarts I noted may be due to the hormones in the kelp extract I like to use.

But I believe Slipperking Rick has seen some similar things, and he isn't using kelp or hormones (as far as I know).


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## likespaphs (Jan 9, 2013)

Paul Mc said:


> Whew... It had just finished flowering ad the stalk was dead and cut a few weeks ago....



was the leaf that died on the growth that just finished flowering?


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

It was the newest formed leaf and the flower stalk came from the middle of that one.


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## Rick (Jan 9, 2013)

Paul Mc said:


> It was the newest formed leaf and the flower stalk came from the middle of that one.



Do you have multiple new growths coming out of the base of the old, post bloomed, growth?


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## likespaphs (Jan 9, 2013)

do you know that each growth blooms with one inflorescence/flower stalk and then that growth dies?
they're like Paphs that way
(sorry to be redundant if you know that)
do you happen to have a photo?


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

Rick, there are two new substantially sized growths from the base. They are almost as large as the original! I'm a happy man with that!

I actually did not know that they died once they bloomed! The only Paph/Phrag I've ever gotten to bloom is a sequential bloomer, albeit its stalled while a new growth is quickly emerging. Thanks for that info!!! Good to know!


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## Paul Mc (Jan 9, 2013)

I will get you a photo in the morning. Our light isn't the best since we don't have overhead lights in most rooms. Old house comes with its charms and drawbacks, lol...


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## likespaphs (Jan 11, 2013)

yup, but the new growths will grow until they mature, flower, then they too will die but their place will be taken over by new growths


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## Rick (Jan 11, 2013)

likespaphs said:


> then they too will die but their place will be taken over by new growths



They don't always die that fast after blooming either. Sometimes they may hold up for several growth/blooming seasons before getting recycled into new growth.


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