# Phalaenopsis leaves problem



## papheteer (May 11, 2014)

I have been seeing these on my NOID phals by our windowsill. I am not sure if they are virus or some sort of malnutrition. I have had these plants for more than 7 years and I only saw these marks lately. They flower like crazy all year and yet I fertilize them rarely. Like 5 times last summer and none at all the whole winter. At first the leaves turn reddish/purple and the marks develop. Only older leaves (just the tips) are affected. Here's a example:


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## gonewild (May 11, 2014)

Nutrient deficiency.
Pick a nutrient and you will be correct.


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## gonewild (May 11, 2014)

Phosphorous deficiency.... (copied from an research paper)

"In -P plants, defoliation increased and the production of new ones was curtailed. Phosphorus deficiency induced purple and red coloration of the older leaves, leaf distortion and curling of the leaf apices. Yellowing of an incividual leaf began from its apex and gradually spreaded basipetally to the entire leaf, ending in defoliation. The deficiency symptoms spread upward from the basal leaves of a plant. The area of newly developed leaves was reduced and plant growth was stunted. The dry weight of the plants was also reduced and new roots were not produced. The production of flower stalks was almost completely inhibited."


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## Stone (May 11, 2014)

I very much doubt that this problem is due to lack of correct nutrient avaiability (especially P). You are obviously feeding the plants correctly just like everyone else. Therefore I believe the problem is almost certainly caused by the roots lacking the ability to take up nutrients efficiently due to damage of some sort.
I recently had this problem with an Angraecum. Leaf tips constantly yellowing, browning and dying back regardless of fertilizer. The cure: remove the plant from the pot, cut away the old part of the stem along with its old roots leaving only nice fat healthy ones, blast with water to remove any trace of old mix or rubbish stuck to the plant and repot into fresh mix and continue feeding as before. Dipping in a good systemic fungicide won't hurt either. The problem will disappear... guaranteed!


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## Rick (May 11, 2014)

In the wild these guys get a tweak of NPKCaMg with every rain ( almost daily for most Phal species in the Philippines and Borneo)

The bigger they get and the more they flower, the less likely they want to miss a meal, which is mostly water anyway.

You've got lots of roots showing, and I think its not realistic to assume that the plants are getting a lot of either water or nutrient from the potting mix. 

I would mist roots daily with a very weak (5-10 ppm N) solution of whatever feed you use. That won't grow back burnt off leaf tips, but your plants seem to be in a balanced/recycle mode with your present schedule of water and feed.


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## Rick (May 11, 2014)

Here's my very first orchid my wife gave to me for Valentines day in 2001 (so 13 years old). It grew really good in the first 5-6 years with the usual "weakly weekly" feeding with MSU, but then went into serious decline, and I almost lost it. All the same issues as you are talking about. Probably no blooming at all or a few aborted spikes for a couple years. It still has a couple of bogus leaves, (it doesn't helped to be dropped either), but its almost completely re-foliated and r-rooted in the last 2 years. Now 8 growths and 8 spikes this year. The leaves are still not as big as they were in 2005, but its a whole new plant compared to 3 years ago.


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## gonewild (May 12, 2014)

Stone said:


> You are obviously feeding the plants correctly just like everyone else.



How do you come up with that determination? Especially when he stated _" and yet I fertilize them rarely. Like 5 times last summer and none at all the whole winter"_




> Therefore I believe the problem is almost certainly caused by the roots lacking the ability to take up nutrients efficiently due to damage of some sort.



There are healthy looking white roots all over the place in the picture!




> The problem will disappear... guaranteed!


[/QUOTE]

guaranteed? :rollhappy:


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## Stone (May 12, 2014)

gonewild said:


> > How do you come up with that determination? Especially when he stated _" and yet I fertilize them rarely. Like 5 times last summer and none at all the whole winter"_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## orcoholic (May 13, 2014)

The firt pic looks like the leaf tip was frozen. I got a shipment in during the "polar vortex" (record low temps) and the edges of the leaves on the plants that were on the bottom of the box turned exactly that. Is it possible that the leaf was against your window? The other leaf could be exhibiting the same problem

Regarding Rick's plant, It's been my experience that Phals lose their lower leaves as the roots and spikes come out above the leaf. Maybe that's what's happening too.

In lieu of those reasons, I'd have to speculate that it's another brand new virus.


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## slipperscout (May 14, 2014)

*Phal leaf problem*

I suspect that this phal needs to be repotted. I also suspect that there a few viable roots in the potting media and the few remaining relatively healthy ones are on the surface where they can dry. The pix show older leaves in early sensescence due to the lack of appropriate nutrition.
The plant's health should quickly turn around if repotted in long fiber sphagnum moss.
Phals are heavy feeders and should be fertilized frequently during the growing season with reduced fertilization in the winter.
These plants will recover their health given the opportunity.


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