Why do these Phals have short, stubby leaves?

[My Green Pets]

hi everyone,

I'm volunteering at my local botanical garden, and their phalaenopsis hybrids look so weird. They all have these stacks of short stubby leaves. I've never seen anything like it, does anyone have any idea what is going on with these? They are just Big Box store hybrids that were donated.

Thanks

 

[Happypaphy7]

Never seen such phals before!
It looks like my miniature Sedirea japonica in how the leaves are tightly stacked up.

 

[cnycharles]

Or Doritis cousins,
But looks like some cultural issue


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[monocotman]

Looks like a hormone thing. Everything else looks good. Maybe some hormone weed killer somewhere?
David

 

[My Green Pets]

Could it be too much light?

The only hormones I can see that would have been used would have been superthrive. Does anyone have any experience using superthrive?

 

[Happypaphy7]

Too much light will just lighten up the color if not burning.

 

[Stone]

I think it's a combination of temperature and fertilizer factors as well as the fact that many now have a lot of aphrodite in the parentage. I'm not 100% sure but it may have something to do with the nitrate/ammonium/potassium combination?

 

[chris20]

I’ve seen deformed flowers from too much Superthrive but not stubby leaves like this. I agree it’s probably a combination of factors.

 

[myorchidaddiction]

I'm having this problem as well - is anyone aware of whether orchids ever recover from this condition?

 

[h_mossy]

Don't know about phals, but sometimes I've seen extra light cause vanda leaves to shorten up somewhat. Asconopsis Irene Dobkin 'Elmhurst' has short leaves, but they are not as round as those.

 

[Ray]

@myorchidaddiction - can you tell us about your growing conditions, feeding regimen, and any other treatments that may have been applied?