Orchid mush
A friend of mine asked me about her Phal. She’s had it blooming in her living room for months, and suddenly this week the flowers all drooped and fell off. Then the bottom leaves turned to mush. I didn’t even need to see the plant to make a diagnosis — poor drainage. It turned out she’d had it in her living room on the floor by a really large picture window. It got plenty of light and heat for most of the year, so it didn’t mind that she never emptied the water tray underneath. She watered it before she left for work in the morning, and the water in the tray would just evaporate in the heat of the day. We had a big series of cold storms last week, and it was gray and damp. The water tray must have filled up, so the orchid just sat too cool and wet for a few nights. Only a couple bottom leaves turned to mush, so I just told her to clean it off, let it dry out for at least 4-5 days, and keep it on the drier side during winter. If it survives, with patience it should bloom again.
Explore posts in the same categories: Dormancy, Problems, Watering
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