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phal leaf growth

16 years ago

Hi all,

Just a quickie here! I was wondering if the newest phal leaf will usually grow to its fullest length before starting on the next one? Reason I ask is because my phal has a nice healthy new leaf that's about 3/4 the size of the older leaves and I see a new leaf starting from the crown. Guess I'm wondering if I should worry about the care I'm giving it, or just wait it out.

The plant is in a west facing window with a sheer and is in a semi-hydro mix with sphagnum peat moss on top for moisture retention. I usually have it sitting in about 1/2 inch of water/fertilizer and then fertilize every week when it gets low. I flush the pot out (plastic) with distilled water (or tap if I'm lazy) every month. It had some root rot about 6 months ago when I checked it after blooming (it was on display and not near a great light source), but in the last few months (after moving to the west-facing window and putting a 23watt cfl on it) it started putting out leaves and big fat green roots... so I figure I'm doing something right. It didn't give me a spike this spring, but I'm thinking with the root rot it didn't have enough energy in reserve. Either that or it'll spike this summer for me. It's a NOID I got from Home Depot last year. And now that I think about it, the last bloom dropped last September, so it probably is a summer bloomer. Sorry for the essay, just wondering if I should be concerned over my leaf growth or just let it go for now. The only thing I can think of that might need to be changed is maybe giving it less light (reddish margins on newest leaf) and sometimes I forget to fertilize every week, and I'm thinking the fertilizer might lose it's potency since I have it sitting in a bowl and not a traditional semi-hydro set-up? It's a miracle grow 20-20-20...

Thanks all for your input.

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Comments (6)

HollyT
16 years ago
Once a new leaf starts to grow, that usually means the previous one has finished growing.
new_keiki
16 years ago
One of my phal that suffered cold damage grew a 2nd leave when the first one was barely 1 inch long, but both of them continued to grow till about 3 inch long each, and its basal keiki in the same pot did exactly the same (2 leaves together). Now I don't know it's growing 2 leaves simultaneously is because at that time it only had 1 leaf left so instinctively it wants to grow as many and as fast as possible? Your phal seems a lot healthier than mine so I assume your old 'new' leave will continue to grow :)
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highjack
16 years ago
Phal. leaves grown in bright light will be smaller than leaves grown in less light. Optimal light for phal growth is between 800 & 1200 fc's.

Hopefully you have a summer bloomer and as the temps rise you will get your spike.

Brooke
sakmeht
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll be cutting back on the fluorescent light here soon anyway as the sun is starting to get pretty hot through that window. Plus there's more of it. I'm finding the leaves are a little too warm with one sheer so I'll try less light and see where that goes. It would be nice if my leaf decided to lengthen a bit more, but if it's just the higher light level, then that's easily remedied!
new_keiki
16 years ago
Brooke, actually that's why I always get confused. Plants need sun to get food, so I would think giving plenty of sun would encourage growth, but that indeed would result in a smaller leaf? But then it makes sense that if the plant feels that sun is abundant then why growing big leaves? I'm confused! :O
highjack
16 years ago
new keiki you aren't confused, you just explained it.

With phals do you want rampant growth or the big leaves the plants are known to produce in lower light. They can be grown either way.

Brooke

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