Orchid has a brown spot – House Plant Journal

Orchid has a brown spot

Plant: Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)

How long have you owned the plant? 1 to 2 years.

Plant Parent

There’s some sort of brown spot on the leaf.

The overall plant:

How do you determine WHEN to water? I follow the schedule I was told/researched for this plant – weekly.

Describe HOW you water: I fully soak the soil, letting excess drain away. I also spray it for humidity.

Light situation:

Plant Parent: from this spot, the plant sees about 1 hour of direct sun.

Fertilizer: I have always used fertilizer spikes for orchids in the substrate.

Darryl

Thanks for the photos and care details.

Environment | Effort | Expectations Assessment

The spot doesn’t appear to be pest-related but maybe it’s damaged from water left on the leaf after spraying. There’s no need to spray water on the plant for humidity – I don’t do it at all. I just water my orchids by filling up the pot in the sink, letting it soak for 5-10 minutes, then pour out the excess water.

The damage will never go away but it likely will not get any worse as long as you stop spraying. If the look of the damaged leaf bothers you aesthetically, you can cut it off I would just leave it on until it naturally dies off.

Good luck!

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