My phalaenopsis orchid's leaves started getting all shriveled and droopy about a week ago. I've been watering it the same way as always (once a week, letting it soak), but the wrinkles aren't going away. The roots look okay from what I can see, and there's no visible mold or rot. Is this a humidity thing or am I missing something?
Actually, wrinkled leaves after a full week usually point to underwatering despite the soaking routine - phalaenopsis roots need moisture but also good air circulation, and if they're sitting in water too long or the medium broke down, they can't absorb properly even when wet. Try checking if the potting mix is staying soggy and compacted (repot if needed), increase humidity around 50-60% if it's dry indoors, and make sure you're not letting it dry out completely between waterings - the goal is moist, not soggy or bone-dry.
The thing people miss is that wrinkled leaves don't always mean thirsty roots - sometimes it's actually the opposite, where roots are waterlogged and can't absorb what they need 🌱 Your soaking routine sounds standard, but if the pot doesn't have drainage holes or the medium is breaking down (old bark gets compacted), water just sits there instead of flowing through. Before watering again, check if the roots feel mushy or smell off when you peek at them, and make sure air is circulating around the plant. If humidity in your space is really low (like under 40%), that can definitely stress the leaves even with decent roots, so a pebble tray or grouping plants closer together might help too.
Check your watering medium - if you're using regular potting soil instead of orchid bark, water sits around the roots way too long and they basically suffocate even though they look fine from the outside. Phalaenopsis are epiphytes and need that bark to dry out between waterings. Switch to proper orchid medium and bump up humidity with a pebble tray or misting, since wrinkled leaves also signal the plant can't pull moisture from stressed roots fast enough. The soaking itself isn't the problem, but what you're soaking in matters a lot.
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