Question
I was given a phalaenopsis orchid back in august and all was going well until November when my flowers were done blooming my leaves started to turn yellow mushy and drop off. Then when i went to re-pot it the three leaves remaining fell off and revealed a black middle. I took it to a flower store and they said that it was fine seeing my stems had new growth. Since then the tips have turned black and the stems are turning black and yellow. I don't know if its dead or whats wrong with it

Answer
Dear Ashley, I am sorry to tell you that your orchid is probably dead.  This could be due to a number of reasons, including too much water, too much or very dim light, or a fungus which could have been brought on by too much water.  The tiny bit of new growth was probably much smaller than the original leaves and didn't last long.  It may yet again try to put out new leaves, but they will likely be smaller still and start to go bad very quickly.  Black and yellow are just not good colors on plants.  I wish I could be more hopeful but the same thing has happened to me many times.  Unfortunately, some plants that are grown strictly for the bloom which will sell them, like orchid plants, are not always grown to be hardy.  Melissa