Question
One of my phals just dropped its healthy green leaves and left behind what looks like a black hole. I have been told it is crown rot and that the phal is as good as dead. I unpotted it and found a few healthy looking roots. I cut off the mushy ones and repotted the plant in a bark mix that I soaked overnight. I have been putting 3% peroxide on the blackened crown with the help of a dropper. When I do that it fizzes and bubbles. Should I keep doing it? And, above all else, do you think my phal has a fighting chance?

Answer
Monica, sorry to say that what you have been told is likely correct. I would discontinue application of the peroxide. The peroxide is simply a solution of gas in water.  Once the gas bubbles off all that is left is water.  The reason the crown rot occurred in the first place is likely because the crown got wet.  For the future, a newly purchased orchid should be repotted as soon as it is done flowering.  The repotting should be done in a well-drained pot in orchid potting mix. Best to repot annually because potting mix can become soil-like within a year.  A soil-like potting mix stays wet too long and can lead to root rot.  Always water your plant first thing in the morning.  That provides the day to dry out before nightfall.  Sometimes a small fan used just after watering can dry off the surface of the plant.  It is better for the plant to be too dry than too wet.