Question
I bought a beautiful White and purple Phal from the grocery store about a month and a half ago. It was potted in a clear plastic pot with a teracotta pot on the outside. Lately I noticed that there were a few black spots on it's roots but they were still green. A few days later black rings started appearing around the joints of the roots and when I moved the sphagnum moss back abit the lower crown was turning black. I treated it with Fung-onil (fungicide) but right after that four of the blooms closed up and dropped. (still have four flowers on the spike) as I can see though the container the roots are still green and white although a few are turning yellow but all are starting to develop black spots on the roots and the tips of the new growth areas. Is this a fungal infection or the start of some other problem. I thought it might be the start of root rot and cut back my watering by a few days but now I'm not sure. Also after the blooms die off should I leave the spike or cut it completely off to help it get better. There is plenty of air movement here and it's above a humidity tray with plenty of east sun.

Answer
Cheryl, I do not recommend growing orchids in sphagnum.  Sphagnum, and other mosses, tend to compact,  restricting the flow of air to the roots.  Don't be concerned about the black spots on the roots.  These just may be a type of harmless mold resulting from excessive moisture in the root zone kept there by damp, mossy potting mix.  After flowering, I recommend that you repot your plant to a more standard orchid potting mix.  Since the standard mix has fir bark, which, when dry, tends to repel water, it needs to be soaked well before use.  The standard potting mix will allow more air movement through the potting mix and promotes drainage. When you unpot your plant, any mushy roots are rotting roots and should be removed prior to repotting in fresh orchid potting mix. I would leave the old flower spike on the plant.  Some phalaenopsis hybrids retain the  green flower spike and can reflower on the old spike.  Occasionally, the old flower spike will die back.  If this occurs, you can remove the flower spike without damage to the plant.