Question
I was trying to stake the flowering limb of my orchid because it has become so heavy it is curved right down to the floor. I guess I lifted it up a bit too far and i heard a snap.  the limb is still attached and the outside "skin" of the plant doesn't seem to be broken but it definitely suffered some damage.  it snapped right where this particular limb grew out of the main stalk and it feels really "floppy."  are my flowers going to fall off? is the whole stalk likely to die? or is there anything i can do to save it? i finished staking it to take some of the strain off of the break but im really worried about my plant.  that is the only portion of the plant that has ever flowered and it was doing so well! please help

Answer
Candace, it can't hurt to stake the flower spike.  Try to stake it in as natural position as possible to take the stress from the break.  Even at that you are likely to lose some or all of the flowers above the break.  The good news is that, failing to maintain the flowers above the break, you can cut off the spike below the break but just above a node (ie joint) in the flower spike, and you may force a branch in the flower spike from the node just below your cut.  This branch has the capability to form buds and flowers.

As a precaution, you may want to repot your plant after you have removed the broken part of the flower spike.  When you are reasy for that step, let me know and I can guide you through the repotting process.  Repotting in fresh orchid potting mix will help to maintain the health of the plant and protect it from root rot.  It is a recommended practice to repot orchids after each flowering.