Question
A friend had this beautiful white phaleanopsis in his dressing room for at least 8 weeks and it was doing beautifully.  I have now inherited it and just 3 weeks later in my home, one of the bottom leaves is yellowing and shriveling a bit, another leaf that was laying quite nicely seems to be sticking straight out in shock,and most of the blossoms are wilting (the bottom blossom has the tiniest bit of brown on it). It's one of those typical orange clay pots. Can you please let me know what is happening and if there is something I can do to save this beautiful thing?  I hear they can last for years and I want this one to survive.

Thank You!
Crystal

Answer
Crystal, when your plant goes out of flower you will need to repot it in fresh orchid potting mix.  I recommend repotting it to a plastic pot with lots of drainage holes in the bottom.  Use a commercial grade orchid potting mix.  While removing the plant from its current pot, begin to soak a portion of the fresh orchid potting mix that you plan to use.  Rinse off the roots of the plant and remove any roots that are mushy or stringy (healthy roots are firm and turn green when wet). Place the new pot in an areaa that permits drainage during and immediately after potting because the potting mix will be wet and excess moisture needs to drain from the pot.  Place the heaalthy plant roots into the pot.  If most of the roots are healthy, it may be best to rotate the pot as you lower the roots into the pot to minimize root damage.  Then slowly add the fresh orchid potting mix.   Tap the sides of the pot to help the fresh orchid potting mix settle about the roots.  Best place to put the repotted plant is on an east window sill-- keeping it fsr enough from the window to prevent it from getting too cool (prefer temperatures of 60 - 85 degrees.) If you don't have an east window, then place it in a location so as to mimic your friend's growing conditions.

It is not unusual for phalaenopsis to lose an older leaf.  This is what will happen to the yellowing leaf.  It is the oldest leaf on the plant.  I suspect that the current potting mix has broken down, but, in any event, phalaenopsis needs repotting after each flowering.  Clay pots tend to dry out faster than plastic pots.  When the potting mix gets old it is more soil-like and holds more moisture.  The clay pot tends to compensate for that by letting the mix dry out faster-- probably the reason that the plant has done well up until now.  Eventually, the old potting mix restricts air flow to the roots and the roots will rot.  The fresh orchid potting mix will be more open and permit more air flow to the roots.  The plastic pot prevents the mix frrom drying out too fast ( fresh orchid potting mix contains fir bark which is more difficult to wet-- hence the initial soaking. Remember that orchids naturally grow with their roots exposed in their tropical habitats.  Pot culture is not natural for orchids so the potting mix, pot, and growing conditions, need to be able to provide conditions as close to their native environment as possible.