Question
 I have had my orchid for just over a year - during that time it has bloomed twice.  I occasionally give it miracle grow food and water it once every two weeks depending on the dampness of the soil- knowing that it should just be slightly moist.  Over the last month the orchid has dropped 3 of it's 5 leaves.  They turned yellow and felt soggy first, then fell from bottom up.  I have only two leaves left one green, the other turning yellow.  I recently checked the roots and they were very soggy, brown and terrible looking.  I proceeded to cut them as close to the base as  I could, leaving maybe 2 inches of them- only one was solid and green and about an inch and a half- I left that one.  Next I dusted them with root stimulator and lightly watered them with a 15 50 15 solution.  I added more mulch, new potting soil and put near sun.  Should I have done all this, is there anything else you would recommend?  Thank you in advance-
April


Answer
April, there is a special potting mix for orchids-- so hopefully you used it to repot your plant.  It has some fir bark, perlite, and any number of other ingredients.  Because your plant is considerably smaller and has fewer roots it should be repotted in a much smaller container.  The container you use should be plastic with lots of drainage holes in the bottom.  Phalaenopsis orchids should be repotted annually after each flowering.  When this repotting period is delayed, the potting mix deteriorates, sours, holds too much water, and restricts the flow of air to the roots.  Remember, these are basically air plants and naturally grow often with their roots dangling in the humid air of the jungle.  Pot culture is not natural for these plants so it is imperative that the potting mix used is coarse enough to allow air to the roots, yet has ingredients to prevent the roots from drying out too much.  It is a good thing that you watered only every other week or the plant would have been dead by now.  However, there is so much root damage, it will take quite a long time for the plant to recover.  If you decide to repot your plant with orchid potting mix, soak it well before use as the fir bark component repels water and that repellancy needs to be broken down.

Some morning sunshine is fine.  This is a houseplant and needs temperatures between 65-85 degrees F. so avoid chilling it.  Your plant food is basically a bloom booster, which the plant can't use in its current state.  Use either a balanced fertilizer (eg 20-20-20) or one higher in nitrogen (eg 30-15-20).  Let me now if any of this needs clarification or you need further infomation.