Question
QUESTION: This is about one of my phal orchids from my wedding 7 months ago. It
was beautiful with a few flowers left until a few days ago. (I think I might
have over watered it 2 weeks ago because the moss was still quite moist.)  
Within the last week all of the remaining flowers fell off so I cut the stem
back. then a few days ago the leaves started to turn yellow and one fell
off so I put it on my covered porch for some humidity and a little sun.
When I brought it back in it looked worse & the rest of the leaves fell off.
(it had either 4 or 5 very healthy leaves just 2 weeks ago!)

I took it out of the pot and took all the moss off of the roots and found that  
the main roots were yellow. Some with a few black spots. I don't know
what to do to help my poor orchid! I'm so worried about this baby!

Thank you in advance for any help!
Courtney

ANSWER: Courtney, it is difficult to say if you can rescue this plant.  Any roots that have collapsed are dead and should be removed (healthy roots are firm). Keeping the roots too wet can lead to root rot- but that depends upon how compacted the moss is and how long the plant has been in the moss.  My best guess is that you do have some root rot leading to the loss of leaves.  The only hope of bringing this plant back is the development of a keiki on the old green flower spike and/or the growth of leaves from the crown of the plant (and only if the crown has not rotted).

You need to find some fir-bark based orchid potting mix and soak it well while you unpot your plant.  Remove any dead roots and repot the plant in a plastic pot with lots of drainage holes in the bottom.  Place the plant in a place where the wet fresh orchid potting mix can drain once the roots have been placed in the pot and the potting mix has been added.  Keep the crown of the plant slightly above the top of the fresh potting mix. Do not water until the wet potting mix has dried and then only once per week. Only by doing this and giving the plant plenty of time to recover will it be possible to know whether the crown still contains enough healthy tissue to begin growing new leaves.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Almost all of the roots are firm and full. That's why I'm so confused about
what happened. There is a specialty Orchid store near where I live.
Should I take it in and have them look it over and see what they they think
could save it?

I really appreciate your help!! Your advise has helped me care for all my
other orchids which are doing just fine!

Answer
Courtney, I have had several orchids that lost their leaves. It is difficlut to tell wether or not the meristemmatic tissue that gives rise to the leaves has been damaged-- even if all of the roots are fine.  Since you cut the flower spike back, there is little chance for the plant to produce a keiki. There is no harm in having someone at the specialty store examine it.  Howeever, compare critically ehat they tell you with my advice.  It is not uncommon to take the easy way out and tell you about how unlikely it is that the plant will come back or how long it would take.  This may all be accurate, so you will have to decide how determined you are to see things through to the end even if the hope of bringing it back is slim.

With regard to the other orchids, if they have been kept on the wet side or in moss, I recommend repotting them into a fir bark based orchid potting mix into plastic pots with lots of drainage holes.  Be sure the potting mix is wet or damp when repottig with it.  Always repot after each flowering.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about growing orchids.  I recently took to task a grower at a Home Depot in another atate for growing the orchids too wet (some were actually sitting in water).  He said that the supplier told him to water twice per day.  I suggested that he get a new supplier and one who knows something about orchids.  This practice may help the plant look fine in the short term.  However, the damage has been done by the time the plants are purchased