Question
Hello,
I have a beautiful "Phan" orchid with very large leaves. I noticed a couple of months ago that 2 leaves turned yellow & eventually fell off. I sprayed some fungicide on the stalk & it was okay until this week when I lost another leaf. The leaves above are strong & I have a new leaf coming out as well as a new root & a new flower stalk but the stem is black in between. What can I do?
Thanks so much,
Valerie

Answer
Hello Valerie,

From your description, it sounds like the problem may be due to a fungus.  The reason I say this is because you said it is black in between.  Fungus can appear when water is left on the plant overnight, for this reason it is best to do any watering in the morning to allow time for the water droplets to evaporate before night fall.  Also, it helps if there is some light air movement around the phalaenopsis orchid.  

You can try removing the black fungus by wiping with a soft tissue dipped in a little isopropyl alcohol, but if it has been on for a couple of days it probably will not come off completely.  

Hope this helped.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.