Question
I got my new indoor common orchid last month. It had nice white Bloom on it which has dropped one by one now and another new branch of buds is coming out. At the same time however, I put it in direct sun to get rid of too much water in the pot fast and in doing so one of the bottom leaves got hurt and now even when I put it back in indirect bright light with less watering, the leaf is yellowing now and look like it will drop soon. Also , there was another new leaf coming out which now looks parched as well. The budd branch looks OK and other 3 leaves look green and doing OK. The pot is a clay pot and after some research I have started soaking the pot in water from outside for humidity and every two days I put some water in the planter tray for overnight humidity but no direct watering in the Orchid mix anymore.

I am worried about my plant and want to see it healthy and happy again. Please help me with your expert advice on it.

Thank you,
Orchid-Lover

Answer
Hello Orchid-lover,

I'm afraid once a leaf has been exposed to direct hot sunlight and the leaf gets sunburned, it will remain that way until it falls off due to old age.  Next time if you water it too much, try tipping the pot to one side to drain the excess water out.  The new leaf that also shows signs of sunburn is probably on the same side as the older leaf.  It should continue to grow to maturity but with the discoloration.  

Soaking the pot is a good way to water your orchid but I would be cautious about watering it every 2 to 3 days.  For most orchids, it is best to allow the potting mix to become barely moist before watering again.  Watering too often will mean the mix remains constantly wet which then can cause the roots to rot.  

Lastly, I believe your indoor common orchid is called a Phalaenopsis orchid plant.  

Hope this helped.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.