Question
Hi there, I received an orchid plant as a gift a month ago. I was told to water it once a week, which i have done. I also placed it near a window, out of direct sun light. Since i received the plant the flowers have withered and the stem from the main plant to the flower have become a clear white colour and then they fall off. I noticed yesterday that the pot the soil is in, was surounded by water. So i poured the water out and tried to drain the pot a little to dry it out. It doesn't seem to have worked, the flowers are still withering. When i received the orchid, i noticed that on one of the leaves, there was a brown mark. Not sure if this is any correlation to the dying flowers. Every time i receive an orchid i kill it, and no idea why. If you could help me i would be so greatful. Thank you, Dee.

Answer
Dee, thank you for your question-- maybe, together, we can save this plant.  I'm going to assume you have a phalaenopsis orchid as that is the most common.  You need to obtain some fresh special orchid potting mix and a plastic pot about the right size for the plant's roots.  Then unpot your plant and rinse off the roots.  Any mushy roots are likely to be dead-- not a good thing.  Remove all of the dead roots before you repot this plant in its new potting mix.  The primary cause of the root rot has been too much water and not enough air at the roots.  After repotting, do not let the pot stand in any water.  Once per week, flush water through the potting mix and let the pot drain and place it on a windowsill (preferably east facing).  You may place the pot on a saucer to collect any undrained water and toss out the water so the pot is not standing in it.  During unpotting you will discover that you have a number of dead roots (healthy roots are firm).  It will take a couple of months to notice the start of new root and leaf growth.