Question
Hello Jim,

I hope you can help me.  My phaleonopsis orchid is very sick.  It had about 7
leaves and only two are left.  They are turning yellow and falling off.  I read on
one website to remove the plant from the potting mixture, so I did that.  All
of my roots with the exception of two were brown and wet and soggy.  I read
on a site to tug off all the soggy stuff, so I did.  Now I am left with a bunch of
long skinny stringy things that I guess are the inside of the root.  There are
two leaves that are still green and two healthy looking roots and all the
strings and I just have it sitting in a bowl.  Oh yes, the orchid is currently in
bloom and has about 6 flowers and about ten buds.  Can I save this orchid?

Answer
Hello Amy,

I hope I can help save it.  

The two remaining leaves, are they the top two?  I hope so!  Phalaenopsis produce new leafs from the top, so it is important that the top leaves are still healthy.  If not, I'm afraid there is not much that can be done to save it.  

Cut those dead stringy root remnants so they are about three inches long.  Repot the phalaenopsis using fresh orchid media, those stringy roots will help stabilize it in the pot until it can grow new roots.  

Hope this helps.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.