Question
My phalenopsis (sorry about spelling) has been in a window that faces due East. It receives direct sunlight for about an hour in the morning, and then bright indirect light for the rest of the day. Everything I read tells me that this is the right amount of light, but the leaves are still dying off, one by one. How can I prevent more wilting?

Answer
Hello Andrew,

What you did not tell me about was how you have been caring for it.  The place you have is ideal, a little early morning direct sun then bright shade the rest of the day.  

My suspicion is that you have been watering the phalaenopsis from the top of the pot and possibly in the late afternoon and that some water may be getting on the leaves.  Water left on the leaves overnight can lead to a fungus infection and it slowly kills the leaf.  Check the base of a leaf that has fallen or about ready to fall off, if there is a black sooty substance there it probably is fungus.  You can minimize this from happening by only watering in the morning to allow sufficient time for any water to evaporate off the leafs.  It helps if there is some light air movement also.  

If you do not find fungus on the leafs, write back and I'll explore some other causes for leaf die off.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.