Question
Hello Jim,
I went travelling for 4 months and left my beloved phalaenopsis orchid with a friend. A week ago I picked it up and it's not looking good. I gave it to him last May and it had 4 stems and about 14 amazing flowers. When I picked it up it had only 2 stems, dry and yellow (no flowers, but I guess that's ok). So I decided to cut one stem at the base, and the other stem almost at the base, at the start of the green bit. There were about 2.5cm left, but now I noticed even that small bit is gone yellow! Shall I cut it off at the base? The leaves look great, they are about 6-7 and medium-dark green. While I was away a new leaf came out and it's a bit lighter that the others, its smaller and it has a cut in the middle. I have also another question: I've always kept the media(with holes) in a plastic pot and when I water it, the water stays in the pot for a few days. When it disappears I water it again. Shall I empty that pot everytime I water and dont let it stay wet for days? What do they mean with "washing the plant down?" also, do I need fertilizer?
I look forward to your help and advice. Thank you so much,
Francesca

Answer
Hello Francesca,

I hope your 4 month trip was great!  

While phalaenopsis flowers can last for quite some time, they don't last forever.  Two months is fairly average with some lasting less and some more.  Once the flowers are gone, the stem may begin slowly dying back, turning brown from the top on down.  You did the right thing by cutting them down as low as you safely could, the little stump you can leave if you wish or remove it once it is dry.  

New leafs many times will emerge a little lighter green than the older leaves and darken with age.  Light green leaf color could also be due to a mineral deficiency (fertilizer) and exposure to too much sunlight.  The cut leaf may actually be a split or crack that may have been caused by low humidity.  

You may be watering it a little too often, phals. prefer the potting media to become barely moist between waterings.  Media kept too wet can cause the roots to rot.  You may not notice rotten roots until it is too late, the leaves will become droopy then wrinkly.  Also, kept constanly wet can cause the potting media to break down quicker which is anouther cause for rotten roots because broken down media tends to stay wet longer.  

"Washing the plant down" (at least how I do it) is running water over the entire plant to clean the leaves.  Be sure to tip the plant to get as much water to run off the leaves before you set it down.  If you do this, be sure to do it early in the morning to allow enough time for the leaves to dry before nightfall.  

Yes, it would be a good idea to feed it some fertilizer once in a while.  Use a balance type fertilizer recommended for orchids but use about 1/4 the amount suggested on the container as phals. do not need lots to grow and bloom.  

Hope this has helped.  Good luck and good growing.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.