Question
Thanks for the information Kim!
I have removed it from it's old bark which was quite mushy and wet in the bottom. I realize now the drainage wasn't enough and hubbie admited he left part of the old bark in there. At any rate it is in it's new home in a plastic bag half full of damp but not wet new bark and I set the plant on top of that and sealed it and put it up on top of the piano which gets some sunlight. I found the roots to be barely there some super spindly shrunken things and others mushy..all what little there were are very short, some were green so I assume healthy. I've got pictures if you'd like to see and can better tell me if it will live or die...again thanks for your help.
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Followup To

Question -
Hi I have an orchid that is a bit over a year old. We gave it to my mother in law while she lay dying in the hospital a year ago and so we want the plant to live. I've never grown orchids before. Since we've had it it's been toppled over twice. We fixed it back up. A leaf turned a pale yellowish color and seemed to crinkle side ways a bit and died. We removed that leaf and the other two remained. A new leaf is growing up from the middle but the remaining of the old leaves is once again dying turning the pale yellowish color. Is this normal or are we watering it incorrectly. We have it in bark and water it right now about once per week and it sits with a plate thing underneath but I usually let it drain into the sink so it's not sitting in water. It sits in a kitchen dining room window and gets indirect light. Aside from the dying leaf here and there it seems to like it there. However last night while shutting the mini blinds they accidentally smacked into the plant cutting half of the new leaf. Should I leave the leaf or remove it? thanks
Liz Farnsworth
Los Gatos, Ca

Answer -
Hi Liz,

From the description of your orchid and what has happened to it, I believe it is a phalaenopsis orchid and that the roots may have become rotten.

What I would suggest is to remove it from the pot, remove all old bark and any soft mushy roots. Place some moist (not wet) bark in a ziplock bag, the entire plant (including the yellowing leafs and the cut one) then close the bag. Put it in a warm shady place. Hopefully, in a month or two you will see new roots grow but if it continues to die a slow death, there may be no hope for it I'm afraid and destined for the trash bin.

If new roots emerge, leave it in the bag until the roots are about 3 inches long. Get a 3 inch pot, place some moist bark in the bottom then place the orchid in, putting more moist bark around it. Around this time you should also see a new leaf grow from the top. Put the newly potted orchid back where you had been growing it before but about 6 inches away from the mini blinds.

Water it when the bark becomes barely moist, watering when it is still somewhat wet may cause the roots to rot again. Feed it a balance type orchid fertilizer but at 1/4 the amount suggested on the container as phals do not require lots of it to grow and bloom.

If all goes well, the phal should produce 2 or more new leafs over the next year and possibly even a new flowering spike in winter.  

I'm sorry to hear your mother-in-law passed away, I know it can be rather traumatic (I lost mine 2 years ago).

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.

Answer
Hi again Elizabeth,

Hopefully the phal will make new roots! From your description of what is happening, it does sound as though there may be a few new roots growing. New roots will have a green tip and as it grows it will become greyish behind the green tip. Let's hope you will see some grey appear in a month or so! By the way, phals may go semi-dormant in late summer and the root tip will turn grey. When it comes out of hibernation, you will see the tip turn green again.

As for those spindly looking roots, they are the actual root of the phal. The soft mushy part is called velamen (grey and firm when healthy) which is super absorbent to take up and hold water and nutrients until the inner root can take it upwards to the leaves.

If you'd like to send a couple of photos, send them to [email protected] and put Phal photos on the subject line.

Keep up the good work.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.