Phalaenopsis aphrodite with brown aerial roots, yellow leaves, and shriveled buds

[Lyddie]

Hello, I am new to this site so please excuse any first time errors in the use of posting, I want to learn!

This is my first orchid and I’m coming up on a year of caring for her. She has been in bloom for the full year, with the last set of blooms having just fallen off. I realized there wasn’t as many new blooms and one of the buds shrugged and fell with others on the way. I checked the roots and it seemed to suffer from some kind of root issue as the outside shell of the roots came off to show the inner White string of the roots. I trimmed the roots that I suspected to have root rot and left the firm roots, although they were all dark green/slightly gray. I’m addition, some of the aerial roots are browning by the stem. I recently moved so I’m not sure if this is a shell shock or if the plant is suffering from under watering, any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board! A year of flowering - that's great!

Your plant looks as though it has been severely dehydrated for weeks to months. The roots I see are healthy. I would guess you haven't been watering enough. Phals need good air circulation around the roots. If they have air at the roots, they can stay moist all the time.

Your description of the roots you cut off makes me suspect you cut off good roots. I never cut old roots unless they are black or brown and slimy.

Now would be a good time to repot the orchid. Every 2 years is a good time frame, and it was probably in that pot for at least a year before you got it. Before doing that I suggest you read some of a thread discussing care of Phals. From the left yellow menu select Forums then Beginners. Near the top is a sticky thread, The Phal abuse stops here. After glancing through that you can decide what kind of pot and medium you want to use.

[Lyddie]

Thank you so much for your help, I had previously reported him two months ago in a bark mix that helped with drainage, but apparently drains too well! I will definitely go through the site to make sure I can do better.

[estación seca]

If bark has large chunks and drains rapidly, that means you can and need to water it more. If you have the time they are less likely to run into rotting trouble.

[Rhonda Svoboda]

You have a seriously dehydrated orchid. Water a LOT more. Cut off all dead top growth so the orchid can recover. Repot the orchid in spaghnam moss and keep it damp-not soggy. The roots look healthy. It takes a lot of energy for a plant to bloom so please-cut off the blooms so the orchid can concentrate on recovering. If you act promptly the orchid will live and produce many blooms in the future

[Roberta]

DON'T CUT! A Phalaenopsis grows from only one point. You cut it, you kill the plant. The plant is simply dehydrated. The new growth actually looks pretty good. There is an old leaf that is on its way out, that's natural. It will fall of its own accord. Just increase the watering, since it is now in a well drained medium.

Don't cut anything green without a good reason - even old, spent Phalaenopsis spikes that won't bloom any more,if you can stand to look at them. The plant can "recycle" the tissue. When it's brown and crispy, then it is really done. A far as buds blasting, it has been in bloom for a long time... that, along with the dehydration issue (solvable with more frequent watering), can cause buds to not make it... never fear, if the plant is healthy it will grow new spikes (but not fast... orchids teach patience, progress is measured in months not days or weeks)