Rootless Phalaenopsis: Yellow Leaves at Base

[Thiru]

Hi all from South Africa. My orchid leaves have all turned yellow and fell off. Roots brown. But before this the 3 spikes have keiki’s. The spikes turned brown but the leaves are still green. My question is will these keikis survive? My aunt cut the 2 of 3 spikes and planted them in potting soil I left the 3rd attached to what remains on the main orchid. Pls advise

Thank you

[Dusty Ol' Man]

What kind of orchid? Do the keikis has any roots? Most likely potting soil will kill them due to the roots not getting enough air. Can you post some pictures?

[aliceinwl]

If the keikis have roots, they can easily survive but not in potting soil. You want a pot that just fits the roots (if the pot is too big it will tend to stay moist too long). Orchids breath through their roots and potting soil will smother them. I like bark as a substrate for mine. When the bark goes dry (roots will turn silver) it’s time to water. If you can’t see the roots in the pot you can use weight (pot will feel lighter when dry) or check out the sticky thread at the top of the forum about using skewers as a means to determine when to water.