Ok, so I'm afraid I've reversed my previous decision and ignored the advice and I've gone ahead and removed the base. :sorry:

The reason for my change of mind, having decided to follow your advice yesterday, was that this evening when I got home there were signs of mold on the base and one of the root fragments which looked OK yesterday was black. :_(

Yesterday I had left it resting over a pot of water (not touching the water at all) with a bag to keep in the moisture. Maybe I had not let it dry enough after a thorough spay of the roots just before that... not sure... but all that bottom section was looking sodden tonight and the signs of mold growth really worried me.

I've used listerine afterwards, then rinsed it off, then used cinnomon as well. It's now resting over the pot of water but no bag over it... I'm going to keep a close eye on it's moisture levels.

Anyway, now I've done it! Too late to go back!
It may live, it may die :dunno:

Sorry to ask advice and then ignore it. At least I knew before I made the decision that I was going against all the advice. :sorry:

This plant looks 100% better then mine months ago.
With good advise from this forum, my plants are doing well. One for that matter is in bloom. I did bag mine to help them. They are all out of sick bay now.
I have onother plant in the maternity ward, with 4 little once. That plant was fine, got it from someone else just for that purpose. I bought some of that keiki pro...wow

That phal looks just like mine did a little while ago. Instead of the sphag-n-bag, I repotted it, then loosely tented a produce bag over it, keeping it out of the sun. Since then, it has recovered nicely with roots and leaves all over the place.

You did what you felt was in need at the time, no reversing just some TLC and I am sure you will be flourished with awesome blooms in the near future. :goodluck:

Thanks Cheryl, as you say for good or bad it's done now.

I'm keeping a very careful eye on it... no more sign of the mold growth which is what had scared me into the cut. It's now resting over a pot of water (not touching) with a bag tenting it. I'm also spraying the remaining roots when they look dry (up to twice a day).

I want to see that the root nubbins are actively growing still, then I'm going to pot it up and carry on with the bag tent over that.

My pot is too big for the amount of roots so I'm going to take advice I read somewhere else on OB and put a yogurt pot upside down inside with slits cut to let air in. This should reduce the volume of bark and make sure it is well drained and vented.

Lots of TLC, it will get daily attention. And it will either live or die... we shall see.