Intensive Care Gone wrong

[Mrs. W]

Ok, so I think i may have made matters worse... I was reading that you could cut the yellowing stem to the "node" i think that is what they called it or cut it down to the plant. To be honest with you, the jury is still out on that. Anywho, I cut the stem with a sterile blade and put ground cinnamon on the cut. Checked on it today when I got home. The stem is still turning yellow . I think I may have just killed Renata!!! I also decided to un-pot her to check the roots to see if they were rotten- like you all suggested. I enclosed a pic... At this point in time, I am not sure if I nipped it in the bud completely, or she may pull through and I may have a survival story to tell... Please help! Thank you for the support through all of this.

[Wynn Dee13]

Just because the flower spike turned yellow doesn't mean the plant is dead. The spikes don't last forever. It isn't surprising the plant is drying up its flower spike since it is dehydrated. The plant will grow a new flower spike when it has enough energy to do so. I always cut my spikes all the way off. I don't let them branch from a node. Blooming takes a lot of energy and I prefer to let my plant put that energy into new roots and new leaves.

Your plant is very dehydrated so it is better for the spike to die anyway so the plant puts its energy into roots and leaves. Are the roots the plant has left firm or are they hollow and/or squishy? If the roots are firm they are healthy and if they are hollow or squishy they are dead. Remove the dead roots if there are any. If the plant has at least some healthy roots that is good. If the plant doesn't there is a good chance it won't survive. But people have saved orchids with no roots so it isn't hopeless.

[camille1585]

Yellowing spikes are absolutely 100% normal and have no effect whatsoever on the plant's health. Some Phals lose their spikes soon after the blooms fall off, others keep bare green stems for a long time. Also it's not yellowing stems that you cut back to a node (since they are dying anyway), it's green stems. There is no way to stop the process, once a spike starts to yellow it usually does so all the way.

The roots look healthy enough (hard to tell from a small photo), so your plant is probably dehydrated from lack of water. Repot into fresh medium, and try increasing your watering frequency a bit. In any case, even if your plant does have a problem and is dying, it is absolutely not because of the yellowing spike!

[Mrs. W]

thats a relief. I am headed to Lowe's for a bigger pot, orchid potting mix, etc. ... There is hope for me yet!!! Thanks!!!!!

[Bud]

Nope you didn't kill Renata....she is still alive with nice roots to tide her over to make new leaves....repot on the same pot you had her in....a bigger pot will rot her remaining roots....if the media mix is still clean and not decaying....just wash it and use it again.

[Mrs. W]

Thanks Bud. I am going to pot Renata in the morning.

[james mickelso]

Yeah!! What Wynn Dee and Bud said. I can't see whether the leaves are wrinkled or not. When you repot "Renata" don't drown her. Soak the potting media for an hour or so, then pot her in the same pot she was in and leave her alone. Don't water her any more until next week. Then water her well, and let her dry out again. Repeat for at least a month or until you see new root growth or a new leaf coming out from the center of the crown. The roots look healthy in the pic. Good luck.