What could it be?

[Becca]

I gave a friend a couple of hybrid phals back in August or September. All was going well. I told her to let them dry out before watering them again and to only water early in the day. They were in 3 inch clear round slotted pots. For me they were drying out every 3 or 4 days and that is what I told her. I even made a house call to check up on them around the end of October and all was going well! Well she called me and said that she thinks they are gonners. She meant to call me sooner but with her in school and all she was pretty busy. She told me that ever since I have her a refill on her fertilizer water (exactly what I use) that they started not looking happy. I think it's a coincidensce. She started seeing black on the stem (I am sure this was rot). She said it didn't progress very fast until just the other day when she watered it. She said 15 minutes later she went back to look at them and one of the 'chids turned black. How is this possible? It sounds as though they are beyond saving but I told her I would pick them up tonight on my way home. They were inexpensive duplicates so I am not really worried about it. I don't think it was the result of direct sun since I know the spot she has them in doesn't get direct sunlight, which I warned her about. I even helped pick out where to put them. I'll post pictures later when I get them....if there is anything to post a picture of. But is it possible for an orchid to turn black within 15 minutes? She really thinks it was something with the water because she said every time she watered (about 3 or 4 days or sometimes a couple days longer) they they seemed to get worse. Also she stated that the potting medium didn't want to soak up the water? It had moss in the mixture so I find that odd. Perhaps when I see them I'll have a better idea of what happened? I am stumped!