i think my orchid is rotting! help please!
 

I need help! In the past few weeks the orchid has lost 3 leaves from turning yellow and falling off. I also had a break in the center leaf which then yellowed and fell off. I thought i was over watering so i slowed it down but the problems continued. Now there is a big black spot on the base of the plant. Is there anything i can do to save my beautiful plant?

Hello Lifesprings and welcome to the OB. It sounds like your orchid might be suffering from crown rot. Can you post a picture or two? Have you checked the condition of the roots?
Joann

A pic of your plant will help out, too. That way we can know for sure what kind it is, and what could be happening.

Kim

The plant sounds like it's as good as dead.

When purchasing a Phal, I recommend checking the roots and the root tips. Select plants with roots crawling out of the pot with beautiful silvery green roots and bright green or olive root tips. Leaves should be firm and green. This is by far the most important...the topmost leaf should be intact and undamaged. The only reason I would look at the flowers in the selection process is to check for symmetry and patterns or markings regardless of how sickly the flowers or buds looked (although premature bud droppage can be an indicator that something isn't right with it, but it's not the sole or most important indicator).

When I worked at an orchid nursery, I was always reminded to never ever break or damage the newly emerging leaves of a Phalanopesis, it is almost always certain death.

To clarify, I meant to say, if I were to select an orchid by looking at the flower itself, it would more likely indicate that I'm aesthetically pleased with it not because I thought the beautifully symmetrical flowers with the nice markings and patterns that are unblemished was an indicator of how healthy I thought the plant was.

Bummer i had a feeling when that leaf broke that it was over for my plant. The entire base of the plant is now black. I tried to download pictures but my camera isn't working. If i can figure it out i will do it.

For the future, if you do buy another Phalaenopsis again, when you water only water the roots. Make sure none of the water gets in between the leaves and gets stuck there. Watering about once to twice a week is sufficient enough. They can handle temperatures of about 60 degrees F to 90 degrees F pretty well. Lighting should be shaded indirect light. Also, if you're going to pot them, grow them in a pot that can drain easily and with large wood chips as the potting medium. Moss stays too wet for Phalaenopsis. If over time, the plant wants to lean over the side of the pot, it's natural.

Oh, yeah, and don't allow any orchid to sit in water. Even an orchid that likes a lot of moisture around the roots like Pleurothallids and Disas don't like it.

I've been growing "Phals" in only moss for ten years with no problems whatsoever. Most are in clay posts that need to be watered every 7 to 10 days. I have two that are in clear plastic with moss as the medium. They get watered every two weeks as that is when they dry out. The roots are as healthy as one could want.