Beautiful new spotted phal needs diagnosis!
 

Can anyone help me save Inky?

I couldn't pass up this interestingly blotched phal (noid?) at this hole-in-the-wall florist shop. I checked it out, the roots I could see looked plump and olive/silver colored. The lady had been misting like crazy so it was pretty damp. This was one week ago. I checked her yesterday morning and she looked fine, but when I came home from work I noticed the leaves were starting to die! My bf left the blinds open all day so I thought maybe too much direct sun. The old medium was pretty wet so I went ahead and repotted into dry bark mix and did not water. The center roots were light brown like worms, not black or rotting. I cut a few roots and dipped the cut ends in cinnamon. Is this root rot? crown rot? Sun damage? Do I water it? Water it less? This is only my third phal ever, the first two having been adopted strays. Please help!

Sunburn.

It really looks like sun damage to me from the pic. If it is crown rot you will know when the center leaf falls off :((

The roots look excellent but you must water the bark mix or you will dehydrate the leaves and then have another problem.

Water this plant thoroughly and then wait until there is no condensation visible and water again. Don't mist, it only makes you feel good and does nothing for the plant except to possibly cause crown rot.

Brooke

Yes, sunburn. I like to use neosporin on something that gets that damaged. Hopefully it will grow new leaves. I agree with Brooke, you must water the plant mix or you will have problems in that area.

Ugh. Sunburn.
I did water this morning, having left it dry overnight in case the roots were too wet.
So at this point do I just wait for new leaves? Am I OK to leave the flowers?
I will try kiki-do's neosporin suggestion when I get home, as well as be more careful from now on! Thanks to everyone for the speedy replies!

Leave it be...it shall grow! Cut not the spikes and enjoy the flowers.

I agree with the rest about the sunburn.
Phals are quite sensitive to direct sun, they can adapt to tolerate this, but only if introduced to the encreaset light slowly... Even here, in Norway where the sun is less brigth, i have to move my phals away form the windowsill during the sunniest time of the day. Especially the spring-sun can damage a phal severly, its too mutch too fast.

Leave it be, out of the sun, and dont mist the leaves og flowers, and it will probably bee fine after a while*s*