Help! My Phal is dying. Do I cut off the dead flower head?

[B2416]

So about two weeks ago I over watered my plant. I didn't know I wasn't suppose to let water sit in it but I removed it after my husband said something later in the day. But after a week my flower edges and inside started to turn yellow not all but some. And then the flowers looked wrinkly? And just not like they did when I first got it. The leaves look good. But now one flower has died and turned in. Sorry don't know how else to describe it. It's weeping. Do I cut off the dead flower head for a new one to grow? What do I do?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

1) Phals are not supposed to be sitting in water.

2) Please read this sticky: The Phal abuse ends here..

3) I don't know if you're aware or not, but that is a Phal with white flowers dyed blue. Anything you say regarding color at this point is kinda misleading.

4) It may have been time for the flower(s) to fade. Without knowing anything about the growing parameters such as a measured temperature range the orchid's growing in, relative humidity in the growing area, and amount of lighting you're providing, it is extremely difficult to advise you specifically. Also, without knowing how long you've had your orchid in bloom for, or whether you purchased the orchid while it was in bloom, it is difficult to say for certain if the flowers were ready to go or not.

Providing general information gets you general information.

[B2416]

1) yes I realize now that it is not suppose to be sitting in water. It is my first plant I have ever had.

3) I know that they are dyed. I didn't know if maybe areas of it turning yellow mean it is dying. So I don't know what about that is misleading.

My point of it mostly is if my flower head is turned "in" and looks dead do I cut it off or leave it?

I added a picture

It was blue when I got it so I would think it was not in bloom. I am a beginner I know nothing as far as growing plants. I searched this site and found it for advice I don't want to kill my plant. Anyways, currently some of the flower heads have turned white the majority are still blue. With now small spots of yellow. I don't know if that means anything or is normal. I have it in bright light but no direct sunlight a majority if not all day and room temps average 68-75. Humidity I am not quite sure.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by B2416

1) yes I realize now that it is not suppose to be sitting in water. It is my first plant I have ever had.

Let me be clear...

Isn't this what you typed?

Originally Posted by B2416

I didn't know I wasn't suppose to let water sit in it but I removed it after my husband said something later in the day.

If it is, then that signifies to me that your Phal was sitting in water unless I misunderstood what you typed. If this was not your intention, then restate it so that it is clear not just to me, but maybe to others.

Originally Posted by B2416

3) I know that they are dyed. I didn't know if maybe areas of it turning yellow mean it is dying. So I don't know what about that is misleading.

Let me clarify things further...

I didn't mean YOU are being misleading.

The misleading portion of describing coloration is that it is difficult to tell what is what when it is dyed.

Originally Posted by B2416

My point of it mostly is if you even looked at the picture was if my flower head is turned "in" and looks dead do I cut it off or leave it?

I looked at your photo. Don't assume I didn't.

You may leave a wilted flower on and it will still fall off.

[B2416]

I didn't assume you did or didn't looked at my picture. That's why I said "if".

And yes those are both what I typed. When I said yes I realize they are not that was after my husband had told me they were not to be left in water. So I made the first mistake of doing that. So when you told me I already knew that I was not suppose too.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The temperature ranges sound like they are ok.

The dye can fade a little bit, so when you describe the white, that's all it means to me.

Yellow spots could be the natural yellow color patterns of the flowers. The flower is not pure white. It is white with yellow in the center with some reddish brown speckling.

With the dye, it is difficult to know if the yellow coloration you're describing is anything else.

[B2416]

Ok thank you.
Is that one wilted flower done for or do they rebloom again? Will it kill the rest of the plant?
Sorry if these questions are stupid I just don't know anything about growing plants.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you really want to know how the plant's doing, check the roots, not necessarily the flowers first.

Then you check the stem.

Afterwards, check the leaves.

Lastly, you check the flowers.

If everything's cool, you're plant's cool.

---------- Post added at 10:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by B2416

Is that one wilted flower done for...

Yes, that one wilted flower is done.

Originally Posted by B2416

...or do they rebloom again?

Yes, your particular Phal can re-bloom, but not from the same location where the flowers wilted. It will either create a new flower spike from one of the nodes along the existing spike and flower from there, or it will produce a brand new inflorescence and bloom from there.

Phals are varied and, therefore, they have a variety of ways to re-bloom. I just described how I think your Phal will behave when it blooms, but there are other kinds of Phals that can re-bloom from the same inflorescence and from the same area that the last flower wilted from, if this makes sense.

Originally Posted by B2416

Will it kill the rest of the plant?

A wilted flower will not kill a Phal.

There are other orchids that do die after they've bloomed, but Phalaenopsis is not a genus of orchids that are typically known for this kind of behavioral trait.

Originally Posted by B2416

Sorry if these questions are stupid I just don't know anything about growing plants.

If you don't know, you don't know. You have to start somewhere.

[B2416]

Thanks for your help!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

With store bought Phals I highly recommend checking those roots.

Most orchids that grow on trees in the wild have roots that can photosynthesize. Meaning that it is normal for their roots to look green after they've been watered. When dry, the roots look a silvery white. Actively growing root tips are usually green if they've been exposed to enough light. If the light is strong, then the root tips can become orange-brown or reddish brown. Only the roots that are buried in the moss or bark will look really pale and washed out, with a translucent white root tip gently flushed with some yellow.

Dead roots are usually light brown or beige, and when you squeeze them, they're hollow. When you gently pull on the dead roots, they have a layer that sloughs off.

Mushy roots are roots that were once alive, but are on their way to becoming dead. When you squeeze the orchid's roots, no water or juice should be coming out of them and they should be firm.

Being that it is summer in the US, it is also growing season for Phals. Warmer temperatures signal Phals to put on a significant amount of growth relatively quickly.

---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------

I forgot to mention...

Your Phal is most likely one that blooms only once a year. I'm not 100% sure about this statement, but I think I'm fairly dead on with this assessment.