Question
Hi Wayne,

I have two moth orchids. The white one has about 8 flowers of different sizes but all flowers look a bit feeble and droopy now. The outer (older) leaves feel floppy and are a bit wrinkly and the newer leaves are firmer. A brand new leaf appears to be sprouting. The roots looked withered but after watering today turned green and look succulent!

The pink one only has 3 blooms but they look healthy. It has far fewer leaves too and the leaves are purply. They have always been like this I do not know if it is simply the colour of the orchid, or if they ought to be bright green like the white orchid. The stem also is dark purple and has been since I bought it.

I think that perhaps they are coming to the end of their flowering season? I expect that by October all the blooms will have dropped off. What should I do next? Should I repot them? Into bigger pots? Do I change their location? Should I water them more frequently? I've had then since May and I would love to see them bloom again next spring.

Thanks for your advice and sorry my message is so long!

Answer
Thanks for your questions Crystal.  The plants may be at the end of their bloom season, especially if they have been flowering for more than a month. Premature termination of flowering is usually traceable to a root problem.  Since phalaenopsis would be repotted in orchid potting mix at the end of each blooming period, you should repot. When you repot, you will be able to check their root condition.  If any of the roots are mushy, those should removed.  Healthy roots are firm and turn green when wet.  The size of the pot does matter and depends upon the amount of healthy roots.  If you had to trim off many roots, the remaining root mass may be small enough to repot back to the same pot. If the roots are healthy, you may need to repot to a pot about an inch larger in diameter. I recommend that you repot using a commercially prepared orchid potting mix.  It should contain some fir bark, among other ingredients.  Since dry fir bark repels water it should be soaked for an hour or more prior to use. I prefer to use plastic pots with lots of drainage holes for phalaenopsis. Clay pots tend to allow water to evaporate through pores in their walls and may dry out too quickly near the inside pot walls.

Phalaenopsis prefer to grow where they receive some morning sunshine.