1) Crown and roots: If the crown--the part of the plant that connects the leaves and the roots--is brown and mushy (this can occur from too much water), the orchid is likely dead. However, a healthy, resting orchid has roots that are green or white and plump or firm to the touch.
If your orchid shows yellow halos on its leaves, it may be sick with Erwinia. Use a pair of sterile, sharp shears to remove infected areas. If your orchid is turning black, it may be sick with a fungal or bacterial infection.
Orchids work in cycle between growing new leaves and new roots to new blooms. And without it having current leaves, a new leaf cannot grow because leaves grow from the middle of existing leaves. Without leaves it can not produce new leaves, new roots, and thus new blooms. The whole cycle breaks down.
Cutting Off Dead Stems
If the flower spike has turned brown, the orchid has decided that this flower spike is dead and no amount of care from you will change this. Cut the stem all the way down to the base of the plant.
Signs of Orchid Root Rot
Any time stems, leaves, or aerial roots start to look limp or pale, the best place to start is to remove the orchid from its pot and examine the roots. Rotten roots are discolored, brown or black, soft, mushy, and flat (lost turgidity.)
As with most rots on orchids, a tell-tale sign are black or brown patches. These patches spread rapidly, so you need to act fast if you notice them. The rot normally appears at the base of the orchid stem, where you may also find the area above this turns a creamy yellow colour (as seen in the photograph above).
Step 4 Wait about a few months for a new leaf.
If you've cut the flower spike, you'll want to wait a few months before you induce spiking. Once it gets a new leaf that is fully grown, your orchid is recovered and ready to rebloom.
Water Weekly
Just because your orchid no longer has its blooms doesn't mean you should stop watering it. Continue to water your orchid with three ice cubes (one ice cube for orchid minis) on the usual day each week.
You can remove the entire flower spike so that the orchid plant can put more energy back into the leaves and roots, helping it to grow stronger and produce a fresh new flower spike. Be sure to use sterilized pruning shears or scissors versus a knife. This will avoid damage to the plant.
Overwatered orchids will have leaves that look limp or sometimes leathery depending on the species. The existing leaves may begin turning yellow, and new leaves may look pleated. Usually a change in the leaves is the most visible warning sign that orchids give.
You will know your orchid is dehydrated when you see that its bottom leaves are yellow and wilted, and its buds are falling off instead of opening (bud blast).
If you find that your orchid has bad roots, snip them off with a sterilized cutting tool and then repot it. On the other hand, if the part of the orchid that connects the leaves and the roots is mushy, it is time to toss the plant.
Orchids require enough sunlight to produce flowers, but some require full sun for the whole day while others grow better only in the shade. Most orchids fall somewhere in the middle – requiring indirect sunlight or dappled light.
Like all plants, orchids require sufficient light in order to produce flowers. Insufficient light is the most common cause of failure to re-bloom your orchid. Leaf color indicates if the amount of light is adequate.
An orchid generally needs water once a week during the winter and twice a week when the weather turns warm and dry. An orchid shouldn't go longer than two to three weeks without water; it will start dying.
If roots are overwatered they will look like mush and have very little substance. Orchid roots are generally only bright green right after they have been watered and will turn silvery green after a few days. If they are still bright green and you haven't watered them recently, they may be getting too much water.
Normal Bloom Loss
A natural orchid cycle typically sees the growth of leaves in summer and early fall, followed by a bloom spike in late fall or early winter, then blooming in early spring. Some orchids will bloom for several months before the blooms wilt and fall off.
For weak spikes, place your plant in an east-facing window, with a curtain to diffuse the direct sunlight. For short spikes, less light is key, so move the orchid away from the window. And for thin spikes, beef up your plant's mineral levels with a phosphorous-rich fertilizer, and move it to closer to the light.
It can take an orchid a few months to grow a new stem after one has been cut off or broken off. Just make sure to cut it down to the bottom of the stem to signal to the plant to grow a new one.
Once all the flowers are spent, the plant is likely dormant (this usually happens in fall), and can be pruned more dramatically. Remove any dead or dying stalks right back to the roots, and take healthy stalks that have finished blooming down to around an inch from the main stalk. Healthy stems should then regrow.
Cut Back the Orchid Flower Spike
Withered stems won't produce flowers. Removing the stem will direct the +plant's energy toward root development, which makes for a healthier plant and increased chances for new bloom spikes.
Look for these Signs of root rot. Healthy orchid roots are light green or silvery in color. Over watered and Rotting roots are dark green or black. Squeeze the roots.