Hi Judy -

Congratulations on getting your first orchid! Watch out though, their addictive :) From what you're describing, it sounds like the natural process that the plant goes through. I'd wait and repot it after all the flowers drop off. An exception to this might be if the plant has root rot - in that case, I'd repot it asap.

Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) like to grow their roots out of the pot, so what you're describing is natural. Although, the dried out part doesn't sound too good. How often do you water it? If the potting media is wet, but the outside roots are dry, I'd mist the roots sticking out and see if they perk up. Growing new leaves is a good thing - sounds like you have a healthy plant.

Also those green "horns" that you're describing....could they possibly be keiki's? A keiki is a new little baby plant growing off of the old flower spike. There was a post recently uploaded by 'olyagrove' showing a little keiki growing on a spike. Here's the link: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/orchids/msg042216246488.html?6

~altair

hi altair,
thanks for the explanations! i think i might already be a little obsessed with the plant - i check it every day to see if anything has happened! :)

when i got the orchid, the roots that were sticking out were already kind of dried out... I water it once a week, and i put some rocks on the tray and always leave a little bit of water there (it doesn't touch the pot where the orchid is). I leave the plant on a southern window, and always have the shade down. I did some research, but couldn't find any specific cases like my orchid, since that one flower is just hanging in there! hehehe :)

the horns (sorry, still learning the lingo) could be a keiki... i looked at the link you sent, mine look just like the tip of that picture, it doesn't have leaves or anything. I think they stopped growing - i can't tell if there has been any significant changes since i noticed them coming out?

should i just pull the whole plant out and check out the roots inside the pot? I'm a little scared of doing that - i don't want to kill the plant!

thanks!

Congrats on your first orchid. I was 12 years old when I got my first plant (a cattleya). 40 plus year later, I'm still growing cattleyas. Orchids are infective.
Phalies like most epiphytes grow in trees and extend aerial roots out. The green tips of the roots possess chlorophyll so they are photo-sensitive and sometimes grow toward a light source. However, it doesn't sound good if the roots outside the pot are dry and shriveled. Wait till the plant finishes blooming and repot in a fresh medium. When you buy these plants from the store, there's no telling how long the plant was sitting in the pot. A lot of phalies are potted in sphagnum. Nothing wrong with that, but in a plastic pot, it has the problem staying too wet for too long and the main roots might have become rotten from over-watering. While Phalies don't possess a water storage system like the pseudobulbs of cattleyas and the like, they don't like to be in standing water or soaking wet medium. They need to dry out between watering. Phalies in the wild grow in the humid jungles of Indonesia. There is regular rain, but there is also a good amount of breeze and airflow that allows the plant to dry out before the next shower. Also, the higher humidity helps the plant from being desiccated. The "little green horns" on the inflorescence maybe either another secondary flower spike or a "keiki" or the formation of a baby plant. Sometimes if the plant starts to break keikis over flower, the plant might be in distress. When a plant senses it is dying, it will do anything to preserve itself, either by flowering or making keikis. But you will not know that for a while. A good sign is that the plant is putting out a new leaf. Make sure that when you water, never leave standing water in the crown (the axil of the leaves). Standing water can lead to crown rot and this usually is fatal to the plant. Also, never have the plant sitting in a plant saucer filled with water. Again, this will keep the medium too wet and cause rot. Phalies (though they say tolerate shady conditions) do like a good amount of indirect light. The key to flowering most orchids is the quality of light. A north facing window won't do. A south facing window is the best. The leaves should always be a medium green. Very dark green leaves means the plant isn't getting enough light, and they become long, thin and flaccid. Too much light and the leaves could bleach out, turn yellow or burn. Phalies and Paphs don't need as much light as cattleyas that is true. You can put the flowering plant anywhere in the house to be enjoyed. But when you want it to start growing, put it in a sunny window. And if you live in areas where you can summer a plant outdoors under shade cloth or lath, (a tree sometimes can cast too much shade; depends on the tree) do that. Really, an orchid growing indoors is rather foreign to them. But that goes for all plants.
Soon you will be hooked and adding more plants to your collection. You will want a greenhouse. It never ends. Trust me. Good luck and have fun!!

hi toyo,

thanks for the input! I'd love to get to the point where i can take care of orchids with confidence and not be afraid of them! :)

The leaves are dark green, they were like that when i got the plant. The new leaves are shiny and vibrant green.

I might have jinxed that one flower - it has started to wilt, and i think it will soon fall off. I'll wait until the flower falls off, then will repot it. :)

Should i cut the spike right above the highest keiki or leave the spike alone?

i got some fir bark, rocks and moss to repot my orchid, I was going to repot it in a clear plastic container and put it inside a ceramic vase with a hole in the bottom. Would that be ok?

thanks!!

Leave the spike alone and yes to the container.

Brooke

will do, thanks everyone!!! :)