It looks pretty sad. I don't believe it will survive in the current setup you have for it. It doesn't have the roots to support the leaves, hence the withering. Your pot is also too big.

If it were mine and I were trying to resuscitate, I would give it a float in a dilute superthrive + fertilizer solution, paint it with clonex, then repot into a very small pot in sphagnum moss. Sphagnum helps new roots to grow, and hinders rot.

You need to enclose it in a plastic bag to provide humidity to sustain it til it gets some roots. Close the bag loosely, and open it every so often for a little air.

Give it good light, but no direct sun unless the bag is open.

This may not be worth it as it will have to get probably four new healthy leaves before blooming again (unless it is very special to you for some reason). That would be about a year's growth *after* roots form.

You have a shot. Just don't overwater, move it to moderate light and keep it warm. You are in upstate NY, so humidity should be climbing now. Looks like you have a few good roots, so mehitabels suggestion of sphag around the roots can help. I would just lightly put some damp sphag on the surface and keep the plant warm.

You may lose the leaves, but it might send up a new leaf. Then you could repot. I've had some in worse conditon and they came back quickly. I wouldn't bag it.

Jane

Even if it does survive, it could take years before it is healthy enough to reflower. Yes, maybe it can survuve with tender and correct care but the effort it would take is not worth it to me -- unless the plant has some sentimental value.

Christian

I agree with Christian. It is too depressing of a plant. I think that houseplants should be uplifting. You could take the tag with you and go buy a new healthy version of the same plant. Same memory/ same flower. Especially if this is your first and only orchid.

Everyone is being depressing, but just imagine the kick you would get if it did revive! You will need to pull out all the stops, however. First remove the plant from its compost which is probably infected and soak the plant overnight in onion tea ( boil a coarsely chopped onion in about 2 pints pure water for 10 minutes): the sulphur in the onion will get rid of any bacteria. Then place in a transparent plastic bag with some damp clean sphagnum moss around the root. Ideally you should also sterilize the moss by cooking it in the microwave for about 60 secs but make sure it's wet. Keep it there for about a week then spray with a weak solution of Neem Oil ( organic pesticide, fungicide) and put it back in the plastic bag. Keep warm and well shaded. If after about a month it shows signs of reviving, remove it from the bag and plant it in an open basket (not a pot) with some more sphagnum and give a little more light. If it's still looking sad give it a peaceful end. Good luck.

Thanks for all the advice guys... it has turned into a bit of an experiment at the office now. Per Mehitabel's advice, I tented the phal to increase humidity... and even though I lost another leaf, I am seeing root growth and the formation of a new leaf! We will see how this goes... (click on the picture to see a bigger shot and an album with the tented picture)

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