Green Thumb New to Orchids; Concerned about new Phal

[initial]

I just received my 1st orchid, which seemed healthy when given to me. The Phal is in a NW window, with good light. I am aware that overwatering can be an issue, and have only misted it a couple of times over the last week or so. The medium is still damp, so I have not yet watered. Since I have brought it home, several flowers have fallen off and 1 of the spikes has discolored and the top of it is shriveled. Do I cut this off? Also, several leaves did not look right and when pulled lightly, came right off. These leaves are really mushy. The other leaves seem fine. It seems like the ones that came off were more at the bottom. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

[gerneveyn]

Flowers don't last forever unless they're silk so that's normal. Sometimes the spike will stay green and sometimes it will turn brown and dry up. You can cut that back to the base if you want. Under the right conditions the plant will send out another spike and flower for you. The bottom most leaves are the oldest and therefore the first to go. Usually these leave will turn yellow and get wrinkly. Brown or black spots on green leaves or roots may indicate rot. How many leaves are left? I tend to water my phal when the media goes dry on the top. There's a skewer method that Cynthia uses that has been discussed in threads on this forum. If your phal is in a clear plastic pot you may want to take a look at the roots and make sure they're still green and healthy looking.

[initial]

Thanks for the quick response. There are still about 10 leaves left (I think there are 2 plants in the pot). The roots look decent, although there is some white on one side--- mold?

[atcrosby]

One thing about Phals, growers put multiple plants together into a single pot. Personally, I would separate them into two pots so that each has an opportunity to thrive. The issue I have is that the two in the same pot are competing for the same resources and one could be winning leading to a slow decline of the other plant.

The good news is that Phals can be repotted anytime with great success. THere are threads on here where instructions for repotting are provided. THe key is a good potting mix and you may be surprised how the well they do.

I had someone give me a "double plant" last year and separated them into two pots. This spring each has two spikes growing and are both much several more leaves.