Cold Damaged Orchid

[Cranly]

Hi all,

I have a wonderful orchid which I have been able to successfully get to re-spike! But I've run in to an issue that is beyond my basic orchid knowledge.

My father has an orchid that has bloomed, but since then has pretty much been dormant - and in fact he forgot about it for a month or so. I feel like he was keeping it in environments that are colder than preferred for orchids.
I offered to take the orchid into my care to see if I could get it to bloom and try to perk it up.

So, my boyfriend happened to be driving from where my father lives to where I live, which requires an overnight stops. I forgot to tell my boyfriend to take the orchid in with him and not leave it in the car -- so when I received the orchid, it now has droopy, squishy leaves. The leaves have leaked a bit of liquid. I'm convinced it is cold damage.

How much damage can an orchid withstand and make some sort of comeback? I've found information about what to do if there is a portion of a leaf that is damaged, but in this case, the entire plant looks soft and limp. (I haven't yet messed with the roots to look at them.)

Is there anything I can do with trimming back to a certain point?

Thanks for any help or advice. I'd really like to be able to save the plant if it's possible.

[Leafmite]

Is this a phal? What were the approximate temps? Is any part of the plant firm? Is it possible to post a picture? For now, keep the orchid in a warm, dry place and don't water. If there is a chance it will live, this will help prevent rot from setting in. Limp leaves often recover, mushy/leaking leaves do not. You can remove the latter and dab a little cinnamon on the point of removal. If no leaves are left but the base is firm and you have good roots, it has a good chance of recovery. Good luck!
Leafmite

[Cranly]

It was indeed a phal of some sort.
In terms of temperature, I went back and looked at the days in question - I'm looking at lows of 32*F. I assume that would be about what the evenings were then when it was left in the car.
I do not think I've really seen anything that is firm (but I will do another inspection when I get home from work today).
I can look in to posting a picture - but in the meantime, I would definitely say it's more than just limp, and has gone mushy.

Thanks for the input thus far!

[-k-]

Mushy is never a good sign and your correct that more than likely the plant suffered cold damaged based on the description. It may be a goner at this point, but you never know!!! Pics would be helpful
I once left a phal in my truck for a day during mid-summer, the leaves looked awful and as with yours starting leaking fluid... I soaked it for a day in tepid water and mounted it and to my surprise it lived and eventually flourished. . .

[Ray]

When a plant gets that cold, the water within the cells freezes, forming ice crystals that disrupt the cell walls, killing them.

If the freezing is localized - a leaf up against a freezing window, for example - the plant can certainly survive, but that damaged tissue is an ideal site for infection, but if it is a "whole body" experience, you may put it in the compost heap now.

[Cranly]

I actually kind of figured that might have been what happened (with the breaking of the cell walls) - since it was leaking and limp. And I'm afraid you might be right about its survivability. I'll post a couple of pictures if I can just to show - but... yeah, I'm not highly optimistic.

[Cranly]

Hopefully I can get this correct with the pictures.