I'm a newbie too but saw those on few of my phals and think it's a root. But, I could be wrong and to me, even it's a root, it's still a good sign.

Tanie

Hi Nmd15,welcome to one of the most addictive hobbyðÂÂÂ.ok you are the proud owner of a phalaenopsis orchid,it is actually called a beginner's orchid because once you meet a few needs it will grow and bloom happily.first media,I find it does well in a bark medium mix this contains(bark,perlite,charcoal) you can find one that already contains these ingredients at any garden center.WATER,I normally water every seven days,but depending on your environment this can be less or more often,hotter climate more,cooler climate less.LIGHT now this is a bit tricky But!!!,these type of orchid requires a bright spot(NO DIRECT) sunshine unless early in the morning or late in the evening,FERTILIZER this can be done once or twice per month,you can use a 20-20-20 type but use it at a quarter the recommended dosage and make sure you use plain water to flush the pot at least once per month.now the new growth that is visible is an air root, phals love to send air roots,these should be left outside the media whenever you repot.i also notice a new leaf growing,this is good,its shows your phal is alive and growing it also means you might loose one frm the bottom which is normal unless it starts to yellow from the base(where its attached to the plant).ok you can type in on google " phalaenopsis culture" and you will get a whole list of how to care your plant.one last thing post a pic of the plant medium and root section so we can see what shape the roots are in,also they like air and proper drainage so make sure holes are in the pot to help with ventilation.i am no expert,so I am sure the experts will advise you,and correct me where or if I went wrong,I do own 32 of them thought,they are my favorite varietyðÂÂÂ,I do hope this has been helpful.VELLETA. Oh I forgot they are also one of the longest bloomers,I have one that bloomed for 18 months

Thank you soo much for taking time to explain it all to me! It means a lot since I am really starting to enjoy acquiring new plants and want to keep them alive, especially my orchid :) I made a earlier forum post but got impatient since there were no replies and posted again hah. And 32 !!! Wow I'm struggling with one! You are definitely a pro in my books! I hope to grow my collection now too :) Well before the pictures here's a little background history, so you know what I'm working with. I acquired this plant from a friend's mother who was going to throw it out once the bloom began to fall out. It was in a clear draining pot set inside another pot that didn't have any drainage at all. It had sat in the same water for about 3 weeks, so when I got it, the roots were a disaster, extremely mushy and would fall off just by touching them. I cut back all of the unhealthy roots, cut one of the stems back since it was turning brown and sprinkled cinnamon on the newly cut stem (which I read to do) and then I sprinkled some in the soil....I was thinking maybe it would help prevent rot haha I dunno. Anyways I do notice some black spots on the roots which I was scared it was rot, but it hasn't spread and it seems to be doing fine now. I was a little worried one of the bottom leaves was starting to wither, but as you explained about the new growth, it's all making sense now. I have not used any fertilizer so I will definitely be getting some today! Posted below are pictures of the roots, it was hard to get pictures of the roots in the soil...so I'm not sure if these will help much! I just water it, so the air roots appear darker now. Also the soil seems to be a bark mixture. I am debating if I should repot, I like the clear drainage container because I can see if it's rotting or doing anything weird and I usually just set it in another pot (just for appearance sake) which also has drainage in the bottom.
-Nakita

This post was edited by nmd15 on Tue, Apr 22, 14 at 13:09

Can't see much roots in the bottom of the pot

This is the soil, it seems to be majority bark based

And a whole picture of it, I do not cut the long stem right? Since it is still green and doing fine. No signs of it drying out like the other one I cut back.

What philpet said...
The media/bark appears to be OK. I'd cut the stalk about 1/2" up from the base and give it a little more light.

IMO, 'generally' the flowers that come from a previously bloomed phal stem are inferior to the originals. Plus it takes at least a little strength/energy from the plant that could be used to get better established and put on new growth.

Good luck,

Bob

The bark looks ok,but I agree cut the flower stalk(I know this is hard)ðÂÂÂ,but your phal needs to focus its energy on getting a healthy root system,at this point flowers are not important saving your phal is also since it does not have many roots,be careful with the waterings and you should be fine.ð Velleta

Ah! My heart sank a little inside knowing I have to cut it :( But I agree, it needs to get healthier before it starts to think about blooming again, thanks Bob and Valletta for the great advice :)