I got a Phal as a gift in late August. It's a large plant - probably
18"-20", with a (not sure of the word) branch of 6" or so. Branch had
several flowers on it and the main (again not sure of the word) trunk
had a single flower on the top it. It's potted is a larger ceramic
pot in bark. Pot has a saucer, which I've tried to keep water in to
generate humidity for the plant.

Being a Librarian - I got on the internet looked around at several
orchid sites, got some books from the Library and finally settled on
buying the Taylor's book which I've found very useful and the Ortho
Orchid book - mostly for the good photos of things that could go
wrong.

Those photos came in handy as 2 or 3 weeks after I got the plant, the
flowers develops blight and with a heavy heart I pruned them. Leaving
just the top flower - which held on for another month before dying.

The one branch developed a bud on the end, which never fully opened
before dying. After the top flower died, something seemed to start
there, but quickly died.

Now, the main trunk (see drawing below) is going brown on me above
where branch.

WHAT am I doing wrong? Per the books, it's not getting too much
light. I'm only watering once per week, in the morning - with a weak
fertilizer mixture. Generally, I take a old milk jug - mix a gallon
of fertilizer water at once - using half one week, finishing it the
next.

Plant looks like.




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| It's brown from about here up.
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Main trunk is tied to a piece of bamboo to keep it straight. The
trunk has been turning brown from the top and creeping down toward the
branch. Branch still appears to be healthy.

Help a poor newbie, Please???

Mollie

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"Are all Librarians this much trouble?"
Rick O'Connell
The Mummy Returns