This will probably turn out to be a multi step operation, so lets take them one at a time. #1. The bloom spike with the single bloom. From the bloom, come up the bloom spike until you come to the first branch growing off to the right. Just below that new spike you will see a little white dot on the spike you followed to get up there. That white spot is a scar where the first bloom once was. about half way between the bloom scar and the new spike, cut the old bloom spike and discard it. (Razor sharp, clean, sterile blade) #2 take the plant out of the white sleeve it is in, and take another photo/s of it showing the roots, and where that new bloomspike coming out of the leaves on the left, and curling around to the right is actually coming from. #3. Post the new photo/s here, and we can go from there. I'm not sure why you think your plant might be dying? It is healthy looking, and is healthy enough to have bloomed three times for you in fairly quick succession, and has three new bloom spikes and a bloom currently. The only thing I can think of that would kill a plant with that record quickly is root rot, and that's why I want to look at the roots. If it has been in that pot through all that activity, there is a very good chance it is more than ready to get a new larger pot, and some new potting mix, but that decision can't be made until we actually see the roots. Bill

Wow, Bill, you are terrific! Thanks so much for your time and information. I’m sure that it is seriously rootbound. Will post some pics, and await your recommendations.

Bloom spike coming out of the leaves.

Ok, on with the task at hand. First off, terminology--The bloom spike you are calling terminal is not! That spike is exiting from the main stalk of the plant and the axial of the third leaf---exactly where Phalaenopsis orchid bloom spikes should originate, so, no problem there. Second, WOW!!! You must be a world class corset maker! How you managed to grow and bloom that plant with the roots bound up as tight as they are in that little pot and kept them as healthy as they look, is beyond me! I say excellent culture, but Yes, your plant needs to be repotted, in my opinion, as soon as possible. If you get a speck of root rot in that package of roots, you probably won't be able to stop it. Now, If you want to, You can let the last bloom fade, but my suggestion would be for you to cut that old bloom spike off as soon as that flower fades, leaving about a 1 inch stub where it grew out of the main stalk. The other bloom spike is young and healthy, so you can probably save it unless you accidentally physically damage it in the repotting process. Be careful. I don't know where you are located, or what your growing setup is, so I will leave some of these decisions to you. You can use a clay or plastic pot. Clay pots with slotted sides are my choice, since they are heavier and less likely to tip over, and the slots allow more air flow. Plastic pots hold the moisture inside better, and that helps in dryer climates. Phal's like to grow over the pot rim which mimics how they grow in nature, and keeps water from collecting in the top of the plant. Plastic is lighter, and with Phal's usually are prone to tipping. You will need a pot large enough for you to spread those roots out inside it, and cover them up with mix. You will need orchid potting mix. My preference is a fir bark mix. It should come dry in the container, and contain fir bark nuggets, some charcoal, chunks of peat, Perlite, and perhaps something like pumice stone. The important thing is that the mix should be dry and chunky. If it feels wet and mushy in the container, look someplace else. Ask about pine bark. If orchid mixes contain pine bark in any form, I don't use them. Orchids don't like pine bark. I live in SC, and have seen a large commercial orchid nursery experiment with it, and it proved to be a complete failure for us. You will need sharp, clean, sterile cutting instruments, and an open work space. When you have all this material assembled, and all the prep work done, post back here and we will go through the fun part. Bill

Hi, Bill! You are both helpful and hilarious! The latter pertains to the comment about my corset making skills. We have surgically amputated the bloom spike as the flower had started to wilt, most likely in anticipation of the repotting process. I have purchased dry orchid mix which does not appear to contain pine bark. We live in the Sonoran desert in Arizona so, yes, it’s a dry climate. I have two potential candidates for the relocation, one plastic and the other clay. I believe they would fit a little more like a camisole than a corset. The clay pot has been used and I plan to sterilize it if chosen. Looking forward to
further instructions on my mission to release Phal from her cruel bondage. Thanks again from both of us.
Jane.

Don’t know if they are visible, but the clay pot has drainage openings on the sides and bottom.

I also have larger clay pots, but without the side openings for drainage.

Ok, sounds like you are ready to tackle a new project. You have new roots starting to grow from the base of the plant, and a new bloom spike, so you want to be very careful of these throughout this entire process. The growing tips of the new roots are almost like jelly, and the tip of the new bloomspike is not a lot more substantial. The roots inside the "corset" are different. Running down the center of all mature orchid roots is a tough woody core, that transports water and nutrients from the roots into the plant. The root material surrounding this central core is brittle, and acts much like a sponge. In repotting an orchid, you are going to pop a few of those roots, at least I have never repotted one without breaking a few roots. That is the reason you keep the plant on the dry side for about a week after repotting to allow these breaks to callus over.

Now, you have a choice. You can first, take the plant out of the pot, open up the "corset", remove it, and soak the roots in room temp. water, for a couple hours, or overnight, or you can take the plant out of the pot, soak it for a couple hours or overnight, and then take the roots out of the "corset". The roots will soak up water, which makes them more flexible and easier to work with. While you are soaking the roots, take enough of the orchid mix out to fill your pot+ a bit, and place it in a pan and soak it until you are ready to use it.

Once you get the roots out of the pot and unbound, gently open the root ball up a bit and try to get as much of the old bark mix as possible from around the roots. You are not trying to straighten out the roots, just free them up a bit to make it easier to get into the new pot. I usually build a small cone of mix in the bottom of the pot, and try to gently spread the roots over that, and then pour the remaining mix around the edge of the pot over the orchid roots. While you are doing this, try to work as much bark around the roots as you can, so there won't be any empty spaces in the pot around the roots. You want to cover as many roots as possible right up to the base of the plant. Make sure you have the plant as stable as possible in the pot, and the vast majority of the roots well covered with bark. When you are finished potting, put the pot in a sink, or outside and just flood it with water. This is to settle the bark in the pot. When you are finished this, put the pot in a warm shady location with moderate light, and let it stay there for at least a week to dry out. This is the beginning of the healing process for any broken roots. After the week of drying, you can begin to water the plant lightly when it gets d r y. After 2 weeks of light watering, you can put the plant back into its normal growing location, water and feed it normally, and every time you get close to it, smile and pat yourself on the back. Bill

You are amazing! Will resume the project tomorrow when I’m wide awake, and keep you informed as to how it goes over time. Unless, of course, you’d rather devote your energy to the next plant owner in need.
Thanks again for making the effort to help us see yet another bloom!

I’ve attached a photo of phal in all her previous glory, taken by my husband at night.

Bill- one last question. I have read that dead appearing or mushy roots should be removed prior to repotting. Since you did not suggest that, I wonder if it is necessary to do so. Thanks again!

YES, any dead black mushy roots you find should be removed. Dead, Black, Mushy is the pure definition of root rot. Cut them back to clean live healthy tissue, and sterilize those, or that blade before you use it on other plants. When you have potted as many of those things as I have, it's just too easy to pass over a point like that when you are basically dictating each move to an inexperienced grower. I probably should start off with a statement something like "take a large dump truck full of pure common sense and dump it in the middle of your work space before you start." The commercial orchid nursery I worked for had a lady (aptly named Viney) who did almost all of their small pot potting (2.5 to 6 inch pots). Viney had a "throne" built at the back end of one of the greenhouses, where she worked. She had all her equipment and extra pots strategically placed around her seat, and places to put flats of potted plants. They would bring plants needing to be repotted to Viney in trays, and drop them off in the designated space. Viney would take a pot in one hand and take the plant in the other, and pull. The plant would pop out of the pot, and she would inspect it and remove dead leaves, pseudobulbs, and dead roots, she would gather the roots in one hand, take a pair of shears out of her disinfectant pot, and swish, off came the roots all but the 4 inches or so she had in her hand. She would grab a pot, (all the plants in a group would be the same size) stick the plant in the pot, fill the pot with wet potting mix, mash it down with her thumbs, and put the plant in an empty tray. Viney would do that all day, sometimes all week, and in the spring, maybe for a month at a time. I would make sure if I was taking visitors on a tour of the business, to go by Viney's work space, hold Viney's hands in mine, and tell the visitors that those hands had potted more orchid plants than any other hands in the entire state of South Carolina, or maybe the Southeast USA. I don't think I ever saw a single plant that Viney repotted die. I'm sure they did, I just did not witness it. We did have a remarkable record of repotting survivability. Orchids are really tough plants, contrary to a lot of what you read on some places like this. Bill

Yes, I planned on removing parts that don’t appear to be viable. You have been so thorough in your responses that I just wanted to be sure that I was doing the right thing. I hope Viney is still doing well and gracing all of South Carolina with the blooms of her labor. I think this thread is about to go dormant.