Stem yellowed in two days. Leaves are healthy. What's up?
 

The last bloom was round March 2011. Since then two healthy leaves appeared with the latest appearing about 2 weeks ago. The entire stem (or is that the spike?) has turned yellow in the past two days. What do I do?

Thanks in advance.

A yellow spike is not a problem. It's just finished flowering and some of them die back like that.

Of more concern to me is the lowest leaf which looks to have some markings that I don't like. I would be inclined to remove that leaf to stop it spreading, put cinnamon on the cut and use a sterile blade.

Otherwise your orchids looks healthy and I think it's just a case of letting it grow for a bit before it grows a new spike to flower again.

thanks for the reply. The bottom leaf has had those spots since shortly after purchasing the plant. I treated it with cinnamon which addressed the problem (i.e. it has not spread).

So I'll just wait and until the spike drys some more and cut it.

Yes, just cut the flower stem off close to the bottom of it. It seems to me that the plant is in a much larger pot than it needs unless there are so many roots that they fill it. Too large a pot leads to root rot often.