Question
I inherited a phalaenopsis orchid.  Half of the roots are dry and withered, the other half are dry and green.  There is no spike, but there has been some new leaf growth.  I'm planning on cutting off the all the withered roots and repotting my plant.  Any suggestions on what potting soil and fertilizer I should be using given my plants conditions?  Any other suggestions?

Answer
Savannah, you should obtain a bag of orchid potting mix.  This can be obtained at a Lowes, Home Depot or other garden center that sells orchid plants. One of the ingredients is fir bark which, when dry, is water repellant-- the mix needs to be thoroughly soaked prior to use to remove the repellancy.  At the same time, remove your orchid plant from its container and soak the roots.  Healthy roots will be firm and turn greenish when soaked.  Any roots that are mushy or stringy are dead and can be cut off where they join the plant. You need to have several healthy roots for your plant to do well.

Be sure to repot the plant in a plastic pot that has lots of drainage holes in it. Try to insert all healthy roots into the pot prior to adding the potting mix. The healthy roots should fit comfortably into the pot before you add the wet potting mix.  Place the plant where it can drain the excess water.  Move the plant to a growing area.  You may water it once a week.