Question
I reciently repoted my 6 month old Phanenopis orchid after it seemed to have a near death experiance. My husband left it on a covered deck (got just enough light) all summer long and forgot to water it while I was away on bussiness. It seemed wilted and the stem was to far gone to save so I had to cut it off at the base. It seems that the leaves are wilted. One has turned yellow green and the roots look a little wrinkled  too. the exposed roots seem to be doing ok but the bulk of the under roots were dried out and dead. I repoted it in an orchid pot using orchid mix and fed it with orchid food but it there is little change. Is there any hope? It is also in a climate bowl that helps the humidity and I have a little fan on it. I keep it in the north west window. How long  to wait before I can notice any changes?

Answer
Cheryl, one caution when repotting with fir bark potting mix.  It should soaked good prior to use. Dry fir bark is difficult to wet and, if used in the dry condition, will draw moisture out of already dehydrated roots.  Also, watering won't help a great deal because of the repellancy.  So, soak a portion of the potting mix for an hour or so and repot your plant.  The pot needs to be placed where the excess moistue can drain away before placing it in its growing area. Water thoroughly once per week and, again, let all of the excess moisture drain away.  No need to feed until you see new growth and, then, feed weakly, weekly.  Also, you may try to provide a bit more light.  The ideal location is an east window where it can get some morning sunshine.  You should see some new growth in a month or two since it was so badly dehydrated.  Better to have grown it too dry than too wet.  When roots are deprived of moisture, they can shrivel and develop a corkly sheath to protect against further loss of moisture.  Had they been kept too wet, they would have rotted.  Leaves that turn yellow, will be lost, but, if you have even one healthy leaf, your chances of bringing this plant back are quite good.