Question
QUESTION: Hi, Wayne -- I e-mailed you a couple of months ago regarding an orchid I inherited from a friend.  It only had aerial roots and dark green leaves, and started improving somewhat after I moved it to another window.  I also repotted it in one of those clear plastic orchid pots with so-called special orchid mix (bark?), but the roots will not stay buried and I see no sign that the orchid is trying to grow new roots underneath.  Lifting it out of the pot will display 3-4 seemingly strong aerial roots and 2 limp leaves.  My family is ridiculing me for trying to save it but since it doesn't seem dead (yet) I'd still like to try.  At this point I'd be happy with a new root - a flower stalk is an impossible dream.

We've just bought a house and after talking with the previous owner who put her orchids in the sun room (pvc roof) and had beautiful blooms and pretty much neglected her plants, I tried moving it in there.  Today I found moss starting to grow in the pot and a sad-looking orchid.

The sunroom gets plenty of bright overhead light without direct sunlight, and I don't have any other options besides north/south windows.  Will I get anything out of soaking those aerial roots overnight in a bucket?  I've even tried sprinkling orchid fertilizer (but not misting) but that apparently only stimulated the moss.  Is there anything else you can recommend, besides trying to find it a new home?  I'm apparently not at all gifted with orchids. I don't even know what kind it is since it came from a friend of a friend.

Also, what kind of pot should it really be in?  The container is merely serving as a formality at this point. The roots are so long that I'd have to buy a much, much larger pot for them to fit in.  Can I safely trim them back a bit?

ANSWER: Hi Michelle.  Good to hear from you again.  I understand the "mothering" instinct and have tried to save many orchids that seemed hopeless-- sometimes with a successful outcome.  You are growing the plant as if it is a phalaenopsis orchid-- which it may or may not be. If you can send a picture, I might have a better idea of how to help.  The fact that you have moss growing in the pot, suggests that you keep it very moist.  The fact that roots are trying to get out of the pot either means that this is their natural habit (ie this is not a phalaenopsis orchid) or they are trying to get out to survive. I like the clear plastic pots so that is not the problem (orchid roots are photosynthetic-- like leaves).  Let's first see if we can get a general ID on your plant as I don't want to give you the wrong advice.  A vanda orchid has only aerial roots and probably should not be grown in a pot-- so the type of orchid makes a big difference in its growing conditions. Do not trim the roots.  If it is an orchid related to a vanda, the roots should be soaked daily and the plant grown in a hanging wooden basket.

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Pitiful Orchid 2   QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response!  I am really embarrassed about attaching photos because you'll quickly see why my family is mocking me for trying to nurse this orchid back to life.  Honestly, it perked up a little after I mailed you originally... but now it's seriously depressed.  Am steeling myself for bad news, lol

Answer
Thanks for the picture.  Nothing to be embarrassed about-- I've seen plants in worse shape.  Try to find a very deep plastic pot and stick the longer roots into the pot (be careful not to bend too much).  Insert the plant into the pot so its base will be just above the potting mix. Don't keep it too wet.  I think you still have a good opportunity for new leaf growth-- be patient-- it may take  few months before you see new growth.