Drying new stems on NoID plants

[Eirael]

Many thanks to everyone - these are all amazing insights! I'll step up the watering game and hopefully that will help as well.

@RoryOMoore and @Dollythehun, that's a good observation, there is indeed a radiator I usually try to keep it on the lowest setting (luckily this year's winter is very mild), but I'll try to check the humidity.

@aliceinwl, what a great tip about the roots' color, I'll use that as a guide As for the fertilizer - it's a "ready to use" fertilizer for orchids in a bottle from a company called "Floria", but unfortunately it does not list the contents, just the "use once a week" instructions... I'll cut down on it then, the growth of the stems on one of the plants is truly quite weird.

@SouthPark, I'll keep an eye on the bark, thanks for the idea about pre-wetting the bark before repotting.

@rbarata, many thanks for the anti-mite guide, I've applied the first "dose" of the alcohol + soap + water solution, so hopefully I'll manage to get rid of the bugs!

[rbarata]

...many thanks for the anti-mite guide, I've applied the first "dose" of the alcohol + soap + water solution, so hopefully I'll manage to get rid of the bugs!

I don't want too disapoint you but it is almost impossible to erradicate mites infestations. They are microscopic creatures, blown by wind and air drafts. I think one is not very far from true is to say that they are everywhere. When the conditions are right, they thrive and multiplicate to a point that causes damages.
Our main goal, as orchid growers, is not to erradicate them but to control their population bellow that critical threshold level.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Eirael

I've applied the first "dose" of the alcohol + soap + water solution, so hopefully I'll manage to get rid of the bugs!

Eirael ----- a good orchid growing environment will have nice gentle air movement day in and day out. Just a orchid-safe soap solution should do the trick. Mist onto the leaves - and avoid if you can getting water into the crown (the pocket region where the leaves pop out from the plant). And if you do get water into the crown, then a good idea to try to get it out, or most of it out - in any safe way that you can (to avoid crown rot issues).

Spray/mist the soap solution on all leaves - top and bottom, and the stem, and the spike. The mites will drown when the solution hits them.

To be fair - the mites aren't doing anything bad in their own 'mind'. They're just doing their thing to survive. But in order to allow the orchid to survive, then mite treatment needs to be done obviously.

Alcohol can have a cooling effect, which can sometimes have a negative impact - so read up on effects of evaporating alcohol on plant leaves etc.

[Eirael]

Hi everyone, a (late) happy New Year!
I just dropped by to say a huge THANKS to you all! After applying the soap solution + the regular water regime, I'm so pleased to say that after about two weeks, all of the impacted orchids formed regular buds on most of the damaged stems and the first ones are now beginning to bloom.
Thank you for saving my orchids!