Dgmra. Hani "Star of Unicorn" plant care - replanting,fertilizer, light green leaves?

[treiner]

I finally bought my first orchid - a Degarmoara Heni "Star of Unicorn" and need tips on care for this particular type of orchid. I live near Cleveland, Ohio so it will be an indoor plant. The leaves are a light green and I am not sure if that is normal.

Being my first orchid, I have done some research online and know that orchids like humidity so my pot sits on rocks in a tray filled with water. I know that I need to soak the plant really good when it gets completely dry, letting it drain before putting it back in it's glazed pot above the humidity tray. It sits about 4 feet from a West window and gets good diffused Southwest light through a mid-sheer curtain. I believe it may need to be replanted as the bark looks really light and is most likely old. However, I am unsure if there are particular types of bark to use for particular plants and I wonder if fertilizer is particular to plants as well. Any help would be appreciated. This is a gorgeous plant and I'd like to keep it blooming for years to come.

[JennS]

Hummm...I really don't know, but lets bump you back up. My guess is that a regular orchid bark mix would work. I am not that familiar with this type though, so lets see what others have to say.

[cowboy51278]

Just a quick note on humidity trays. The more humid air is the heavier it becomes. Typically the first inch of air directly above the tray is humid but it tends to 'spill' over the sides of the tray and down to the floor. This does little good for the plant in the pot that is sitting 6 inches above the tray. I used to have a lot of problems keeping the humidity up around my orchids when I was growing on the windowsill and as I started to grow under lights. I currently have about 32 trays (obviously have way too many orchids....if one can )with rocks and water in them in my grow room and Im just now finding that its starting to affect the humidity in there but still not enough that I don't need the humidifier. Couple tips......in the summer give the plant a good mist in the morning. Just be sure to keep it in an area that with good air circulation so it will dry before nightfall (open window or near a fan) Leaving wet foliage over night is a sure way to end with rot in the foliage. Also keep it away from the AC unit. They draw the moisture out of the air. If you run a humidifer during the winter then place it near the plant so it can enjoy the moist air as well. The plant you have should do fairly well with typical household humidity. If you notice the leaves are getting a little jammed up as they emerge then increase the humidity. As you get into orchids with higher humidity needs then you can get creative with aquariums to help hold the humid air around the plants. Hope I was of some help Good luck