Can my orchid be saved?

[JennS]

Vicki,

I agree that it appears to just be normal growth and death for the catt. The older pbulbs will eventually lose their leaves and then will shrivel too. As Royal said, don't cut them off just because they are shriveled. Only cut off ones that are actually brown/dead. Also, the old growths generally don't produce new roots, so any new roots will be coming from those new growths. Also, the black at the base of the new growth looks normal too.

As a potting medium, I use the bark mix from Lowes' that has the charcoal and perlite/sponge rock in it. I mix that with about 1/3 part of spag. If you have both soaking, I say go ahead and mix them together. That way you have a little extra moisture retention without drowning out the plant. Good luck!