myst, you can keep em apart till you are sure and certain that there are no bad bugs or microorganisms on the new plants....gen quarantine is traditionally ten days or so...a lot of people repot all thier new plants, ie, take away the medium the new plant is in and put it in a new pot with new medium....there is a spray concentrate called physan 20 which is good for disinfecting new cuts or using as a 'root wash' to clean your new orchid. all this is designed to keep from bringing in any bugs or disease to your collection. you can buy physan 20 from any orchid supplier...and i recommend you do. use it to keep your tools (clippers etc) clean and disinfected as well as disinfecting plant material. hope this helps....
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