On Phal (and others) Roots

[Pilot]

Hi All--

As some of you know I'm new to the forum and to Orchids and I have read LOADS of stuff about them-- all I pretty much understand and get but there is one thing bugging me.

While repotting my new plants today I was trying desperately, but carefully, to get my bark, char, perlite mixture into the pot around all the gnarly roots of one of my phals. It was then that I began wondering just how important it was to get as much medium around the roots as possible? The plant is definitely anchored in its pot and it definitely has a lot of medium in with it but there are some gaps of air where a root prevents any medium from getting in and was too far in or down the pot for me to poke some in...

So the question is, when it comes to orchid roots (specifically Phals), is it not important just to provide a space, whether it is touching medium or not, where moist air can circulate and water run down whenever I water-- and in doing so will provide what the plant needs to grow and be healthy?

I guess what I'm saying is, I'm sort of looking at these roots and thinking there is no way they are like the typical plant root one might think of and it is really a root that is capable of drawing in what it needs whether it is in just moist air or up against something that is moist-- but never submerge like the root of a daisy might be.

Considering these things will grow aerial roots, is this just another way these roots will function? Case-in-point, when I mist the shriveled aerial roots of my new plants, they all plumped up and began looking like something you would expect to see.

For my own self-edification, I'm asking this because my pots are full of roots (they looked pretty good btw but I think some were stained a lighter brown from the old medium-- they were still firm) and the medium isn't as fine as the old stuff was. So there is a lot of air in there.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks--
Ryan