Help! What am I doing wrong with my mounted orchids?

[camille1585]

Great news that it still has live roots! I would give it a good long soak today, don't be afraid to leave it soaking a long time, even an hour. That should help it regain some of the moisture it's lost. I've accidently left mounts soaking all day long, and they're fine!
As to alternatives to sphag, I'm not sure. I had run out of sphag once for a mount, so kept it humid by draping wet paper towels over the roots. Of course that was only a temporary solution (for 2 weeks), until I got more sphag. Could be an idea until you find sphag or something else.

[cb977]

:

Thanks to all of our fantastic OB members for being so generous with your help

[jmera]

I can't find either sphagnum moss or tree fern in the shops here in Fortaleza, though one gentleman I spoke with suggested coconut fibers. Will it do the trick?

[jmera]

Indeed Cb977! Thanks so much everyone for being so generous with your advice and tips. I hope I can turn it around and get at least one and maybe both in a healthy condition. I am soaking them now and will wrap damp paper towels around them until I can find an alternative or get the moss shipped here. Thank you thank you thank you!

[Daethen]

You can sometimes find moss in pet stores. Otherwise, you can order it online.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Coconut fiber will work. There are coconut fiber mounts.

[Ray]

Jmera, the recommendation about "not overwatering" is intended to prevent suffocation of the root system, which will NEVER happen on a mounted plant.

Don't give up on the ones with no roots. You can completely submerge the mounted plants in plain, tepid water for an hour or two, and they will benefit from it, and likely begin growing roots eventually.

[Vanda lover]

I agree completely with Camille. They should be soaked. It would be difficult to over water a mounted orchid, and a little moss around the roots will help. I have a Vanda, which could be grown bare root in a basket, but I put a little moss and charcoal in the basket, so that I don't have to water every day.
I also agree that it looks like an oncidium. I'm not sure if there is anything else that you could use, other than moss.

[tucker85]

I agree with Camille, dehydration seems to be the problem. On the bright side though, the growing conditions on your balcony sound ideal for orchids. I agree you need some sphagnum or something to hold the moisture a little longer. You say you spray the plants daily. If you mean misting, that isn't enough moisture. When you water, soak the plant really well. When the weather is warm you could do it a couple of times a day but not in the late afternoon or evening. That could promote fungus. Don't give up. It sounds like your balcony is the perfect place for orchids. After all, Brazil is the home for many of the orchids we grow. Good luck.

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[jmera]

Yay!! After soaking those babies for an hour yesterday and another hour today, they are already looking much better. Some of the roots, on the one with live roots, are bright green and much healthier already. Even the one with the "dead roots" seems like the roots are plumper and whiter. It may be wishful thinking but things are looking up! Thanks again for all of your advice! I think orchids are going to get addicting very quickly.