cattleya fustration

[OCO1]

I grow smaller orchids and have been helping a relative with orchids for a long time.

I saw the pics of your plants. I agree with the others that they are way over-potted. You need to take them out of the pots and examine the roots. See what roots are still alive. Trim dead roots. If you don't know how to figure out which are live and which are dead, consult with a grower (you can call them and they ought to help you), since you don't want to remove live roots. Remember: orchids like small pots, not large ones like normal plants. This means lots of roots in the area.

Then, put in smaller pots with the roots touching the insides of the pot. Be sure you have a good mix made specifically for orchids. These mixes are made to help provide air circulation, and also hold a little moisture, too. Orchids cannot grow in soil, but you probably already know that. Right after repotting, you can submerge the pot in water, since the mediums are usually kind of dry right at first. That would not be how to water on your daily basis, though.

Have you been fertilizing, at all? If not, refer to any resource for fertilizing orchids. They do need a bit of food, but not as strong as other plants, so be sure to read about how to do this for orchids. Orchids require very light fertilizing, often. You could also ask a grower how to fertilize in your own circumstance.

If you find that the plants don't have many roots, you can mist the top of the medium with any mister bottle, rather than deep watering. This will encourage new roots. You should begin to see new little root tips if you water in this manner, (usually on a daily or e/o/day basis). The rate of root growth will depend on how much sun they are getting, too. But, you don't want to expose debilitated plants to profuse sun, so pick your window, carefully and watch for burn on the leaves from high sun. Orchid leaves can pale from: too little food, too much sun, pests taking nutrients.

If there are some roots that are larger, then you can water a couple times per week, too, and that will really depend on the medium your plants are going to be potted in.

Do the plants have any pests? Look for: little bumps stuck to the leaves, that look like tiny clam shells, but about the size of a freckle. If you have those, they are called scale and suck the nutrients from the plants. Look for other things like tiny little webs (spider mites); of course look for moving bugs. If you have any pests like these, then you need to use pesticides or use a wipe of rubbing alcohol mixed in water, and refer to orchid resources for proper dilution and use. That does kill pests, but be careful with its use and follow directions or ask an orchid grower about how to do that. Good luck with your plants. If you still can't figure it out, find a grower local to you and visit them, bringing your plants along. Then, show them your plants and see what they think.

That top plant seems to have nice fat bulbs on it, so it ought to recover nicely, with good care.

In case there is any confusion (with different people responding and asking questions), I am responding to Rinzo's question.