Newbie here: help regarding 2 orchids (repotting and saving)

[Alex R]

Hi,

This is a long read so I'll appreciate anyone's time. I've done some general reading so please be gentle . I did follow general guidelines--although too late for what I'd like to admit--even though this post may not show that.

I'd like to ask some experts here some specific questions about 2 of my orchids, 1 which I really want to prevent from dying.

Regarding the first orchid, which looks quite healthy. Should it be repotted judging by the roots? The compost is about 2 years old.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p5s2psliob...204532-mic.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ehgr74ogz...205206-mic.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/23uw9ii0u6...205221-mic.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c2rmklykoh...205237-mic.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d2w84jdjtd...205259-mic.jpg

The roots look very healthy to me and the orchid is now growing new leaves and roots. The clear plastic pot you see is 16cm (6.3") wide at the top.

In the past couple months it grew 4 new leaves (including the tiny little one a few days ago) and quite a few new roots. The same orchid back in February had about 27 flowers, it was a real beauty:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sl338p6ypy...103032-mic.jpg

Regarding the second orchid. I fear it may be dying. It's my fault for not taking the time (new job, new house, etc). It had gone paler, and leaves had gone softer in the last months, and it recently lost 3 big and green leaves in just a few weeks, rapidly turning yellow and falling, and 2 more are now doing the same. The leaves were never firm, not even when it was new (it was a present) when it had flowers as they are usually sold, and they never really grew firmer.

Yesterday I repotted it into this pot, with fresh orchid compost:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xt9x8d2c30...205957-mic.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ssixh2s12b...210008-mic.jpg

The reason for repotting is that it overgrew the initial (tiny 3") pot to the point where it was not absorbing water anymore -- I found out too late I think, after noticing that when I watered it a few days ago, the previous water from 7 days ago (and possibly some from 14 days ago) was still there . I now suspect that the pot was always a bit too small for it given that all leaves were fairly soft in comparison to the first orchid.

The initial small plastic pot was inside an opaque ceramic one and I didn't notice; I only learned yesterday of the proper method to water these orchids, and I feel bad about it. When I took it out, I noticed the roots grew so long and so many that they completely filled the small plastic pot and had no moss to cling to. There has nebver been any compost, just moss; the moss yesterday was only in the centre, moisting only about 15% of the roots. Almost all the roots where white and shiny... but firm to the touch, not mushy, which was encouraging.

I took out the moss carefully, spread all roots apart, i.e. gently un-stitched them and allowed them to spread naturally, then repotted into a 16cm (6.3") pot which was about the diameter of the roots, although the roots are now NOT tightly pushing against the pot anymore ... a few of them are only touching the pot. Is that good or bad? If it's bad, do I need a smaller pot and repot it immediately?

The two green-ish leaves at the base may be going pale, although they were never really much greener than that ... they are, and always have been quite soft, instead of the normal firm. The one at the top is firmer, but not at all as firm as the leaves of the other (much bigger) orchid. I hope that having repotting it will help (the first orchid also had one of the bottom leaves go a bit pale once and then it miraculously recovered by itself).

I watered it a little (but not drenched) after repotting.

SO, now for questions:

- Is there anything I should do besides waiting and hoping it recovers?

- Any special tips regarding watering, placement, sunlight, etc?

- All my windows face south, so I have plenty of light (they say it'll be mostly cloudy these days though). Should it sit next to the window (it's cooler when it's not sunny) or more inside?

- Should I place the clear plastic pot inside an opaque pot or leave it out for a while to allow roots to get some light as well? -- in this regard, the first orchid in the clear pot has always sit inside an opaque pot but that is slightly larger than the clear plastic pot so light was getting inside; I imagine it's the reason why it's roots inside are also green and not white as in many pictures I've seen online.

- In general, what's the best placement for orchids? Direct sunlight or not?

Many thanks in advance,
Alex.