Doritaenopsis survival suggestions

[Margit]

Hello fellow Orchid enthusiasts,
I am new to this board and send greetings.

My question is this:
A few weeks ago a friend and I purchased two Doritaenopsis orchids each at a grocery store (we could not pass the sale price!! ).
They had been planted in moss, wrapped up tighter than a drum and where soaking wet. I thought I would try and give these plants a good beginning and I replanted all four plants into medium Orchid bark mix.
One of my plants is just a little droopy but my friends Orchid is completely limp.
In hopes of saving her plant (I think it is missing humidity) I cut off the flower stalks and after soaking it in water for about 20 minutes I placed it in my empty 20 gal aquarium.
Along with the plant I placed a tray of water into the tank.

I would greately appreciate input and suggestions on what I am doing!
Thank you very much,
Margit

[Ray]

The plant is not missing humidity, it is missing absorbed water. That can happen if it simply isn't being watered enough, or if the roots are in such bad shape that they have died, so the plant does not have a mechanism to take water up.

Based upon your description of the as-purchased conditions, I'd bet on the latter, and yours simply wasn't in as bad shape as your friend's plant.

You have done the right thing though.

The plant wants to survive, so will grow new roots if its overall health is sufficient to keep it alive while it tries. Keeping the humidity around it maximized will help prevent the plant from desiccating further, and that may be the key.

I would cover the tank to close it off completely, maximizing the RH, keep it warm (at least 70°, 80° is even better), and shady, and hope for the best.

[Margit]

Ray, thank you very much for your advice. I have my glass cover on the tank now and I will keep my fingers crossed. Any recommendations regarding fertilizers?

[Ray]

Don't even think about fertilizer until it has begun to grow new roots and "pump" itself up again.

After that, I highly recommend Dyna-Gro "Grow" formula or one of the Greencare "MSU" Orchid Special ones.

[SheilaJ]

I just repotted a doritaenopsis too - all of the leaves were droopy except for the top one which is still firm. Mine was from BJ's wholesale club (big batch left over after Valentine's Day). Same deal, sphagnum crammed in there way too tightly. It still had some viable roots. After repotting and keeping humid, it looks like it's starting to come back.

I wonder if doritaenopsis are more sensitive than phals? This was the only doritaenopsis I bought out of a bunch of phals, and it was also the only plant that was limp.

[Ray]

Some taxonomists think there should be no distinction between doritis and phals, and the cultural needs are almost identical.

As doritis have small flowers, most doritaenopsis breeding has far more phalaenopsis than doritis in their background anyway.

I suspect the substantially-reduced turgidity of that plant was just a coincidence.

[SheilaJ]

Thanks for the info, Ray!