Online Phaius purchase, orchid in stress - HELP please

[orchidhope]

Purchased this Phaius Lady Ramona 'Looking @ you' from online seller in Hawaii and it arrived with the leaves all dehydrated, darkened and paper thin starting an inch or so from the stem.

Thought it was potted too deeply, so removed from pot, loosened roots growing around a foam-type plug that was all dried out and disintegrating and having been advised by seller in care comments returned it to it's sphagnum moss media and an online culture care also stated sphagnum moss a good medium for Phaius. However, confusing to me is that they are a terrestrial and of course sphag is hardly similar to any soil so am thinking I should pack the sphag pretty tightly and not loosely like for my phals. Also had read to NOT use pots with slits which is of course how all of my other orchids are potted being epiphytes.

BUT...there is very little internet practical "How to" articles on the Phaius, especially the Lady Ramona as the Tankervilleae seems to be most popular. I could find nothing about potting depth, so my knowledge of care of my 40 some orchid collection over the past 20 years including phalaenopsis, cattleys, oncidiums and dendrobiums led me to believe the pseudobulb was planted at least 1/2" too deeply so corrected that and got it well watered. (the photos are BEFORE repotting.)

Any help out there on practical Phaius care would be most appreciated - my orchids are kept outside on an open covered porch in the upper Florida Keys. with shade cloth to protect from too much sun. I did start my fertilization program although I had read conflicting information about their needs, light, medium or heavy feeding. - Thank you!

[Leafmite]

Where you live, you could probably plant this outside in the ground.

Nun's Orchid - Solutions for Your Life - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS

Just a moment...

[Roberta]

Looking for some of our Florida members to jump in...

[orchidhope]

Leafmite, I'm aware of planting it outside but it doesn't fit with my plans for our exterior landscaping or my orchid display.

Thank you for your reply however.

[KatieM]

That is not one I've tried yet. Hope a fellow Floridian that is familiar can help! Keep us posted. Hope they bounce back for you.

[estación seca]

That's how they're often grown. The pseudobulbs are normally just below or at the medium surface.

This is a terrestrial orchid, not an epiphyte. Uprooting terrestrials during the growing season can harm them badly. They may not make new roots this late in the season.

Leaves and new growth are produced once a year, in the spring. By fall leaves often look ratty. Then there may be damage of the large, soft leaves with shipping. I think the leaves on yours are OK. New ones will look much nicer early in the season.

I would put it in bright shade as it is and keep moist. Continue fertilizing until the newest growth is mature. Don't keep it dry in winter, but don't keep it always wet, either. Resume fertilizing when you see new growth in Spring.