Is this type pot and this orchid bark good?
 

New to orchids and wanted to make sure I'm getting stuff that is actually good before purchasing. What are your thoughts on this bark and this style plastic pots. Thanks so much!

Both look appropriate.

Both may be appropriate.

An orchid doesn’t “want” or “prefer” a particular potting medium or container. What it needs is an appropriate set of growing conditions, which may-, or may not include those particular items.

The key is to provide moisture AND good airflow to the roots. If you grow in a very humid environment, that coarse bark and slotted pot may be appropriate, but in a drier environment, the combination might dry too quickly, requiring you to water very frequently to give the plant enough water.

In other words, understand the needs of the plant, then consider how you can achieve that.

Going by information in your other thread, your Phalaenopsis is currently in the pot it came in three years ago that has no drainage holes at all. The plastic pot with holes will definitely enable more air movement, something orchid roots need. Be aware, though, that over time, roots will grow out through those holes, which is not a bad thing in itself, but come repotting time, you may have to sacrifice the pot and get a new one because you may have to cut the slots open to get the roots out without breaking them off too badly.

I use clear plastic pots with holes on the bottom and slots on the side for all of my Phals. I like being able to see the roots on the inside, which helps a lot in knowing when to water.

The bark you have linked looks very good in the photo, if that's what it ends up looking like, and has very good ratings on Amazon. Just make sure it is clean, and if it seems dusty or dirty, rinse it off before using, and if there are too many "fines" or tiny pieces, sift those out first.

Going by information provided in your previous thread, you will have to water a lot more than you are used to. My Phals that are potted similarly get watered two to three times a week. Take the plastic pot to the sink and pour water over it liberally until it looks like all of the bark and roots have been wetted. You may, if you wish, keep that plastic pot inside a prettier cache pot in between watering.

Feel free to post back with any other questions as you go along. I know that Phal has sentimental value to you.

P.S. Temps in the 60s in your laundry room, as mentioned in your other thread, are not doing this Phal any good. I'm hoping you have someplace warmer in the house you can move it to. If not, consider the heat mat suggested.

Okay, so got it out of the pot and soaked it in water for a little bit to soften the clump of medium hardened in the middle of the roots, then picked all the old medium outta the roots. Here's what I've got left. A few of the roots got sorta ripped a little getting the old stuff off, but they were some of the brown ones, I tried to be extra careful with the green ones. Also, went to the only store in town that had anything for orchids and found this pot which looks like it's probably way to big, you think? Should I go ahead with this big pot just so it will be in something or should I just leave it bare root until I get a new one online? Any other tips on what else I should or should not do to it would be awesome. Right now I just have it resting in the big pot on top of some granite gravel in the big pot which is what you see in the last picture. Thank yall so much for all of your help to keep this guy alive!

MIght want to consider a humidity tent, there doesn't appear to be but one or two live roots (could be wrong).

Okay, let me see what I can rig up lol also, is this bark/charcoal/ pearlite stuff any good or should I just take it back to Lowe's and wait for the other stuff I previously showed that I found on Amazon?

I have never opened a bag of that...but it tends to make my skin crawl (gut impression). Surely someone has actually opened a bag ?

That pot is 'way too big. You need to use a pot that is just barely big enough to accommodate the roots. If you can't find a "dedicated" pot (one sold for plants), you can use a suitably-sized food container, just cut or burn holes for drainage. The roots that were in the pot don't look great, but they'll help keep the plant going until it grows some new ones. Even if the velamin (the coating on the roots) is bad, the core of the root can still transfer water, though not as efficiently. And those roots will help keep the plant stable in the pot when you add the bark - really important for the development of new roots.

When you get the bag of bark open, what you want to look for is whether it has "fines" mixed in with the chunks. If so, you can sieve it to remove the little stuff. Or wait for that Amazon shipment. The details of the medium aren't that important, it is just a means to an end - which is "humid air" around the roots. When you water, flush it well to bring air into the root zone as well as flushing "crud". Then let it dry out for a few days. And repeat. One way to learn how fast that "wet-dry" cycle works in your environment... Water the plant well, let it drain, then weigh it on a kitchen scale or postal scale. Weigh it again the next day. When the rate of weight loss slows down (not much more water to evaporate) then it's time to water again. After you do this a few time, you'll have a feel for the watering frequency that you need.

Your plant will be fine bare-root until the bark in shipping arrives. Just soak the roots every day for an hour or so, and make sure they dry before soaking again.

That pot is far too big. Get a pot that just holds the roots. A pot that small will probably dry out too fast if it has slots, so I would recommend one without slots.

Any pot you have lying around the house of the correct size will be fine; it doesn't need to be transparent. Wash a previously used pot first with soap and water, then sanitize it with some diluted bleach on a sponge or paper towel.

A plant that dehydrated and nearly rootless is not likely to recover unless you keep it a lot warmer. I suggest a heat mat as others mentioned.

I have used this bark for some of my phals and I reallly liked the quality. This would be second best quality after orchiata bark that I've used. I have also used the plastic pot you mentioned. Quality of pots is good but I've had some challenge at finding correct sized outer pots for these plastic pots as the size is not of the standard size. Its not impossible to find outer pots but it was a bit more challenging. I found them in michaels.

I have been given many orchids in this condition to rescue and return. The orchid has an excellent chance of full recovery.

I agree that soaking it for 48 hours will be beneficial. I usually do this to rescues when their leaves are dehydrated. I also agree that warmer temperatures are needed.
If you want to use that pot, just put a clean rock or piece of foam (or foam packing peanuts) in the middle so that the roots are near the holes.
I

The way the plant looks, its recovery will cost you more (in time and money) than buying a new one.

Wow! Y'all are incredible, I can't thank you enough for all of your help in saving this plant. So, here is the pot I ended up with, which actually ended up being smaller than I expected but if only the roots fitting is the idea then maybe it'll work? What are your thoughts on this pot? And I ended up using that mix I bought that was the bark, charcoal, pearlite mix. Since this plant and the pot are so small, and this medium is so big, I wasn't really sure what exactly to do but I got some chunky pieces of the bark, a couple pieces of charcoal and a couple pieces of pearlite and fit them into the void in the center of the roots that I had dug all of the clumped up old stuff out of, put a few pieces or bark into the bottom of the pot, stuck the roots with the bark stuffed in the middle in there, and then fit some more bark in the large voids to sorta fill it in. Also, to keep it warmer, I really don't have any other room in my house with the correct lighting, so I have put a gallon bag over it as a tent and I stuck a thermometer that also measures humidity under there to so I can monitor everything, the humidity has been staying between 60-70%. I also have been leaving the laundry room door open so that it stays as warm as the rest of the house, this has been keeping the temp no lower than 68 at night and around 72-74 during the day, is this okay or still to cold? And the most exciting news, a beautiful little new leaf has opened up in the center! So, what did I do right? What did I do wrong? What do I still need to do? Lol Also, should I still soak it? Which leads me to another question, we have well water, and it's very hard and the ph bounces all over the place, is this okay for orchids? I also have reverse osmosis city water I get from the city, would that be better for it? Thanks again for everything and hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Looking good. With that chunky medium you really can't overwater... You should water it every couple of day. Water in the morning so it dries somewhat by evening when it is cooler. Phals aren't fussy about water, I think regular city water should be fine.