Help on S/H sphag and bag

[ehuber]

Hi all!

I have just put my first two plants in S/H: Zygopetalum "blue blazes" and Mclellanara Pagan Lovesong Chocolate Thunder. As both were a little worse for the wear I soaked them for several hours with water and the root hormone, then planted them in the S/H material, and bagged them and sealed them up to try to stimulate root growth. This was about 3-4 weeks ago. I have taken them out once or twice to rewater when it looked like the humidity was dying, and once to air out the Zygo when I saw some mold growth. So far, there is no sign of new roots or anything. Some of the leaves on the Mclellanara are going yellow, and the pseudobulb on the Zygo is a little withered. Am I doing something wrong? Fidgeting with them too much? I am still a beginner at this, and working on my "orchid zen patience" skills.

In general, how long should I leave them in the bag, and is it normal for them to be cranky before they put down new roots?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!
Emily