Pot up Aerangis mystacidii?

[Geeksrejoyce]

Hi, I’m fairly new to growing Aerangis orchids (orchids in general). I have an Aerangis mystacidii mounted on a tree fern. When I received it, there were lovely, plump trailing roots, but not one month later, large sections of those ends are drying up and shriveling.
I live in NYC. I spray the aerial roots and moss at the base twice a day and do a soak/water every few days. I have the mount hanging inside a terrarium with the door eased open so a small fan can circulate the air. Usually inside the terrarium, it’s about 50-70% humidity but the room itself is averaged at 40-50%. I also have a humidifier going. The rest of the plant looks great. Roots are making their way into every crevice of the tree fern and the leaves don’t look shriveled. There is even a new growth from the stem (between some older, bottom leaves; root? Spike?).

The real question is, should I try to pot up the plant? It is giving me signs that it is not getting enough moisture? Or should I soak the mount every day instead of spraying twice a day?

[WhiteRabbit]

[calvin_orchidL]

It's not uncommon for some root death as a plant acclimatizes to new conditions. It was probably grown in a humid warm greenhouse, so the transition to your apartment (despite your efforts) is the likely culprit. It sounds like you're doing all the right things for this species, which is relatively forgiving. I've only grown this plant mounted. I would soak daily instead of misting, but that's what works for me. My anecdotal experience is that soaking allows for moisture to penetrate deeper into the mount, which then releases the moisture gradually, rather than the superficial moisture you get with misting, which likely evaporates in an hour.

My advice would be to keep monitoring it - if the leaves start showing signs of desiccation, or no new roots grow, you might consider changing your culture, but 1 month is not really long enough for any conclusions beyond adjustment from previous growing conditions

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[Geeksrejoyce]

Thank you, Calvin! Since that time, I’ve been trying to grow it inside an empty terra cotta pot, soaking the mount more often, etc. the hanging aerial roots are still dried up but the roots touching the mount are thriving and the leaves look great. Thank you for the reassurance!