Ok I've got the orchid bug.....and have been checking the plant shops
and floral areas of stores to see if they have them.

Was so excited, to see some and in bloom that I forgot to really look at the plant.
It's a Miltonidium Pacific Paragon "Pacific Cameo"

I purchased this, marked down, so no return. Took it home and realized that it's
leaves are tightly rolled straight up. It was extremely dry, and the leaves are thick
feeling.

I soaked it in water, misted it and fed it a couple hrs after it was watered.
I assumed that would bring the leaves kinda back to normal. But that's not happened.

Can someone tell me, what I should do with this orchid? I'd so hate to loose it...

First thing I would try is just keeping a spray bottle of water near the plant and spritzing it whenever you walk by. The leaves are a good color, and the pseudobulbs aren't shriveled up which would indicate it hasn't been dried out too much. You can put a few drops of fertilizer in the spray bottle too, so the plant gets a tiny bit of nutrient each time it "rains".

Have you slipped the plant out of that pot to have a peek at the roots, Donna? I think that plant should have lots of white roots, about the size and color of angel hair pasta. Perhaps wait until the flowers are finished before you attempt this because some orchids don't like the disruption.

If it won't come out of the pot easily, soak it for a little while then try again. When you succeed, if the roots are brown, you probably need to get a new pot and some new orchid bark and pot it up all fresh. This will mean also rinsing out most of the old medium from amongst the roots. Orchid don't grow in dirt, as I'm sure you know, so if the medium in the pot is broken down and looks like dirt, that's another good reason to re-pot.

http://www.aos.org/orchids/add...
Is that Mealy bugs or scale in the second picture ....lower right leaf axils? If so, they can be removed with a O-tip dipped in alchohol.

Thanks so much Elaine... for easing my mind some

I was concerned it might already be a goner..

The roots out at the base of the orchid are white with brown tips.
None out the bottom of the pot, The medium it's planted in
appears to be chunky throughout.

Sounds good, the brown tips are an indication that those roots are growing - a good thing! It may just be taking its time to recover from its trauma at the store.

I think Carol has a good idea, to check for bugs way down in the bases of the leaves. Maybe take a clean Q-tip and just slide it down into the lowest folds, then see what comes out on there? Use a magnifier if you have one. Mealybugs will appear light colored, pink or white or sometimes slightly yellow. You really don't want to let an infestation get started.

Thanks Elaine and Carol, for your input and guidance....

I see on the pic, it looks like white stuff in the crevasses. Just looked at it,
Think that may be my terrible camera. It's actually black like some of the
soil got splashed up in it when I was running water through it. I still took that
out, and checked nothing moving. Took Q-tips to the base. I can't see
anything...

The longer leaves have been previously cut back (maybe something else going
on), even the new growth is curled and rolled on the newer pseudobulbs. Would it
be to traumatic and kill the orchid, to take it out of the pot and soak the whole
plant in water, the roots in some Physan or something then repot it in new
medium and pot?

That would not kill the orchid, Donna. But I wouldn't try it until the blooms are finished. Also wouldn't bother with the Physan, just use lukewarm water.

I recently re-habbed my daughter's Onc. in Salt Lake City that was much more dehydrated than your plant. I soaked it for an hour or two, three times while I was there. The pseudobulbs (fat parts at the base of the leaves) were all shriveled when I started but had plumped out a little bit by the time I left. Orchids are very slow to respond so you must be patient.

Most important thing to remember is that they do feed and take in water through their leaves as well as the roots. So keep those leaves misted for a week or two, keep it in soft light (no direct sun) and wait patiently. I've never seen an orchid roll its leaves like that, but my daughter's plant had folded its leaves in half down the middle, which is a pretty common thing for plants to do in order to conserve water. Might be what yours is doing, but Darn It, don't you wish plants could talk?

I'm glad to hear that wasn't bugs! The leaves are often trimmed to make them look better it the tips have become discolored. That is often a hard water or over feeding issue. Some plants are picky about water quality.

Thanks Elaine,

I'm getting a bit impatient, in an effort to try and make it better. But your right it's best to wait.
The flowers look great, not wilted or anything. And generally, speaking the orchid doesn't look
bad.... (except I missed the leaves being all rolled up )
So, hopefully it's just needs to get really really rehydrated.

I'll mist regularly, and soak it every couple days for a while (for an hour, I didn't soak it that long
before) and see how that goes......

Thanks so much for all your advise, expertise, and experience...

Thanks Carol,

Also for your hawk eyes, advise, expertise and experience.....

I will continue to watch it for Bugs... I have too many plants to have a bug issue....
I'd be sick if I brought them in....

I'll keep up with the regular misting, and maybe soak once a week for an hour and see how that goes...
I don't have hard water, but do have town water, with chlorine in it. I keep a glass pitcher on the counter
over night to water my plants. I'll hold out an extra bowl of water for soaking this guy in....

Hmmm so these orchids are a little tricky Huh....

The ones I've killed have been due to over watering. The hour soak, I can agree with to get it hydrated. After that, I would wait until it's almost dry before watering again. If it's not packed in moss, that will help. Watering practices are different for each of us, depending on our environment and expertise. Practice and patients are the key. Did you watch the Dr. Motes video at the top of the page? That is for Fl. growers, but the basics apply to all of us.

No, I've not watched that, but will if it applies to growing orchids in general.
Guess I figured it was for the folks that kept their orchids out all year round.
Thanks for suggesting that....

All of those stickies have good advice for new growers, but that one is very good.