Ok here is the pot and the roots are growing through the holes
what next? will the roots get choked by the small holes?
It was in a black pot with no drainage hole and I did know that was bad to leave it in standing water.
the bite damage is my fault I left it on the porch the first night and something snacked on it.

I'd get it into a larger pot. Be very gentle getting those roots out the holes. Sometimes I cut the pot to get the roots out.

Carol though i haven't used moss myself as a growing medium (i rot things in bark)hehe! i do use it to promote roots on a plant thats lost them, being very careful when watering.
Cinda- yes i'd repot that phal.also.

Cinda,
Despite needing a larger pot, that plant looks like it's in good shape, lots of healthy leaves and nice roots! I would cut the pot , maybe use little wire cutters?

Kathy, do you remember the freebie Cattleyas I was asking advice about in spring? Well, not only have I managed not to kill them (although that's usually something I do in winter), but one of them has a bloom! First time I've ever had one survive long enough to bloom!


You can also see I haven't removed any of the damaged leaves I had mentioned. Since there was still some green left on the damaged leaves, I just left them to photosynthesize for the time being.

Neal, that looks wonderful! You did well!

Beautiful, Neal. Congratulations!!!!!!

I love to just sit out there and look at it, LOL. Orchids really are the most fascinating of blooms.

They are mesmerizing! I have been known to visit with them for hours, photographing, sniffing, grooming, spraying bugs, and looking for the next spike!

That's really a beauty!

Susan, I've got 3 of them (free from a wholesale florist- they can't sell them if there are no longer blooms), would you like one? I'm so afraid of killing them, I'd love to give at least 1 a fighting chance, LOL.

Thanks! I'd love one. Want to trade for a daylily? I'm going to be shipping some out soon.

Awesome! It's a gift, don't worry about trading - I've got more to get done before cold weather comes than I'm likely to accomplish as it is, LOL.

Just an update
The orchid I rescued in August is rewarding me with a flower.

Good Job Cinda!
I'm sure that Phal. is grateful to have been rescued!

wow neal thats a beautiful splash petal catt.

Thanks Bree! And it's still alive and developing new growth! That's a major accomplishment for me, with Orchids at least.

Susan, I'm still going to send you one. I'd planned on sending it with the Japanese Iris, and kept waiting for rain so I could dig the Irises. Well, we didn't start getting rain till November, and then it got cold and just stayed that way! So although it's not the advised time of year to separate JIs, I'm going to go ahead and dig that for you in the next week or so, if the timing works for you, and include the orchid in the same box. I'm glad I didn't send you the one I had planned, for some reason it has declined, while the other 2 have beefed up nicely. It's odd because all 3 of them have received identical treatment, all repotted into the same potting mix at the same time, and all grown side by side the whole time. I'm sending you the one in the pic above

Okay, I have a true beginners question. (Well, several) First, how do I know what medium to pot my orchid in? I mean, I see some on bark, and some in pots. I kind of get the terrestrial, those are OK in pots. What about epiphytes? How do I know if it's better for the plant to be in a pot or bark?

uhh... forgot my other questions.... lol