Zip strap.

how do you know if the moss has too much water? and if your orcid's roots are hanging by a thread should you try to check them every so often? Thats the problem I keep having. Most of the time the top of the plant (leaves and flowers look fine, but then i decided to check the roots and they look bad and am thinking what would of happened if i would of waited even longer to check the plant! Theese roots look horrible! So basically how do you know if your orcid is doing ok if you cant always see the roots?

Katie, once an orchid has bad roots the leaves will tell, by the way what kind of orchid are we talking about? I personally don't like spagnum for my orchids I prefer bark, this allows for proper drainage. You also have the advantage of moving the bark pieces to check your roots. Over the years I have started to use clear pots for my orchids and the benifit are good, you see exactly when you need to water, you see the roots if theirs a problem and you also see when they are growing nicely. Orchids with bad roots display droopy wrinkled leaves, now this can be from over or under water. But you would know since your the one providing the care. I would suggest you try and start using clear or clay pot. Clear you see everything and clay breaths so it help to dry the media properly.Velleta

Katie - can you post a picture of your orchid? Maybe even a photo of the roots?

Without knowing what kind of orchid you have or seeing what the problem is with the roots, it's hard for us to help you improve your conditions.

Katie, We need to get you in one place so everyone can find you. You have multiple posts going, and that makes an old guy like me have to spend half his time looking for you.....☺

I don't know why your orchid roots would be getting shorter...they should grow longer, but they need to be left alone to do that growing. Orchid roots are tough, and can take a lot of abuse, everywhere e x c e p t for the growing tip. That growing tip is much like jelly, and the slightest bruise there kills the tip and stops that root from growing. If its a healthy root it will branch and keep going, but why put the plant through that. When the plant is potted and stable, put it on the shelf (or wherever) and leave it there. Carefully move it to water it,(if necessary) and put it back, but don't go digging around in the pot unless absolutely necessary until the plant has a good root system under it.

you seem to be concerned about getting the plant stable after potting it, and that is a legitimate concern. I always used "rhizome clips" in my pots after I potted any orchid. They hold the plant stable until the bark settles and new roots begin to grow.

(above)These clips are for plastic pots

(below) these are for clay pots. Actually the clay pot clips can be made from wire coat hangers, or a bit stiffer wire if you want. ( my wife used to give me fits for stealing her hangers, but maybe you won't have that problem)

Let me suggest something for you to use determining when to water. If you are potting in a bar mix, and say the plants are in a 6" pot. fill an empty pot with the bark mix, and set it among your plants. Water the empty (no plant) pot as you do the others. After a few days when you think you need to water, pick up one of the plants and "heft" it in your hands---lightly bounce it up and down--- If the pot feels cool to the touch when you pick it up, and feels heavy when you heft it, its wet, don't water. If the pot feels room temperature and light, its dry---water. If you have doubts, you can pick up the plant-less pot and heft it and feel it, a n d, you can dig around in its bark to verify whether its wet or dry. Just remember, there is no plant in the test pot to use up its water, so it is not going to dry out as fast as the others. Its just there for you to verify what's in the other pots.

Enough for now.

Bill

Please post the name of your orchid or a photo. Also, the zone you live in, State, Country??? We'll help you out, but we need to know what you are growing and where.

Jane