Thanks, Julie; with some plants there are so many things to consider that I don't mind, "It depends..." It is So helpful to have the contingencies explained. Replanting in the current pot may well work, since it doesn't seem to be "busting out." In any case, I will have a slightly larger pot on hand and will remember to watch for a need for more water. (I'm a "stick your little finger down the side of the pot into the media" tester.) And Orrin, thank you, for anticipating my next question; I was concerned about getting the paph crown too far into the medium and setting up a situation where rot might occur. I'm in a semi-arid region of the Sierra Nevada foothills--not quite so dry as Tucson, but close. I have no greenhouse, but so far, with daily light misting, the paph seems to be doing well. The new growths are 2", 2 3/4", 3", and an almost hidden "nubbin" (very apt). I suspect that the longer ones already have their feet in the medium, but will check for roots when repotting and put the rest of your shared wisdom to work in the process (good sphagnum, too, if needed). Julie and Orrin, your generosity with helpful insights has changed my "repot avoidance" to anticipation. Thank you so much! SweetCicely

I don't completely disagree, with you Orrin but I am completely underwhelmed by the description of the light situation for the paphs and suspect that even the paph that is not in decline hasn't done anything in the way of recovery or advancement from when it was first brought 'home'. In fact the location that is used for the Catts sounds ideal for the paphs(!) and IMO moving it to still less light is entirely the wrong response to its decline. What is a 'root problem' but a failure of the roots to do the job they are intended to? Without the energy from light running the various metabolic processes everything fails roots first. The cure is not to repot or root prune or water less or any of the usual palliatives it is to get more light energy into the plant so it can repair the roots and get on with things. I have looked over the supplied information source in the past and it is excellent but I lament the tendecy to look all over for trouble and employ all manner of potting materials and watering schemes while never mentioning the importance of good light. A great many of us are keeping orchids in light that wouldn't keep the buds on an African Violet. How do I know? Because many of the same people growing phals and paphs tried growing AV's in the same spot years before and when they wouldn't behave they went over to orchids. In the present case plenty of light is available but with the heavy glazing on the glass and the generally low angle of winter sun (even in FL) it does no harm to be generous to even paphs. Try it. Tell me if they do worse or better for being given an hour or two of actual SUN in the morning. H

Telly2, I've never been successful with spag n bag. I've taken a plant that is in need of TLC and set it down into a deep bucket. Added a bit of water to the bucket (plant itself in a small plastic container, you don't want the plant sitting in the water). If the plant is really dehydrated I lightly cover the bucket. In the morning the plant comes out and goes on my kitchen window sill, later that p.m., back in the bucket. During all of this, I add 1/2 strength root stimulator to rain water. Watering only about once a week when the plant is close to being dry. The skewer method is good, I still use them in some of my pots/plants. This is an alternative to spag n bag. Of course it takes up more of your time. Whichever method you choose (and I'm not so sure you need to do either), be careful that you don't allow moisture to collect in the leaf axils...this can start rot and that is more deadly to a plant then having it starved for moisture & light. Good luck with your plant and give us an update in a few weeks. You will need to be patient, it will take some time. June, I still don't consider myself a successful paph grower. I'm still learning! But, it is good to finally have some success at growing these beauties. I've sent two delanatiis to orchid heaven and I will purchase another as soon as I get back to Houston for a visit! I did bloom the second plant I had and it was wonderful! I loved the fragrance. I'd love to grow/bloom a malipoense too.....they say it's fragrace is like raspberries! Ah, my lonnnng wish list! Hapy growing, Sheila :)

Hello Brooke, When I suggested to Larissa if she uses a Ziploc that she not use any potting medium because she is fighting scales. If you have an orchid that has no roots you also dont need a potting medium. Here are some pictures of small paphs growths that broke off during potting that I ziplocked. This is the paph pictured in the bag above. You can see the new root growth just where the brown meets the green. There is a similar new root on the other side. This is after two weeks. This is another paph broken off during repotting. Root after about a month in a ziplock bag. There is a new leaf also growing from the apex, but you canÂt see it in this photo. When the roots get about an inch I will pot them up in bark, continue zip locking until the roots get well established in the medium. You can use sphag but it breaks down very quickly in this environment. What is happening is that the Ziplock bag is air tight, so the little bit of moisture that is in the bag stays in the bag creating 100% humidity. You donÂt need medium to hold the moisture. The bag contains it. Moisture travels into the cells that are desiccated. When you blow into the bag you raise the CO2 level up slightly in the bag helping with the plants carbon fixing. This helps in creating new growth. I admit not to do any experiment to prove this against not breathing in the bag and just filling the bag with air, but I feel reasonably assured that that is what is happening based on my experience and knowledge. I assume this bag would be out of any direct sunlight during recuperation? Yes. Whenever any person, animal or plant is recuperating the less stress the better. The bag method does not guarantee that a unhealthy orchid will recover. Some are headed south no matter what you do. Hello Sheila, How long in the baggie is 'a long time'? a week, a month? Once a orchid has fully recovered or reestablished roots into a medium you can take it out of the bag. I once did an experiment where I had a paph that had no roots. I bagged it grew the roots, potted it, put it back into the bag, and grew it for about three years in the bag. I wanted to see how long I could grow it in the bag after three years I decided it could go for as long as one wanted. One caveat was it didnÂt flower in the bag. During the three years I would add water from time to time, once the roots were established a little water with fertilizer. The roots grew well even outside the pot and you could see the fuzzy root hairs found on paphs. There were a few growths and a strong root system when I took it out of the bag and flowered it. I either gave it away or sold it. I thought I had pictures of it, but canÂt find them now. 'Every now & then opening the bag', same question, once a day, couple times week??? Once a week usually but I admit to be lacs-a-dasial about it. I would sometime blow up the bags whenever they looked like they were going down. If you blow into them more regularly you will probably have better results. Incidentally, I also use this trick if I am going on vacation, and some orchids need to be watered during the time I am not there. I havenÂt lost any healthy orchids