This is how your orchid is not supposed to look like.

I don't usually do those repotting step-by-step posts. Some probably would be interesting, but cameras and photos are the last thing I think of when I have dirt on my hands, the the whole place is covered in soil, dead leaves, roots, pots and all the fun things :)

This one though... this one I will show. It is a perfect example of how orchid should not look like and how it looks like when it is dehydrated and has barely any roots.

What happened that it got to this stage?
There can be only one reason - too much water. I tend to be careful with watering and there was no issue with this one for a long time. I supposed the bark didn't dry up fast enough after one of the winter watering's. Lower temperature do not let it evaporate fast enough.
Another thing that adds up is that this orchid was growing in a larger pot than the regular ones you get in a shop. It need bigger one due to it's size. The issue is bark that I haven't changed for a couple of years already. Bark tends to slowly decompose and it also helps holding moisture.
So now you have it - lots of decomposing bark, lots of water = bye bye roots.

And this how the dehydration shows. Very thin, limp and wrinkled leaves. They just fall down instead of holding shape nicely. Every newer leaf will also grow smaller and smaller as the plant doesn't have enough roots to feed it.

There is another orchid in the top left corner that I was cleaning and getting ready to pot. But it is less fascinating case, so will not include it here.





It's so big it almost looks like Vanda (google it :p). This is my oldest Phalaenopsis and it just grows and grows. I do expect some of the oldest leaves dry and fall off now as it doesn't have much roots to support them all. It is still damn big plant!





I missed taking photos of the dead roots. There was plenty! All rotted, brown and falling apart.

After cutting off all the dead roots, part of the old stem that was dug up and dead (it doesn't need any anyway and even healthy Phals need to be trimmed sometimes to keep the shape) and remove all the old bark, this is what I am left it. It doesn't look good at all. Few roots, including the aerial ones.





But look at this 👇





This orchid is very big and it doesn't grow straight up. It leans and grows to the side, more like they do in nature. I only noticed the brand new roots when I took it our of them pot. Looking good :) I just had to figure out how to plant it now to make sure they do reach the soil/bark.

After cleaning the whole plant I misted it so it could hydrate just a bit though the leaves and left it to dry and heal the wounds a bit. I was gonna plant it the next day together with other orchids I butchered.


In the mealtime - this is now healthy Phalaenopsis leaves should look like. Shiny, tender and no wrinkles.





Fast forward to the next day and potting it back. It basically has no roots and it is very top heavy. There is not way it will stay in place in a pot with just lose bark. I am not even gonna try to put it straight up. That is just not gonna work and the new roots will never reach to soil and will stay aerial ones.

I decided to use a wire to tide it up to the bottom of the pot. I also made sure that the new roots that are coming out from the stem are inside of the pot and when they start to grow they will reach the bark, so I placed the old stem not in the middle of the pot, but closer to the side. I used the same 14cm pot as the smaller ones would not be enough.

It doesn't have to be super tight. It just has to prevent the plant from flipping out of the pot.

As soon as the orchid is stable and has enough roots to hold it, I will just untied it and pull it out. Problem solved :)





Then just full up the pot and we are done.
I planted it in pure bark chips. They are bit too fine for my liking, but I don't have any other right now. I think Phals do better if a bit bigger chunks. Bigger chunks also don't hold so much moisture and help with aeration.





See the young roots? I left some space between them and the top of the bark. They will have time to grow a bit and reach the medium in their own time. I can always add more chips later.

And when she is not in a poor state like above and decides to bloom, she looks like this: