Help with cambria

[shoogah]

Hi there, i am new to this site as i only got my orchid for valentines. I think it is a Miltassia cambria but i'm not sure as its tag just says cambria. My problem is as follows:

The surface roots of the plant are really dry and the flowers are wilting badly. I have been spraying the roots once a day which has made them look much healthier, i just need tips on how to keep this gorgeous plant alive?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[shoogah]

i have only just figured out that my pictures didn't attach first time, hope these help

[ischel1]

I think you plant needs repotting. The pot looks way too small for the plant. While you are repotting trim any dead or broken roots. Keep in mind that when you repot, you will most likely lose any flowers it has, but the plant will be happier and healthier. If it is a Miltassia it will want to be kept moist, no direct sun, but bright light, temp 55N-90D, humidity 75% and fertilize weakly/weekly. If you google Miltonia/Miltassia you'll find a lot of info on the web.
Good luck
ischel

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Yes, it is time to repot. You have lots of air roots. These are usually fairly brittle and dry on oncidium type orchids. You will need a slightly larger plastic pot to repot this orchid. Just use the pre-mixed bark mix you can get at a box store. Place some packing peanuts (styro) in the bottom of the pot. Then about a handful of the orchid mix, then place the cleaned-up orchid roots with the newest growth toward the center of the pot. Fill in around the root mass with bark mix. The bark mix needs to soak for a couple of hours to get it good and hydrated. After you get the orchid repotted, run water through the pot and use your fingers to really pack the bark down around the roots. Water should run freely from the pot, but your orchid should be secure (not loose).

Best of luck to you.

Cheers,
BD

[shoogah]

Thank you for that, I will repot it tomorrow, will i need to cover all of the air roots or leave some out in the surface when i repot? Do you think my plant looks generally healthy otherwise?

I will let you know how it gets on

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thank you for that, I will repot it tomorrow, will i need to cover all of the air roots or leave some out in the surface when i repot? Do you think my plant looks generally healthy otherwise?

I will let you know how it gets on

You can cover them. You do not want to cover the p-bulbs though. Just the roots. The orchid appears healthy from the photo, but it is hard to tell until you unpot it and get a look at the root system.

Cheers,
BD

[shoogah]

Sorry, I really know nothing about orchids, what are the p-bulbs? Are they the stalks that the leaves grow from :S

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Sorry, I really know nothing about orchids, what are the p-bulbs? Are they the stalks that the leaves grow from :S

No Worries. P-bulb = pseudobulb. The p-bulb is the thicker part of the orchid's stem that holds water and nutrients for the orchid as it grows and blooms.

Cheers,
BD

[shoogah]

Ok thank you, that was what i thought it was I will repot it asap and hope that it flowers again soon, it started with 3 but 2 fell off today

[shoogah]

Just one more question, the roots of this plant all look healthy but they are all compressed together as they have needed repoting for a while, do i need to seporate and remove some of the roots or do i just transfer it to another pot?