Advice on new purchase

[Elitebettas]

Hi Guys,
Went to my local orchid and bonsai store today and saw this vanda outside. It is one of those plants that you know may not be in prime condition but has potential. There were two other ones inside that were very sorry-the owner wanted to sell one to me and to prove how "healthy" they were he pulled on one of the green leaves on one vanda and it came right off, with barely a tug, go figure. So I looked at the one outside. The only thing i could see besides a few broken leaves was a very very old basket (testament to its age) that had ALOT of mildew I think. I'm not sure. I got a very expensive plant for $15.
I scraped quite a bit of mildew off of the basket-strangely not much on the roots, and sprayed with a fungacide/insecticide neem oil product on the portion of basket with mildew left.
I have one other vanda and a few ascocendas that haven't a spot of any type of ailment and want to keep it that way. How contagious is this mold? I placed it on the opposite side of my patio away from my other orchids.
Also, the tag was missing, the owner couldn't tell me what type it was, but a bystander said it was a Vanda Gu Chai Long X Arides Lorensiai -spelling probably way off as was he, he said it was fragrant and not a fragrance even in the early morning sunshine i purchased it in....
Thanks
Chris

[Gin]

Hi Chris ,
Good find , Mildew is not catching it is from the wood being wet and old .One way to get rid of the basket is to attatch an S shaped wire to the plant, then take the basket apart rather then trying to get the plant out of it .As you probably know they resent being disturbed . A lot of people grow them that way no basket .
Be sure and show us a picture when it blooms . Gin

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Yes, don't worry much about the mildew. Since you are now growing it in a different location, most likely the mildew will just go away. Do post a photo!

Cheers,
BD

[Cjcorner]

I email pics to myself and when it asks whether to make it smaller to email I click on that. When I resave it, it is the proper size to post. : 0)
Connie