fotografer wrote in message ...
My guess is that the bulbs will have shoots and then dry up; the shoots,
if properly maintained, will have roots; the shoots, if properly
maintained, will have flowers; the shoots will eventually turned into
bulbs; and the cycle repeats itself. My guess is the roots will die when
the bulb dries up.

That is true only of some deciduous terrestrial orchids that survive
dry weather as dormant tuberoids. You do not have those orchids.

The problem with your reasoning is that your Oncidiums and
Zygopetalums do not have bulbs. They have pseudobulbs, which are
water- and nutrient-storing stems growing from a rhizome. The
pseudobulbs should survive for many years, as should the roots. You
_can_ grow orchids without pots and water every day, but on a
windowsill, it is probably not recommended. If you do unpot the
plants, they should be mounted on a piece of bark or treefern so that
the roots can attach. Just leaving the plant loose will result in new
growths at odd angles and broken roots.

I would recommend purchasing an introductory book on growing orchids.
For the cost of a single orchid, you can learn to grow all of your
orchids more successfully. I really like "Orchids Simplified" by
Henry Jaworski, but your local Borders or Barnes & Noble should have
other titles as well.

Regards,

Nick