Geir and Cady,

With any orchids that are sick you have to make a decision about the value
of bringing it back to a quality plant. Most of them grow so slowly under
healthy conditions so a sick plant has double the work to get back to
health. During the recovery period there are many opportunities for the
plant to just give up and your work is lost.

For me there has to be something more than just the challenge to bring it
back. Perhaps its the original cost or the person who gave it to me that
gives it value beyond just the plant.

Cady, I think part of your problem may be the local nursury. If they don't
specialize in orchids or are at least knowledgable about orchids they may be
setting you up for failure. I see them abuse plants at the big nursuries
around northern Virginia. These people put the plants out for sale and let
the cold wind blow in and dry out the roots and flowers. They over price
the plant to begin with and after they abuse it they think they are doing
you a favor by marking it down by 50%. I know of one place I visit all the
time that sells plants for about 3 times the price of professional growers.
Most of them have no tags because they feel the tags confuse people. I
think they want to protect the consumer from going to the source to get more
plants. They get upset with me when I tell them that the out of bloom no
name phal that they mark down to $30 is worth maybe $5 if it's in good
shape. They just let them dry out and rot on the bench before they throw
them out.

Get your plants from one of the reputable growers and I expect that you will
have better success.

Good Growing,
Gene