Susan Erickson writes:
If there is no mix... What is the reason for the larger pot?
What does it contain? Is he just protecting roots that would be
arial, or keeping them curling within the pot? What about the
quality of the mix in the first pot? Does it not break down?

I have seen a similar setup in one of the local shops (
http://www.orkidespesialisten.no , in norwegian, sorry ). He usually
has a plastic mesh pot with the orchid and medium in, which he then
puts into a larger pot. The bigger pot keeps some moisture around the
plant, the mesh pot lets masses of air into the medium and allows easy
drainage.

He also said that the roots are bound to grow through the mesh, making
a mess when you need to repot.

I have gone for an intermediate solution for my vandaceous orchids. I
use ceramic pots with huge chunks of fir bark (Expanded clay pellets
didn't work too well, Ray. I tried, and barely saved the plant. I am
wondering about trying again with large chunks of pumice at some time,
probably when I get my hands on a flask of vandas). I have taken an
8mm drill bit for ceramics and made lots of holes around the sides of
the clay pot. It seems to work like a charm so far (only two months
since I started doing this. Caveat emptor). The best of all is that a
small amount of water (1mm or so - what runs out after watering)
around the base of the pot only acts as a reservoir for keeping the
clay moist longer. I had a problem with the roots in the bottom of the
pot staying wet forever if there was any water at all in the bottom -
there was no passage of air because the water blocked up the hole.

Geir