I’ve never owned an orchid before, but a few days ago my mother in law came home with a phalaenopsis as a gift for me! Any tips or tricks for ensuring its survival? Aside from the one super dry root on top, all of the roots are green and healthy. Is it ok to cut off the bad portion of this one root or should I leave it? Additional info; I currently have it on my bathroom counter because I read that the humidity is good for orchids, and it’s in a clear plastic pot with drainage holes set on a drip tray. It seems to be potted in a chunky orchid bark mixture. There’s a skylight above that gives a good few hours of direct sunlight a day but is mostly sitting in bright indirect light or shade depending on cloud coverage. I bottom watered her yesterday by submerging the pot in a water-filled glass to right below the lip of the pot. I washed the glass after using it and plan to reuse it every time I water my orchid. After 10 minutes, I took the pot out and placed it on the drip tray, dumping the excess water in the tray every 10 min for 30 min. Immediately after placing the pot on the drip tray, I also used a cotton cloth to dry the base of the orchid because I read that they’re prone to rotting.
