Thank you for further opinions/advice. ashes_of_the_fire those roots are gorgeous! For most part I tend to slightly underwater my orchids, before the ailment that is (I always thought it was fine as they flowered and looked healthy) and the roots would be slightly thinner than yours. I am especially grateful for the step by step instructions. I will definitely need them as this will be my first repotting on my own! (mum refused to help as she says last time she got involved it got them to the current state). I have something by Westland called 'orchid compost'. It says it has organic matter, bark and wood fibre. This is the only thing suitable at the shop nearest to us (and that is 30 minutes away). There is another shop that is about 1 hour away in another zone that requires 2 buses. But I am not sure that one is much better. I think I'll repot the worst first (I will do it tomorrow morning when there is more light and might post photos in case I need advise of whether they are actually alive)... to see how they take to this compost. And order the following online: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elite-Orchid-Compost-Range-for-Phalaenopsis-5-Litres-/261365464855 Does that seem like a good mix? Apparently one of the orchids is not actually a Phalaenopsis that mum owns (since it hasn't had flowers in years I did not know any better). Though she cannot remember its name. meyermike_1micha thank you for the tip ... I have been reading many websites and books about caring for orchids, but none actually go into any sort of detail. Something I read a year ago said that orchids can grow without any medium! in baskets but would require very frequent sprays. Wow! Maybe I need to do that to avoid the bugs. jane__ny thank you for the link! It is very helpful. As I said the books I could get from the library and some websites I came across weren't as helpful. Most of the books had various pictures and species, and talked about reproduction, illness and the fact that orchids depending on the type like various mediums including moss, bark, and something else. No one ever went into basics of how to physically water them (just state that you can spray or pour). Cloths were a strategy to get rid of insects. They have only been covered in them for about 3 months. These bugs are a pain to get rid of ... and one of the solutions is placing a layer of sand on top of the peat ... it cuts air supply to them and cuts their wings when they crawl out. I was a bit apprehensive of doing that (since who knows what the sand will be infected with!) So I saw someone's solution of placing denim to a similar effect ... break the cycle. Each fly lays many many eggs ... and the problem multiplies. Most of these I read were for houseplants ... as no one wrote about infected orchids. But the things is one of the orchids I bought was already infected and it was in bark! So it does happen. Probably not as frequently. I know most of the solutions I was trying were damaging the health of the plants, but as I mentioned these stuff eat roots ... and reproduce fast. So the fact that some of the orchids are still alive is pretty much a miracle. I do not wish this infection on anyone's plants. Oh and I place my stupidity/naivety to the fact that for many years that I have owned orchids they were healthy and I never saw what I have been seeing in the past 3/4 of the year. Thank you so much for your support! I also include the picture of the flies! (this was when the situation was improving too! before then you couldn't see the yellow ... it is a lot a lot better now). Just about 3 or 4 flies per sticker. Another quick question ... do I need to dry out the orchid compost completely before planting? (that is where I went wrong with the peat apparently) Lija P.S. Liquid Oxygen contains Hydrogen Peroxide. It was advised to me as it apparently burns up the larvae which seemed like a pleasant thought.

Hmm, I was checking to see if you had commented and I had a thought... that when you talked about a fungus/disease, that maybe you were referring to the grayish growth on the bark in your photo. Is that what you are concerned about? While I could be wrong, that dirt looking thing may be lichen. Lichen looks like dirt on the bark and is not usually a problem per se. It can be killed with some copper fungicide. Lichen are organisms that do not hurt the camellia but sometimes, when they show up, it may be becasuse the plant in question is stressed already by something else. They are most commonly found / are host to Souther Magnolias and Camellias. Or maybe the plant is just fine and simply got chosen as a host place. Hard to tell since we cannot ask them. So, think of lichens as sometimes indicating a problem; and check the 20 plants for problems. To find out if the plants are stressed, you could do a soil test to make sure that the soil has adequate levels of minerals, has a good pH Level, has mulch all around; has no fungal or pest issues on the top & bottom of the leaves and make sure that the soil is not kept wet for long periods, something that could cause root rot and make the lichens show up. If you were not pointing to that area in the picture as the problem, oops, sorry. See if you can send me pictures or if you can post them. We may all be able to comment on leaf problems (if that is what you have) if we see something. Here is a link that might be useful: Information about lichens by ACES

Unless it's one of those 'instant garden' plants, I suggest you remove it from the ground and check the root ball. You said it had been parked in a basement over winter: it may be that the root ball is internally dry. Drop it into a bucket of water. If it bubbles like a kettle on the boil that's where you start. Sometimes, if a plant has been in it's container for a while the roots will have felted across the bottom and there won't be much available to take in food and moisture. Brutal though it sounds, cut off the bottom inch, and gently scrape off the old surface soil. When you've done this, plant it into a container that is no bigger than an inch wider than the root ball. Shallow is fine. This is because Camellias can be slow to send out roots and having too much potting mix means water will be sitting - a sure bet for rotten roots further on. Put some fresh mix on the surface to replace what you took off but don't add any extra fertiliser. Be sure that the mix you use has NO 'water crystals and is very free draining to encourage root growth. Stand the pot on feet in a spot that is sheltered from the wind and midday sun. Wait. It may take all summer for a recovery. Keep it lightly moist. It's probably best to dunk the pot in water once a week so it is thoroughly wet, then slowly dries out, rather than spritzing it with the hose. When you see new leaves emerging sprinkle about a teaspoon of a reliable slow release fertiliser on the surface. Another possible is pelletised sheep manure. Just make sure it doesn't crust and stop water getting through. As summer moves on, give it more light and let it get its new leaves toughened up. If you're prepared to provide it with frost shelter over the winter (frost cloth or a hessian cover) and it has recovered, you might want to plant it out at the end of August when the soil is still warm and you've got about eight weeks before Frost in Earnest begins. (I'm assuming you're at the southern end of the Island.) If you check over the hole you created for it - is it flooded at all? If so, choose a better-drained spot. You could do it now and use the site for annuals - weeding and feeding until it's time to plant out. PS - I've had Apple Blossom in a 20l bucket since 1987. Flowers reliably. In good health. It's an option, anyhow.

Your camellia is newly planted and is, of course, going through the process of establishing itself--developing its root system, among other things. It is not uncommon for newly planted camellias to look wretched. The plant is also getting ready to begin its growth cycle, which explains the yellowing leaves. They are getting ready to fall off the plant and be replaced with new leaves. A newly planted camellia requires time--a year, sometimes several years, to establish itself. Several years may pass before the plant begins to bloom reliably. What you need to do is leave the camellia alone, except for keeping it well-watered, while the plant establishes itself. If you keep obsessing over your precious camellia and doing all kinds of things to it, you are going to kill it. While your attentions to the plant are, no doubt, well-intentioned, they are misguided. The excessive attention will do the plant in. At that point, I say let it rest in peace and be free from your smother love.