Thanks to everyone. Turns out the guy, who really owns the orchid, wants it in his study while he's writing. After he got back, he said the room gets about 2 hours of direct, East light each day. Does *any* orchid grow in this type light?????? Regardless, he's not interested in putting his orchid in those West windows in the bedroom, where he doesn't write. Tomorrow, his wife, my best friend from 7th grade, and I will take it to The Orchid Trail, a local grower, for their advice and repotting, if they think it might make it. Maybe the Spahthiphyllum will like those 2 hours of full, direct E. light, and he'll like the plant as much as the Den. Thanks again, WhiteCat8

I would say it would be next-to-impossible to experience leaf-burn with 1-0-1 and distilled water. Mine is in green-growth phase at the moment -- should I assume that the yellowing you're describing is on new growth? If that's the case, it may be wet leaves as a result of watering/misting. How's your air movement? You don't have to see a visible drop of water on the leaves for there to be a problem, which occurs usually at night. If the leaves are on older pseudobulbs, then it is potentially more complicated. It's entirely possible that the fertilizer you've been using isn't intended to be the only type of food used for orchids, but as a supplement. 1-0-1 sounds a bit light to me. "P" is just as important as "N" and "K". Does it have micronutrients? I've heard that as bark decomposes the microfauna in the organic components use up available nitrogen, although I've never read any convincing studies other than conjecture. Still, it may have relevance in a small pot. Watering can be especially challenging for indoor orchid hobbyists, particularly for more "persnickety" species. It's possible you are too wet. Factors here are plastic versus clay, pot diameter for size of plant, mix, and drainage. Are the roots attached to the sides of the plastic pot? If not, carefully lift it out part-way so you can get a look inside. Is the medium *wet* around the bottom? Is it drying out properly near the top, yet staying wet near the bottom? Then adjustments are necessary. Moving to clay might solve your issues, as will a couple well-placed styrofoam peanuts. Is the pot size too large? A Den. laevifolium with 5-8 growths would be properly-sized in a two to three-inch pot depending upon evaporation and mix. Depending upon temps, air movement, and drainage, plus your individual watering habits, one type of mix may perform better for you than another. One problem some hobbyists have is owning many different types of orchids in different-sized pots with different medium types. This complicates watering, and it's not uncommon to have rot issues as a result. With your description of the mix it's in, it would take years for it to become "sour", and then only if you had poor-quality water. If you've over-watered, it's possible that it has degraded near the bottom of the pot. Again, this is where the visual check would be helpful. Many people hate sphagnum, but it's my favorite medium. When providing proper drainage and pot size, it's almost impossible for it to stay too wet for long, and instead achieves that perfect "evenly moist" condition where roots do best. I nearly always use it on my mounts, and my laevifolium is quite happy wrapped in a sphagnum pad on a cork mount. Sphagnum works equally-well for me in plastic pots. Yet another problem indoor-growers have is air movement. Is there adequate room underneath the pot for air penetration through the drainage holes? If not, set it on a "mini-bench", such as a wire shelf-rack from WalMart. Another solution would be to bend a small wire hook to suspend the pot by hanging it on something. A small fan, if you don't use one already, will help circulate air better, as well as help dry leaves off. Given what you've described, I think your plant is too wet, and perhaps is suffering a bit from lack of nutrients. An occasional application of richer fertilizer will go far in making a plant better able to withstand stresses, when conditions are temporarily less than perfect. It doesn't have to be an expensive fertilizer either. I have tremendous success using the 7-7-7 MiracleGro African Violet Food, which costs about $2.25 at WalMart for an 8 ounce bottle. At half-strength, this makes 32 gallons. I also use seaweed perhaps four times per season. Any one of the issues I've mentioned above, or a combination of them, could be the culprit. Hope this helps. -Bruce

Yes. Dendrobiums will produce spikes from the same cane year after year. You should only remove the canes if they are dried up and brown or yellow.

This "what color is my paint" thread turns up frequently, even when the finished paint is the same manufacturer as the sample used in selection. And more so when the paint manufacturers differ. There are several common causes: 1. No two paint mixtures are exactly the same, even from the same manufacturer and color. There are always small variations. Those who have tried small spot touch-up painting know what I am talking about. 2. And then there's the lighting that may be used to select a paint color versus the lighting used to illuminate the final painted area. Natural light varies each day, depending on the angle of the sun, the quantity of direct and indirect light in the painted space (or not) and reflections. Artificial light varies depending on the type and temperature of the lamps (bulbs) used. 3. A simple reason for finished paint to not closely match the sample: Most painted surfaces are vertical. Often paint samples are viewed, and decisions made, with the sample placed horizontally. The difference between the appearance of a vertical surface compared with a horizontal surface can be surprisingly great. Always view samples in the same plane and in the same light as the final painted surface. Combined, these lighting effects help explain why painted surfaces may appear different at different times of day, and why the appearance of painted surfaces in the daytime may appear to be different than the same surfaces during evening hours. It's a simple question with some less than simple ingredients.