Orchids in Their Vegetative Stage

Hello, Hivers and orchid lovers! It was only recently that I discovered this community. I wish I had known about it sooner though! You could say I'm more of a novice orchid cultivator, and some of my methods are strange.

Is that a luffa?? Yes, I planted my first orchid in an old luffa. Why? Because it provides excellent air circulation and also allows for those nice aerial roots to poke out! The oldest leaf is dying and is being replaced by a brand new leaf. Unfortunately, the new leaf is splitting itself as it is growing. I don't know why this is happening.

This is my newest orchid. It was given to me as a present by my sister. I immediately repotted it.

It's necessary to do this when you get new orchids because, as you can see, they are so jam packed into the brick of moss that the roots don't get any air. In that state, they eventually turn black and die. I repotted it in some bark that I collected and ground up myself.

It used to have flowers but they have since disappeared. I don't think the medium in using holds enough water for them to be able to sustain (or perhaps even produce) blooms. I have to water them every day. I do so by giving the roots a good spritz with rain water. I heard tap water can harm them.

I guess I'm now in charge of this orchid now, too. It belongs to my mother and I had been watering it since she left and went on vacation but still am now even though she's been back a good while. I even moved it near my orchids so that i6 could water them all at once. Also, I know that is a good spot for them. It gets bright, indirect light from a south facing window.

I don't think my house gets cool enough to induce blooming, since in the winter we turn on the heat. I am fertilizing, however infrequently. I have a batch of special orchid fertilizer mixed but only tend to use it when I'm too lazy to go outside and get rainwater. Since I use the same spritzer for my air plants, they too benefit from the occasional feed.

Thanks for checking out my orchids, even though they're not really doing anything right now! Any tips from now experienced growers are well appreciated!