We have potted plans from at least three friends who left SF (and CA, it turns out), and one is an orchid that I never figured out how to do much with beyond keep alive for two years.

so we asked at the garden center and they suggested orchid food (sticks and spray) and sure enough, when fed, the primary sprout poked back up and grew 12" or so in the past few months and now we’ve got maybe four flowers to look forward to.

idk if/how we could have helped the first four buds which died off.