I inherited 3 orchids from my sister-in-law. She told me to only water in the saucer and only once a week.. Fertilize once a year. Do you think this is a good plan?
jan j

That depends upon what kind of orchids they are. If you don't know, please post some photos so we can help.

You should post your questions and photos on the Orchid forum! There are a lot of really nice helpful knowledgeable people over there! Maybe you will catch the orchid bug!

No, please don't repeat the question in the Orchid Forum. You can request a change of venue though.

my 3 orchids are Phalaenopsis. they seem to be getting ready to bloom.

Welcome to the Orchid forum!
And no, your advice on watering is not correct. Depending on where you are keeping your Orchids/how fast they might dry out, it will differ from set up to set up. One waters Phalaenopsis as any other plant when they need it. The way I learned it is called "hefting the pot". Lift the pot and sort of gauge the weight of the pot when it is ready to be watered and also lift the pot after you just watered it ( because the bark / medium was getting dry) Now if you do this often enough, you will remember the weight of the pot and you will know when to water.
Now to water your plant, remember this is in nature an epiphyte, take it to the sink and water the medium with room temperature water, avoiding the crown of the plant. Let it drip off and place it back into its spot. If water gets into the crown it is a good idea to gently tissue it out, in nature Phals grow slightly tilted and water would not accumulate in the crown to create problems.

Is there any truth in the belief that if a Phaenopsis is in a clear pot where you can see the roots in the media, if the roots are silver/very pale color then you should water it and not to water If they're bright green? Or is it an old wive's tale (or in this case old inter**nut** tale?

Yes and no?
Orchid roots are different than other plant's roots, they have a covering called velamen which helps along with water and nutrient absorption. In many Orchids they are sort of grayish/whitish and turn green when thoroughly wet. When I water my Vandas, I keep watering until I see the velamen turning green. So If I might see a whole clear pot filled out with green roots, I might take a look if that plant truly needs watering. But to me it is not totally clear if white roots indicate the need for watering. I am not sure what medium is in that pot, are the roots facing totally away from from the medium and show me gray/ not green because of that? I don't know!

Never water orchids by putting water in a saucer. What you are doing is great harm in that they will NOT get enough water.
The vast majority of their roots are in the upper 2/3 of the pot. By watering at the bottom these upper roots will die back over time. Always water from above. Water enough so that it drains out from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Your plants will perform better over time and be much happier for it.