| Did you soak the bark before hand? If not, you will probably want to soak your pots in a container of water for awhile each time you water until the bark gets conditioned to start uptaking more water. Also, generally orchids want to be in as small of pot as the roots will fit - especially dens and phals. Too large of pot on phals generally means the contents do not dry out fast enough and you get root rot. The dens like to be crowded in order to encourage bloom. Yes, skewers are great for the beginner to learn when the media inside the pot is actually dry. Once you have done it for awhile you will be able to tell by the weight of the pots. enjoy! mike |