My weird way of watering my Phals

[desertgal]

I live in the very southern desert of Southern California where temperatures reach 120 in the summer. I keep my home air conditioned to about 75 to 78 degrees. I received my first orchid for Mother's Day in 2005. A beautiful purple Phalaenopsis. The blooms lasted almost 3 months. I did a little research and found that it would only bloom once a year. I just left it sitting on a room divider in my kitchen under flourescent lighting until October when I put it on a windowsill in a north window. Although I didn't know what I was doing it began to get the change in temperture it needed to bloom again. It grew 2 new leaves and big fat green roots that I could see through the clear slotted plastic pot that it came in. It spiked and bloomed again this Mother's Day with 9 large blooms. I loved it so much that I added 3 more throughout the ensuing months. I now have 4 resting Phals that are
putting out new leaves and roots and waiting for fall when I can put them on the windowsill. Here is the clincher! I have always watered them by putting fertilizer in tap water, putting about 2 inches of water in a flat glass baking dish and sitting them in it until I can see that the top bark is moist. All of the pots are clear with slits on the sides and holes in the bottom. I do this once a week and they are thriving. I have a mini phal in bloom with its first spike and it is watered the same way. My avatar is a picture of one of these blooms. Has anyone else ever watered this way or am I just lucky that it has worked for me?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think sooner or later you will need to take the plants to the sink and run a lot of water thru them to flush out the acumulation of fertilizer and mineral deposits. Wet the mix well first, then come back a half hour or later and do the flushing, lots and lots of water thru the pot. It seems unlikely that your method would be wet enough, long enough, to cause the minerals to be washed from the pot. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[desertgal]

Thank you Cynthia. You are such a help to all of us!

[jerrymeola]

Bottom watering is the trend in all commercial framing. On a commercial scale it conserves water.

It does cause evaporating water to leave mineral slats behind. A flushing every 2-3 months can remove the buildup.

You can chose a moderate temperature rainy day in the 80s and put it out in a rainstorm. Orchids love natural rain water.