Watering Questions & Answers

[fred]

This thread is for all Questions and Answers Regarding the Watering of your Orchids.

Plus when you water Am or Pm

How Often do you Soak your Plants. All Seasons ( please state )
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How Often do you Mist your Plants All Seasons ( please state )
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Hot house watering Q & A All Seasons ( please state )
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Green House Q % A All Seasons ( please state )
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Shade house Q & A All Seasons ( please state )
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Inside your Home Watering and Misting.
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[garynail]

how can i get to this thread. Watering is my most difficult task.

garynail

[fred]

Watering Your Orchids

Once you get the hang of it you will be a pro at watering. Most orchid plants are epiphytes (air plants) and we are used to watering plants in soil. Air plants have pseudo pods which take up the water and hold it for the plants to drink. The root system looks dry but may not be. If there is enough water you will notice the roots have plumb looking parts which are the pseudo pods.


Here are some guidelines that you can use for watering:

water more often if
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there is more light
temperatures are higher
humidity is lower
there is more air movement
plant has thin leaves and growth
it is mounted on a slab or in a basket
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water less often if
------------------------
there are less lights
temperatures are lower
humidity is lower
there is less air movement
plant has thick leaves and growth
it is in a pot
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Over watering is the most common mistake of beginners. The plant shows water which may e covering the root system. If this occurs it means the roots are not getting the oxygen it needs and may go on to die. You will also notice some of the leaves may be turning yellow and drop off (also a sign of under watering). The pseudo pods will have furrows which run the length of them. The leaves will become thinner, won’t fully expand and will wilt.

Under watering is usually the case if the plant is in a direct sun for long periods of time. Some of us will only mist the plant instead of watering. The signs of under watering are essentially the same as over watering. The thinner leaves of the plants especially Miltonias will have accordion like leaves.

The treatment for over watering is to re pot as soon as possible. As re potting is taking place cut off the roots that do not look healthy. Re pot in a coarser medium. This will allow the plant to get the support it needs. Be sure that the plant dries out before being watered next.

Occasionally you plant may not have any viable roots and may not respond to re potting. If this is the case then I would recommend that you place the plant and container in a clear plastic bag and loosely tie it and place it in indirect light. The humidity will help.

Occasionally with over watering you will notice that the roots and then the rest of the plant may turn black. This is “black root” disease. Use a fungicide on this and probably you can save it.

For under watering the main stay of treatment is to water more frequently. If the plant feels loose in the pot then re pot it. Once you do this you will notice that there will be less wilting and greener healthier leaves. If there is still some wilting the plant will need more humidity. This can be accomplished by placing the plant on a tray that has pebbles in it and is half full of water. Remember you do not want the roots to sit in water.

[fred]

A Guide to watering your Phalaenopsis



Watering every 3-5 days is recommended for orchids in 3" pots. Orchids in 4" pots in fir bark based mixes should be watered about once every 5-7 days in the home. Phalaenopsis orchids potted in 5-6" pots in fir bark based mixes should be watered about once every 7-10 days in the home. Grow more 20-10-20 or Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 can also be added to the water monthly according to manufacturer's guidelines or may be diluted more than indicated on the package and used every second or third watering.

We do recommend less watering and fertilizing for phalaenopsis potted in peat based mixtures such as Pro-Mix HP/Sponge Rock. Over watering or too much fertilizer will damage phalaenopsis; especially those who are in a peat based mix so it's ideal to water and fertilize lightly and infrequently. Misting phalaenopsis in a peat-based mix is a major no-no as it increases the risk of fungal or bacterial infections.

After water the phalaenopsis orchid, they shouldn't be left standing in water. Some like to place the pots on "humidity trays" or in trays or saucers of gravel which helps to insure that the base of the pot is not immersed in water and provides a degree of air circulation under the pot.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by fred

Watering Your Orchids

water more often if water less often if
there is more light the is less lights
temperatures are higher temperatures are lower
humidity is lower humidity is lower
there is more air movement less air movement
plant has thin leaves and growth plant has thick leaves and growth
it is mounted on a slab
or in a basket it is in a pot

Hi Fred,

I think some formatting or something got lost in translation with the part of your post I've quoted above. I suspect it should have read as:

water more often if

1. there is more light
2. temperatures are higher
3. humidity is lower
4. there is more air movement
5. plant has thin leaves and growth
6. it is mounted on a slab or in a basket

water less often if

1. there are less lights
2. temperatures are lower
3. humidity is lower
4. there is less air movement
5. plant has thick leaves and growth
6. it is in a pot

Correct?

-K

[fred]

kmarch
thanks for that I looked at my notes and they are wrong also
well picked up.
you will find its fixed now.
thankyou

[garynail]

I have all my orchids in clay pots that are about a 1/2" from the sauser which holds additional water. A form of humidity tray. I use the bamboo skewer trick to see how moist they are on a weekly basis and have all the plants in an east bay window that this time of the year gets some direct light through the day. My flowers didn't seem to last as long as last year. Would that have something to do with my watering techniques. I water all plants16) about every 5-7 days, mist rarely and give them liquid fertilizer, sold to me by an orchid grower, (13-3-15) every third watering. All my plants look good except the phalaenopsis which have wilted and some discolored leaves.

Thanks Garynail

[DDS2007]

i've put my Phal and Miltonia on a pebbles tray to keep them humid, i'm growing them inside the house. the country i live in has low humidity, and i want to ask if the pebbles tray is enough to provide sufficient humidity. some people have told me that these trays won't do the job cuz it's like attempting to raise the humidity of the whole apartment with this tray. is this correct? if so then what can i do to help my orchids (other than buying a humidifier)?

how often should i mist my orchids if i'm planting them next to a west facing window?

[Aniko]

Garynail - maybe not the watering is responsible for your problems.
Phalaenopsis, especially when in bloom, needs less light than many other species (catts, dens, oncidiums) So if the others thrive, the phal can be unhappy.If the leaves are looking badly you can check the roots, too, pulling them carefully out of the pot, to make sure that they are healthy.

Concerning the fertilizer, the highly recommended one is a balanced type, like 10-10-10.Your fertilizer is low in phosphate, which is thought to be a promoter of blooming.

DDS2007 - If your plants look well, maybe you should not be worried about humidity, which is more less important than other needs, like light and water. Most of the orchids can get accustomed to low levels of humidity.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Don't think I subscribe to the don't mist Phals in a peat based mix. I grow in a peat based mix, my own concoction, and need to mist everything in my greenhouse early in the day to try to raise the humidity some since I am in dry Arizona and in a very windy area. Humidity is a real challange. However, I highly recommend that there be no misting late in the day for any orchid, as they need to be dry when the temperature starts to fall.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

High nitrogen for bark grown orchids, and lately there is evidence for the use of high potassium for stronger plants. That pretty much leaves you with low phospherous as a good thing.