general watering questions

[robb]

from the cultivation thread:

WATER is especially critical for phalaenopsis. Because they have no major water-storage organs other than their leaves, they must never completely dry out. Plants should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry.

i am not sure what threshold the "nearly dry" means. i am using the bamboo skewer method, and mist the plants heavily every day or other day. when i check the skewers, there is always still some dampness in the bottom 3/4 of the pot, and even found some fuzzy mold on one of them! am i overwatering? other than the regular misting, i think i have run them straight through water only 2 times since acquiring them in february. so far all of them are putting on happy looking new growth (leaves and root tips!) so i don't know if they are suffering root rot at all. i did trim them quite thoroughly when i got them, and haven't noticed any dead roots at the surface. 3 of the orchids have orchid pots, with the holes in the sides for ventilation, and another one is still retaining it's flowering stalk with no fallen flowers yet.

questions:
1. am i overwatering (compared to how often they should be watered)?
2. should i pull one of the larger plants and see if root rot is happening?
3. should i wait until the skewer shows very/completely dry before watering heavily again?

i feel like i am just on the edge of understanding the culture of these tempermental plants! some advice would be quite appreciated. if needed, i can add pictures.

[BillC]

Hi robb, I suggest you read Cynthia's post : Skewer use for watering of orchids , in the newbie section, and then if you are still in doubt post again in this thread. The post is a sticky at the start of the section.

Bill

[Sharyn]

Robb: I went through the same thing trying to figure out "nearly dry." I don't know what kind of medium your orchid is planted in, but follow Cynthia's instructions. If you're in doubt, wait a day or two. I got anxious and watered and ended up with rotten roots. Surprising how much moisture is still in the pot, even when you think it's dry. And, my phals also seemed to be doing well with new growth. Other bad things were happening underneath - like rot.

If you've only watered your orchids twice since February, it could be that the medium has broken down and holding too much water. Sounds like a long time between watering. Of course, my peat-based mixes take about 3 weeks between waterings. Three months and two waterings doesn't seem right - although, you mention you mist every day. I don't mist my phals but once or twice a week - but that's my growing conditions.

As far as the fuzzies on the skewer - that happens. Disinfect the skewer in a ratio of 10% bleach to 9 parts water - or use a new one. It takes a little time and practice with the skewer. Eventually, you'll learn just by lifting the pot -you'll be able to tell by the weight if it needs water or not. In the mean time, keep using the skewer. When all the color disappears, touch the skewer to your cheek or your lip. If it feels cool, there's still moisture in the pot.

Let us know what orchids you're growing and what kind of medium they're in. I'm sure that others will weigh in with advice. Good luck.

[robb]

sharyn, so sorry, completely missed the details! i am growing them all in an orchid mix i picked up at home depot, combination of fir bark chunks, perlite, and some black rock, charcoal i believe.

the medium looks pretty dry on the surface, but down under things are still damp! i think i'll slow down on any watering for quite some time (including misting) and keep checking the bamboo skewers.

[tom499]

Have you got clear pots? I've found them useful with phalaenopsis because i also have worries watering them
By using clear pots you get a better look at the roots, if the root are a lovely green, they dont need watering, but a they start to turn white, they need watering.

By slightly dry, you want to have some moisture, once bark dries out it loses alot of its water retention and will need to be soaked for hours. you want the bark to feel just slightly moist.

If your using the skewer method feel for that slight dampness on it, and water then.

If your using quite an open mix and a keep the pot size as small as possible then you can limit the watering problems. I like to have mine in medium bark pieces and have the roots starting to overflow. this means there isnt so much water sitting in the pot. it means watering more frequently, but i feel more in control