When Should I water again
I watered it 6 days ago. There's still some moisture at the bottom of the pot as you can see. The stick is slightly moist but not wet anymore. When should I water again? And should I change anything like putting holes in the pot? #orchidlovers #planthelp #help #wateringtips
3” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
8
Best Answer
This is how I do mine. It is a balancing act in the winter. What’s the drainage like at the bottom of the pot? With the amount of moisture you still have around the sides, I’d be inclined to give it a few more days as you need the roots to have a period of dryness, otherwise it’ll invite rot. That said, where do the roots reach to in the pot? If they don’t come down as far as the bottom, you’d probably get away with another water soon. It’s cold in the UK right now, so my mini phals are being watered every 8-10 days and my regular sized phals are about once a fortnight. The fewer roots you have in the pot, the longer it will take to dry out as there are fewer roots to soak up the moisture. Also, there is less sunlight at the moment, so less growth, so the plants won’t be as thirsty, so the pot will stay moist for longer. With a big pot and a little plant, you’ll be looking at longer between watering, or you could try switching to a smaller pot. Like Sarah said, you can punch holes gently around where the moisture is as that will help it dry out more quickly. I tried this with mine and found that it doesn’t dry out evenly enough in my environment so I have some roots around the edges of the pot that are very thirsty and some in the centre that are having trouble drying out, which led to rot or dessication. I think it’s because my atmosphere can be very dry. Having said that, there are plenty of people who have a lot of success with it and have very healthy, happy orchids! It just doesn’t suit my flat, but it may suit your home. What I find helps my environment are pots with an air cone like in the photos, but I still get the moisture and the edge like you do and I wait for the roots to be silver and most/all of the moisture to be gone before watering again.
It can be a bit of trial and error with phals. I had a sickly phal that I’d tried in a pot with holes, adding some extra sphagnum in the mix, and it wasn’t improving until I decided to try it in a pot like this one. Within a couple of weeks it was happy and putting out new roots! Still not fully sure why it preferred this one to the others! Phals are hardy so they usually recover well if you try a few things out and they don’t work!
It can be a bit of trial and error with phals. I had a sickly phal that I’d tried in a pot with holes, adding some extra sphagnum in the mix, and it wasn’t improving until I decided to try it in a pot like this one. Within a couple of weeks it was happy and putting out new roots! Still not fully sure why it preferred this one to the others! Phals are hardy so they usually recover well if you try a few things out and they don’t work!
Are the roots of the orchid green or silver? Green means they are well-watered. Silver means they are dry. Grey and shriveled means they are probably dead.
All my orchids have lots with big drainage holes or no pots at all.
Maybe @MotherOfOrchids can add her expertise. (:
All my orchids have lots with big drainage holes or no pots at all.
Maybe @MotherOfOrchids can add her expertise. (:
@PlantySnacc
So how do you water your orchid? The easiest way is to soak your orchid in a bowl of water once every week or two — when the moss dries out. Unlike most house plants, you don’t need to keep orchids evenly moist, if it stays too moist, the orchid can rot. There is more info in this article I found!
https://www.costafarms.com/get-growing/news/how-to-water-your-orchid
So how do you water your orchid? The easiest way is to soak your orchid in a bowl of water once every week or two — when the moss dries out. Unlike most house plants, you don’t need to keep orchids evenly moist, if it stays too moist, the orchid can rot. There is more info in this article I found!
https://www.costafarms.com/get-growing/news/how-to-water-your-orchid
@L06flower well I don't have moss in the pot i use a bark soil kinda thing. I soaked it for like 15 minutes or something and then let it drain.
@sarahsalith welll it's difficult to see the roots as they're not really on the sides of the pot but I see one shimmer through and It seems to be green
@PlantySnacc if just wait until the water dissipates. (:
You're doing such a great job with the orchids!
You're doing such a great job with the orchids!
@MotherOfOrchids thanks! Do you have any advice on when and how often I should start fertilizing them?
@PlantySnacc
You can also water your orchid like a traditional houseplant- just apply a splash of water to the soil it’s in once every seven to ten days . If the soil feels moist you can wait a few days and check again before watering.
Orchids should be fertilized at least once monthly. For best results, however, fertilizer should be diluted and applied weekly, especially during the growing season. In the winter, when the plant is dormant , go back to once a month fertilizing and use half as much orchid fertilizer.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/orchids/tips-on-fertilizing-orchids.htm
Good Luck!!
You can also water your orchid like a traditional houseplant- just apply a splash of water to the soil it’s in once every seven to ten days . If the soil feels moist you can wait a few days and check again before watering.
Orchids should be fertilized at least once monthly. For best results, however, fertilizer should be diluted and applied weekly, especially during the growing season. In the winter, when the plant is dormant , go back to once a month fertilizing and use half as much orchid fertilizer.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/orchids/tips-on-fertilizing-orchids.htm
Good Luck!!