Watering question

[littleflower]

I am not new to orchids, I have about 20 phals that are thriving (I water once a week...fill pot with water and orchid food, let them sit 15 mins and drain thoroughly)...easy! However, I recently received 4 more orchids, 3 oncidiums and 1 epidendrium. I have NO idea about watering! They are all in bloom (came that way). I have done some research but see conflicting suggestions, and the epidendrium's leaves are starting to yellow. Please help me, I don't want to kill my new plants!

[Ray]

All orchids love lots of water, but the trick is making sure the root systems get lots of air, too, and that can be affected by the pot and the medium, in addition to your growing conditions.

Both the concids and epi will need more light than the phals, so that'll likely dry them out faster, but if the potting medium is the same as the phals, you might consider watering them the same, and observing how they do - and how the potting medium does - and make adjustments as necessary.

[Bombotany]

Phal watering is like clockwork - once per week, and forget. Onc are different, but thankfully they have bulbs that help you while you learn the watering frequency that works best for your media + environment combo. Every 4 days works for mine on my windowsill. Ones in the greenhouse can go over a week between watering. The rule of thumb is water when the top media is dry to the touch. Food for thought - Phal roots are thick and more retentive than other orchid types. They even have those big visible pores that help with absorption. Thin Oncidium roots dry out quicker.

[littleflower]

Thank you both for your helpful replies. I am like a new mother, trying to figure out the best thing to do for my “babies“😊. Anyway, I understand that some trial and error is necessary, just don’t want them to die while I’m learning

[loveiguanas]

I'm new too! Thank Ray and Bombotany

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Ray

All orchids love lots of water, but the trick is making sure the root systems get lots of air, too, and that can be affected by the pot and the medium, in addition to your growing conditions.

To ilustrate this with an example I have a Phal in a large pot, so large that in winter I water it once a month. In summer every two weeks. It has been like this for the last 5 years.