Yellowing Leaves on Brassavola (Rhyncholaelia) digbyana

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by OK2BU

Just saw a post on using bamboo skewers for checking the orchid medium before watering. Interesting.

OK2BU - if a suitable media is used, it's generally not necessary to check the media for moisture content. As in hydroponics - as long as the water is clean and free of nasties - an orchid can just grow happily, as long as the roots keep getting an adequate supply of oxygen - which is where good air-flow to the pot and media and roots is beneficial when growing with conventional media.

With conventional media, somebody once suggested getting a dummy pot, and filling it with the media you use. And then you can water that media. Then wait for some time, such as a day or so. Then dig up the media to inspect the media at various different levels in the pot. You can then get an idea of how much to water your orchids - without needing to check the orchid pots themselves. This is just getting some rough idea through observations of the behaviour of a dummy pot.

This doesn't mean we have to dig up the dummy pot all the time. The test is only for giving some idea about how the media dries in the pot. This allows a rough watering schedule to be planned out.

[OK2BU]

Sorry SouthPark, I am still learning the message board!

---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:55 AM ----------

Thanks! It helps to understand how to really manage the water requirements etc. I just responded to another member that I moved a table fan near the plant to bring in some air circulation. I'd been using it for some phals that I'd re-potted.
Introduction of this fan should be ok, correct?

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by OK2BU

Introduction of this fan should be ok, correct?

OK2BU - if some of your orchids are growing in a still-air environment, then definitely - introducing a suitable size fan or fans will be beneficial. The air flow can even be relatively slow and gentle.

I think that some people can still grow their orchids in a still-air environment for quite a long time without issues. But being in still-air all the time is expected to raise the chance of encountering certain issues - eg. maybe fungal, bacterial.