watering? - Orchid Board

brighteyez · #1 08-31-2008, 08:30 PM

How often do you water your orchids? I have two phals, and one miltassia (i think...), and i've been watering them every day in the sink. I'm worried this is too much. What do you think?

bellini girl · #2 08-31-2008, 08:35 PM

brighteyez.

to OB. Depends on what media your orchids are planted in. If they are on mounts, yes every day. I wouldn't water every day if in sphagnum moss . IMHO

Lecent

cirillonb · #3 08-31-2008, 08:40 PM

The most recent AOS "Orchid" has the second of two parts on watering. It is very good and pretty much covers the conventional thoughts on the matter.
Nick

brighteyez · #4 08-31-2008, 08:46 PM

um, what's a mount..? I've got it in a clay pot and fir bark. Is that what you mean?

D&S Mabel · #5 08-31-2008, 08:55 PM

Have you repotted them? If not, where did you buy them?

In my experience most retail stores that don't specialize in orchids (Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot, etc.) tend to sell them packed in too much sphagnum moss and daily watering will be much too much.

Dorothy · #6 09-01-2008, 10:16 AM

I am not sure about watering miltassia but I water my phals once a week ..

quiltergal · #7 09-01-2008, 12:38 PM

Mtssa. like more water than Phals, but probably not daily watering unless it's in some sort of inert medium that doesn't retain moisture.

A mount is a chunk of cork, wood etc. that the roots of the plant are tied to until they attach themselves. Mounts usually are hung. Because the plant is growing without medium in most cases you will need to dunk the mount daily to be sure the plant gets adequate water.

CoolPhrog · #8 09-01-2008, 06:24 PM

Hi brighteyez, see if these help! Keep us posted on your progress!

http://www.orchidboard.com/Phalaenop...ure-Care-Sheet

http://www.orchidboard.com/Watering-...-orchid-grower

RosieC · #9 09-01-2008, 07:14 PM

I water my Phals once a week which seems about right, although this week the bark still looked damp so I left them. With Phals you want to let the bark dry out between watering.

Swamper · #10 09-01-2008, 07:56 PM

welcome Brighteyez, mounts are...ummm well imagine mounting your orchid directly to a tree. its the same principle except it's going onto a piece of something resembling a tree. Since it doesn't have the pot and the bark like yours does to contain the water, it would need to be watered every day.
If you water yours every day it will probably die. Specially if you get it in the crown, that little cup like space where the two top leaves meet. I hope that helps...gotta go home at last...can't belive I had to work labor day