water on the crown

[herfy]

I hear a lot about this subject.. not to get water on the crown...in the crown around the crown i used to drink crown ect.... you get the point

use Q-tip and rolled up paper towl,use a drinking straw and blow it off ect....

well i use a little short blast of air



does the trick and so easy just little short poof and water is all gone
thoughts?

[cb977]

I have 2 concerns about this one:

first, I think the air that comes out might be a little shot of intense cold to a delicate part of the plant

second, there are chemicals in that stuff

I wouldn't use it on my plants, it's easy enough to use a paper towel, napkin, tissue, etc

[Dorothy]

Q-tips or paper towel corners are my perference
but I try hard as heck to water at the base of the medium and avoid getting water in the crown to begin with.
But hey .. it does happen

[rogerman]

I have overhead sprinklers about 3 feet above the plants.... I have many Phals and the crowns always fill up.

I have never had any problem regarding rot

[CoolPhrog]

I agree with Sue, canned air is compressed and COLD....you could cause more damage than you're trying to avoid.

The first time I saw Sue's collection of phals, I noticed that most of hers are either mounted upside down or leaning over the edge of the pots to keep water from standing in the crown. I also read an article that said in nature, these plants do lean or point their crown downward to avoid water in the crown.

Gin also grows hers this way...hope this helps, Herf

[rogerman]

Originally Posted by CoolPhrog

I agree with Sue, canned air is compressed and COLD....you could cause more damage than you're trying to avoid.

The first time I saw Sue's collection of phals, I noticed that most of hers are either mounted upside down or leaning over the edge of the pots to keep water from standing in the crown. I also read an article that said in nature, these plants do lean or point their crown downward to avoid water in the crown.

Yes, thats right...... The phals that you pot straight up and down, after a while tend to lean over almost automatically

[herfy]

yes thank you.....

well the whole leaning thing makes since.
i am always pointing them back upright all this time i thought when i repotted them i didn't use enough bark. smart little buggers they are..

[beanluc]

I use those too. The trick is to keep the puffs short rather than hose the air continuously at the plant.

But, if anyone is concerned about frosting their plants or about the chemical, one can skip the can and blow through a straw instead of putting their lips right up there and blowing the water out of the crown and into one's face.

[lostonthebeach]

Using air is alright but try a straw instead. You can adjust the amount of air and my wife who is a specialist in Cardio-pulinary function say that blowing or puffing on a straw periodically is very good for the old lungs.

[Ray]

Water early in the day, and if you have adequate air movement, it'll dry and there is no problem.