watering my orchid

[bingle01]

my gf got me an orchid for valentines day. what is the best way to water my orchid? one site said to remove it from the pot and sit it in a sink of water?? exactly how do i do that? secondly the plant has 3 leaves one of which is completely dead should i cut it off or just wait for it to fall off? thanks!

[Ross]

Wow! Firstly, welcome to the board. Second, we need more info. What king is it? Is there a stake in the plant saying what kind is it? There are lots of different kinds of orchids and many different needs.

[bingle01]

thanks. there is a stake in the pot. here is a picture. im not sure what type it is.

[Ross]

That is a Phalenopsis. A couple things from experience - if there is some moss on top of the pot, take it off and get rid of it. Second, if the plastic pot is in a ceramic outside pot, take the inner pot out and set it (the inner pot) on a saucer. Third, as to watering, I wouldn't recommend watering more often than weekly. It is going to be determined by your individual conditions, but from what you have told us so far, I would say weekly. Run tap water through the pot (you don't have softened water do you?) Eventually you will want to get into proper water quality and proper fertilizer types and frequency.

[bingle01]

thanks. moss on top? and what type of fertilizer? it is in a plastic container so i should remove it from that and put it in the clay pot? it is near my window which gets a lot of light but it is all indirect light but the room stays lit from the sun all day.

[Ross]

My guess is it has some stuff around the top that looks stringy (it is probably Spanish Moss) it is used as a decoration. The outer pot is probably ceramic for decoration. I am guessing there is a plastic pot inside this. That is OK. Take the inner plastic pot out and set it on a saucer to catch the drips. Take the Spanish Moss off the top so you can see the bark. North or East window is best for this plant.

[bingle01]

what about the dead leaf? just let it fall off on its own?

[CodiMN]

Yup, let the dead leaf fall on it's own. they tend to shed leaves and grow new ones in the center pretty well. Usually there are anywhere from 4-6 leaves at different stages of growth at any one time on this type of plant.

[justatypn]

bingle...youv'e been given some great advise but here is culture sheet from American Orchid Society (AOS)...http://www.aos.org/aos/uploadedfiles...lturephals.pdf

[bingle01]

what is the best way to feed my orchid? what method?