watering phals, whats best?

[buffalo]

They say to soak roots in water for about 15 minutes. How often i use to do it once a month. It seem no matter what i do eventually the leaves get that wittered wrinkled look.
Maybe humidity is the key. Well i place some orchid at the top of a terrarium they seem to do well but eventually i got the wrinkled leaf look.
What is the best way to give phals their water requirement; to avoid root rot from too much watering or moisture , and to avoid underwatering.
Who has long term success and how did you accomplish it?

[Royal]

What medium are they in? I would guess from your description that they're in sphagnum moss. I have always been much more successful with Phals in a bark mix. Phals in fresh bark are almost impossible to over-water. I water mine about once per week. Maybe twice per week when it's warm and sunny, and once every 2 weeks or more when it's cold and gloomy.

[Zoi2]

In my experience, Phals do not like to get "dry", I water at least once a week. Have you checked your roots? If the roots are not good, the leaves will wrinkle due to dehydration.
Joann

[JerseyGirlBecky]

I have only ever had one like that. I had just gotten it and always repot right away( yes, even if they are in bloom). This one was not in bloom.
It was very wet, and when I took it out of the pot it was packed with spag. The spag was grey, and when I worked it all out, all the roots in the center were mush. It did have about 4 nice ones on the sides. I cut out all the old roots and planted in a mixture of bark, stones, and charcoal.
It is doing really well and sending up two new spikes. However the wrinkled leaves have not changed. I have just left them alone.
Soo, I would check the roots. Mine was not getting the moisture that it needed with those roots.

Becky

[BobInBonita]

JerseyGirl has same experience as mine - phals with "wrinkled" leaves from different causes
.
Right after repotting until they adjust to new media

If they are VERY dry and need more frequent water, and

If they have lost their roots to too wet of conditions and root rot, in which case extra water won't help.

Gotta look under the hood to see what's going on.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by buffalo

They say to soak roots in water for about 15 minutes. How often i use to do it once a month. It seem no matter what i do eventually the leaves get that wittered wrinkled look.
Maybe humidity is the key. Well i place some orchid at the top of a terrarium they seem to do well but eventually i got the wrinkled leaf look.
What is the best way to give phals their water requirement; to avoid root rot from too much watering or moisture , and to avoid underwatering.
Who has long term success and how did you accomplish it?

A. Define long term success more specifically. 1 yr? 2 yrs? 3 - 5 yrs? 5 - 10 yrs? 10 or more yrs?

I've had one for roughly 3 yrs and counting.

It's mounted.

B. As a point of reference, it'd be helpful if people actually knew how long you've had your plant for.




The info you've provided is rather scant and is pretty insufficient to sufficiently answer your question(s).

For example, the answers to the following questions are a good starting point:

1. What are the day/night temperatures? Seasonal temperatures?

2. What's the relative humidity level of your growing area?

Just saying that it's humid says nothing. This is a quantifiable parameter, so a % would help.

3. What is your watering regimen?

The description you gave is rather confusing. I'm assuming you're watering more than just 15 min soakings a month. Because if you really are just doing 15 min soakings once a month, well...that's one problem right there.

4. As others have mentioned, what is the potting media you're using?

5. How big is the pot?

6. Do you have pics?

The old adage, "A picture is worth a 1,000 words", really means something here in this context.

7. How much light are you giving the plant?

If you're able to give a numerical value in either lux, lumens, or footcandles, that'd be awesome.

If not, the best description you can give is adequate.

8. What kind of fertilizer are you using?

9. How often do you fertilize?

10. What's the air circulation like?

I know this is not a quantifiable parameter, but the best description you can give should be okay.

11. Where are you growing yours? Inside your house? A greenhouse?


Here's how a Phal grows in the wild. This might help answer some questions you may have as well.

YouTube - Phalaenopsis in natural habitat ( in situ)

[buffalo]

I've had these orchid 2 or 3 years some maybe more. Most of them are in bark and one with a combo of spag and mark . Just a little sphag on top to prevent drying too quickly. ( that orchid ok) . They are in clay pots with holes. I use to submerge the pot in water about once a month now less. I use a spray bottle to water about 2-3 times a week depending and how dry the medium is; in the winter once the heat goes on they dry out pretty fast.
The one i am concerned about i repotted and waiting to see what the new growth is like.

[RosieC]

How often you water depends on your climate and the potting medium... but it sounds like yours are dehydrating.

Now dehydration can occur if the roots rot, but it can also occur when the plant is kept too dry. Getting the watering balance right for your conditions is the key to both.

I like to water once a week, once every two weeks at most and I find that is a good level... BUT the media needs to have dried in that time. If the mix is not dry within a week then try a mix with more bark and less spag (or just plain bark). If the mix dries in under a week then add more sphag.

I think that if the mix takes longer than 1 or 2 weeks to dry than it's the wrong mix for that enviroment.

If your mix is drying quickly then I would advise watering fully when it's dry not just spraying. I get the impression from what you have said you are not watering enough, rather than that the medium is drying too slowly.

Finally... make sure it is drying in the center not just on the top. To do this push a wooden skewer into the pot, leave it in a while then pull it out. If it's damp at the bottom then the medium is still wet down there. Many people leave a skewer in the pot so they can find the same hole each time and not end up damaging too many roots with it.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by RosieC

I think that if the mix takes longer than 1 or 2 weeks to dry than it's the wrong mix for that enviroment.

If your mix is drying quickly then I would advise watering fully when it's dry not just spraying.

This is excellent advice.

[buffalo]

I decided to repot 7 of the 9 phals i have. I found that a few of them had mostly aerial roots and the few roots in the pot were not that good; except for one which roots grew out the bottom and was clinging to outer pot. I repotted them in bark, i think I will get good results now. The Orchids that were in moss were too wet and the roots were on their way to rotting.
Hopefully now i can get a good watering and fertilizing routine going. I figure once a week watering ought to be good to start.
King of the orchid Growers : that was a very helpful video to see them in their natural habitat.
Most of the orchids are in a south facing window
Have a small fan by the window
Hoping to add a low voltage fan that would be on all the time. Still looking for one (maybe a computer fan)