Simple Watering Question

[boxerfan]

How do others water potted orchids? I put water in the tub/sink/bucket along with fertilizer and superthrive and let them soak 15-30 mins. Lisa

[Ray]

Putting more than one orchid in the same "bath" of water or nutrient solution is just asking for trouble, as that's the ideal way to share plant pathogens. A lot of virus spread is done via water.

Watering each plant individually is the way to go, and I don't want to hear cost entering the conversation. (Do the calculation - your fertilizer solution is probably under $0.10 per gallon, and I'll bet your plants are worth a lot more than that.) If you want to conserve the fertilizer - a good thing to do - use it on other plants, not orchids.

Back when the size of my collection was "hand-manageable", I would water thoroughly using a hose connected to a submersible pump in a 55-gallon drum of nutrient solution, wait 30 minutes and do it again. Now that I have a greenhouse full of plants, I have an overhead system that "rains" on the plants via electronic controls.

[nenella]

Hi, that's what I basically do too,except I dont always put fertilizer or superthrive in the water. I also use the skewer method - so I know when they need water and helps me "decide" how long to leave them to soak for....my usual is 10 mins & I use an egg timer so I don't forget them !
Also as all my pots are smallish and I use rain water I have found that the perfect container (for me)to do this in is a Pyrex measuring jug...
nenella

[justatypn]

nenella, I grow indoors and every 2nd to 3rd weeks walk my chids to the sink and give them a good bath. Only once did I put them in a large cooler of water and fert, but felt uneasy and made a beeline to the sink to cleanse them. I have over 100 orchids and its getting to be a chore at this point, takes up to 6 hours to do this regimen, doesn't leave much time to soak the rays in the Fl sun, but you do it for the beauty of the prize bloom I as well use the skewer trick but now they are on my watering schedule and doing very well. Orchids have a tendency to adapt to your enviroment so you will eventually be able to have them work for you instead of you working for them

Ross puts all his plants in a large bucket and has been doing this for quite some time from my understanding and he has not had a problem one...most do not recommend this type of watering. It works for him though.