Winter care/Rest for orchids.

[Paul Mc]

Hello everyone.

I'm posting this actually for another member of the OB as he is really busy at the moment. I will email him the link to this thread so he can participate.

In this part is his email, and then I will post my reply to him - then leave the rest up to you guys to either agree, disagree or offer better advice.

His writting:
I'm not sure what changes to make as winter sets in. For the most part I have three types of orchids: Dendrobiums, Phalanopsis, and Paphiopedilum (with one or two other odd-balls thrown in the mix). I know each plant has different requirements, based on where they normally grow in the wild, but I'm wondering if there are any general guidelines I can follow. I think I'm supposed to reduce watering and fertilizer, but not sure how much. Right now I water all my potted orchids once a week, and fertilize at about 1/4 strength also each week. I have a few mounted guys that I water every day (or sometimes every other day). I also mist the lot of them more-or-less randomly throughout the week. I suppose I should do some research and figure out what is best for each plant.