Watering an orchid

[amkelly802]

Hey everybody,

I just had a question on watering my orchid. It's currently lost its flowers so I've trimmed the stems as far down as possible. When I water my orchid I use about 1/4 of a cup of water but the soil doesn't seem very moist. I read that the soil is supposed to be moist? Any info?

Thanks,

Aaron

[Tim C.]

Do you know what kind of orchid it is? What is it potted in (bark, moss, soil, etc.)? These things will help us steer you in the right direction about how much water to give, and how dry it should be between waterings.

-Tim

[amkelly802]

It is a phalaenopsis orchid, I believe it looks like its plants in bark, maybe a mixture of things? I've just inherited it.

[Tim C.]

Phals like to have their potting mix kept moist. If it's potted in a bark mix, you'll definitely need more than 1/4 a cup of water. Your best bet is to take the plant to the sink (or wherever you water it) and let water run through the pot for a bit, soaking all of the potting mix.

Use a pencil, bamboo skewer, or your finger, and insert said tool into the pot, down to the middle-ish of the mix, in a few days. If the tip comes back moist, then don't water yet. Let the bark get just barely dry, then water again.

-Tim

[NYCorchidman]

Adding a little water every now and then is not enough for any orchids unless they are in the "mud" or moss.

I recommend taking your phal to a sink or bath tub and give a good watering until water run down at the bottom.
Since you have been keeping it quite dry, I would even soak the pot for a few minutes.
If you have your phal in the right place (warm and bright), I think watering this way about two three times a week will do.
That is at least how I do, plus some misting on the top of the pot daily (which I think helps but probably not a must).

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[cattleya80]

If you've just cut back the bloom spike, now is a good time to repot. Repotting serves multiple purposes. First, it allows you to inspect the root system which is a good reflection of the plant's health. Second, it allows you to upgrade to a larger pot with fresh medium. Third, it's fun as hell!

As for your new medium, I would suggest a good quality bark. You can find some at home depot, or lowes. As for watering orchids in bark, I've found that completely submerging the pot in water for about 10 minutes each week works best for me. That way, the roots become completely saturated and can go an entire week without any additional watering. Best of luck!

[birdybrain]

I agree with cattleya80's method. My phals that are in bark have cover pots, so I fill up the pot & let them soak for 15 - 60 minutes. I set a timer to make sure I remember to lift out the inner pot & dump out the water. How often I do this depends on the humidity in the room they are kept in. With good humidity I can do this just weekly. I determine if the plant needs water by poking my finger just under the top layer of bark or by looking through the clear pot to see if it still looks moist in there.

Hope this helps!