I need help on water amounts????

[orchsneeds?]

I really need the exact size amount. My orchid is a Phaenopsis and has a mossy soil. One flower is grown and one seems to be cut. Ijust bought it at Home Depot by its looks I think it was the healthiest. Please tell me if it may be in good shape and any fertilizers and water amounts if not.

[Lorraine]

Welcome to OB
A good rule of thumb after bringing home a phal is to check the roots. Lift the plant gently out of the pot. If the roots are green to white/silver you are in good shape. If they are brown they are dead roots. If dead trim them off they will only cause more rotting problems. If the moss looks like it is newer that' great. put plant gently back in container. Make sure that drainage holes are in it. As far as watering if your plant is soaked you need to let it get almost dried out before watering again. Phals don't like to be sitting in water logged medium nor do they want to be bone dry. That said, water your plant when almost dry until it is completely wet and let it drain off. Depending on the pot it is in it might be a week, week 1/2, or so. So just check it every couple days. If you have it outside chances are it will dry a little faster. Also when repotting these guys I have found that using a spaghnum moss of better grade won't break down as fast and not pack the plant too tight. Allow for the roots to get air and the moss to dry better. I hope this helps.

[WhiteRabbit]

Check out this thread : http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

[RosieC]

How much water they need unfortunately depends on too many factors to give exact amounts. It can depend on the weather, how dry and how warm your house is, as well as on hold old the medium is, how big the plant's roots are and how big the pot is.

With Phals, green roots don't need watering, pale silivery roots need watering. It's good if it's in a clear pot so you can see the roots lower down, not just those on the top. When you water use lot's of water but drain it all out afterwards and don't leave it standing in water after watering. Having holes in the bottom of the pot is a must, so it can drain properly.

[Discus]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Check out this thread : http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

That thread has lots of interesting information, but it's a monster and quite overwhelming. Orchids on a Balcony: How to grow Phalaenopsis - an orchid blog "meme"? might be easier to start with.

[Myrle Diefendorf]

I get a lot of my orchids from Lowe's sale section. I take them home, soak them in a pan of warm water and then pull off all the old moss, bark or whatever. Then I trim off any brown dead roots and carefully pot the orchid in fresh bark media. Phals usually grow on tree trunks and crotches, so they like air In their root mix. A clay orchid pot is good, not too big, as it is porous with a drainage and air holes. I fertilize weakly weekly with an orchid fertilizer. Be sure the pot can almost dry out before the next watering. Mine set outside on a porch where they get bright indirect light and a little morning sunshine. I usually water with the hose every couple days IF it is hot.