For how long can/should I soak my orchids? Brassias, phalaenopsis, oncidium,etc

[camille1585]

Overnight soaking is not not going to kill plants. I've done it more than once, sometimes accidentally sometimes not, and the orchids are never (negatively) affected. My freshly repotted orchids often get an overnight soak, until the bark starts to hold water a bit better.

I've accidentally let some plants soak an entire weekend, with no ill effects!

[NYCorchidman]

Camille- That is good to know!

Astrid- I do not like to see wrinkles on oncidiums, well, on any orchids lol If the wrinkles are severe and chronic, they probably won't go away, but you can always help them grown nice and plum new pbs!
Cheers!

[Kim Brown]

I usually soak my orchids for 20-30 minutes, but today, I forgot my NOID Paphiopedilum and left it with water in the pot for 12 hours! Now, it's only a NOID, but the flower has the prettiest yellow-green colour, so I was a bit panicked until I read this thread.

[Optimist]

Many of these orchids live in tropical climates where there are monsoon rains that can last 24 hours or more, keeping the orchid in a near shower of heavy rain for quite a long time, possibly days on end.

[Jmarvin]

Soaking question: many of my plants are in clay pots. Medium is mostly bark, some have some lava rock mixed in. When soaking, would I put the entire clay pot in a bucket of water, or just half way, more? Please advise

[estación seca]

The bark will float out. Put it in water up to the rim of the pot. To prevent virus, fungus and bacterial cross-contamination, best not to use the same water for more than one orchid, and clean the bucket with 10% bleach between soaks.

[Ray]

I think this discussion needs a little redirection: "the plant", if it's healthy, does not need soaking. Within a few seconds of being immersed in water, the velamen is saturated. Sure, it transfers water from the velemen into the vascular tissue throughout the soak, but that is a relatively slow process, and in my opinion, really adds little.

Don't get me wrong, prolonged soaking is good for plants with poor root systems, but I really think the soak is more useful for getting it to absorb stimulants than it is for hydrating the plant.

I'll also contend that if you need to soak the pot for an extended period of time to get adequate hydration of the potting medium, you're using the wrong medium for your conditions. (Or actually, more likely the medium has simply not been prepped properly.)

Watering with an aerated nozzle is the best way to water, as the droplets draw fresh air through the medium as they flush and wet the medium on their way through the pot.

[estación seca]

When growing Vandas in lower relative humidity than they would prefer, standard watering is not enough here in my house, even completely wetting the roots twice per day. The roots are white and dry again within 15-30 minutes. Leaves progressively dessicate and shrivel. In my more humid sunroom, I don't even need to water them once per day.

Soaking the roots of my plants in the house overnight in water every 1-2 days keeps them normally hydrated. It takes time for plants to take in water, and a plant transpiring a lot of water will likewise need to take in lots of water. Soaking the roots in water for a prolonged period of time may permit this.