How do you determine when to water?

[ScottMcC]

Well, my recent failings have led me to ask this question. These are ways I know of to gauge whether it's time to water:

1. Bamboo skewer in the medium, if it's wet don't water, almost dry/dry do.
2. Weight of the pot, water when it's sufficiently light
3. when pseudobulbs start to wrinkle, give it a drink
4. Moisture lovers: when in doubt, give it a drink
5. cattleyas: when in doubt, wait a day
6. approximate time frame--if a plant "always" takes 7 days to dry out, wait about that long before even checking unless conditions change dramatically
7. or just use s/h where its almost impossible to overwater, just water it when the reservoir's almost empty.

What other suggestions do people have? I'm clearly in need of some new methods!!!!

[justintimedc]

Ah, the million dollar question. I'm thinkin' it's all about the s/h. I hope to convert all my plants over the next year or so, it will take that long I am sure. The pseudobulb thing is tricky too, because if you are watering too much, and roots have rotted off, the bulbs will start to shrivel as well. I have made that mistake a time or two. I think one to add to your list is using clear pots. About 1/3 of my collection is in clear pots of somet kind. It gives me great joy to see the strong, green roots growing along under the plastic. I figure if that is what I am seeing, then all must be good. It works great for phals, but less so for catts and oncidiums, as the roots are smaller, and even less so for paphs..so it certianly is not the only answer. It is, however, the key...to indoor, windowsill growing.

[Marco]

I use 1 and 7. In my opinion 1 is pretty solid. The two problems with 7 that that I've encountered, I'm guessing here cause I rotted over 50% of the roots on one of my biggest multigrowth multifloral paphs and I was pretty teed off cause all my other paphs were doing ok in s/h. Right after watering and getting the water level to the reservoir holes I immediately put the s/h pot back to where it belongs in its grow area. Problem with that is extra water in the primagra doesn't drain down into the well and hold way to much water. (Hence the rotting plus no air to the roots) Now I usually leave only half of the reservoir full after watering and after standing for a good 10 minutes the resevoir fills up. The other problem with the plant I rotted was that it was the only plant I had in a 6" pot all the others were in 4.5".

I'm going to echo Justin's points on s/h. From what I've experienced, ever since I transfered all my plants into s/h in mid may, with my plants it does depend on the genus. My phals love s/h, with exception to the Javanica which I've been told is not the easiest phal to grow. I also have 2 catt hybrids and a den spectabile that seem to be digging s/h. And I also have a bllra tahoma glacier on recovery from loosing all it's roots in s/h thats doing great. All of the latter have their resevoirs almost always full, then again I also don't mind if they kick the bucket, except my phals and paphs . My paphs on the other hand get a dry time, where i empty out the resevoir, at least one day a week. I'm contemplating about upping it to 1 full day dry time and 1 overnight dry time a week.All in all they're doing great with exception to that big paph (mk x adductum). I just paph rothschildianum seedling in s/h so I'll be keeping a very very close eye on that one. And I'm getting a paph sanderianum seedling soon that will get heavy attention if its in the condition to be moved into s/h.

[Oscarman]

Methods that work for me:
- clear pot, see whats going on.
- weight of the pot and plant.
- S/H, check the reservoir.

Marco, thanks for the pointer on 1 day dry out time for Paphs. I'll keep an eye on mine to aviod the rot. Are you growing on the windowsill?

[Marco]

Dave, no problem and yup I am a windowsill grower. The only thing to watch out for is not to let it get bone dry. I usually empty out the night before and fill up when I get back home from work. I've found one or two of the pots bone dry when I get back home.

[justatypn]

Everyday thought for the orchid hobbiest. I'm guilty for some over watering myself, after a few orchids showed their dislike (Rojo). My rule of thumb now is my clear pots showing dryness around the immediate inside of pot and a few days of this drying than go to my shish-ka-bob skewers set at an angle toward middle of pot. I pull it out and look at it and place on the inside of my wrist to determine dampness. I will also add Marco's advise... thank you Marco.

[Marco]

Originally Posted by justatypn

I pull it out and look at it and place on the inside of my wrist to determine dampness.

I do the same thing!

[Tindomul]

THis is a good question. I have no clear method as of yet, so Im learning from all of you. As for my Phals in sphagnum moss I wait till the Sphag feels really dry cuase I just know somewhere in the middle there is soaking wet ball of sphag. I never used skewer method before, will try it. But wont that run the risk of puncturing or breaking a root?

[Marco]

Originally Posted by Tindomul1of9

But wont that run the risk of puncturing or breaking a root?

Yup. I usually do it when I transfer then I know were to stick the skewer. If you're not to worried about the root you can just wiggle in the skewer. It really won't be a problem unless your potting medium is ultra packed. And if your really worried about the roots you can always submerge the pot into water first then wiggle the skewer in. Just watch out for potting medium flowing out of the pot.

[justatypn]

Try and angle it toward the middle of the pot and to the bottom, that will solve the damp root ball. Another option other than the wrist could be the cheek, done that one as well when I am in question.