Skewer Method? - Orchid Board

Marih · #1 02-27-2008, 01:20 PM

Can Someone pls explain. Thanks

Dorothy · #2 02-27-2008, 02:21 PM

Skewer method is placing a wooden skewer in the medium to detect the moisture level of the medium. It's best to keep the skewer about midway in the medium. You can check whether your medium is dry enough to water your orchid again .. In the case of Phals .. you want to wait until the skewer is no longer damp or cool to the touch .. this is a good indicator that your Phal is ready for it's next watering. Phal like to be a bit dry between waterings. Overwatering your Phal and keeping the medium wet for extended periods of time can lead to such things as root rot.

ces797 · #3 10-19-2009, 05:14 PM

Can you leave the skewer in?
I tested mine the other day and left it in the mix for about ten minutes and it was still sort of damp. So I put it back in and checked again today and it's still wet. Do I keep checking it until it's dry or am I only supposed to leave it in for 10min at a time?

camille1585 · #4 10-19-2009, 05:19 PM

If you have a phal and it is in a clear pot, then a better method for those is to look at the root color. Whitish silvery roots indicate that the plant is ready for water, and green roots, with condensation in the pot mean that there's still enough moisture in there. I wait an extra day after they are silvery to water.
The skewer method works great for everything (I use it to on the non phals) but phals have a nice 'built in' watering indicator that i like to take advantage of.

ces797 · #5 10-19-2009, 05:37 PM

I have two catts.
Neither is in a clear pot. One is about to bloom in a green plastic pot and the other I had to pot in a clay pot because it's so big couldn't find a big clear pot

Dorothy · #6 10-19-2009, 05:43 PM

Yep you can leave the skewer in the medium .. it's not as accurate if you use it like a thermometer ..

ces797 · #7 10-19-2009, 05:49 PM

perfect
thanks
I just wanted to make sure because the first day I put it in the medium for 10min it was damp, today when I checked it several days later it's even more damp

justatypn · #8 10-19-2009, 06:05 PM

When I first bought orchids it was hard to determine if and when to water. I used the skewer method and worked well for me. I found keeping the skewers in the medium was less accurate but was not feasible to remove as my orchid addiction grew. Determining an acu-view of the rooting system, psuedo's if applicable, measuring with pot weight it's a mere guess as to when our orchids are thirsty so its a mere guessing game until our orchids come with a voice.