Watering, flush or soak?

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

Curious as to people's practice. Who soaks their plants while in the pot for an extended period of time vs the traditional flush through of water?

I have a few plants that have improved since I started soaking them for 15 minutes or so versus just pouring water through the medium.

I think this is low risk practice when the medium is airy or has alot of inorganic medium in it.

[jkofferdahl]

Typically I like to flush. If I soak, which I do with particularly needy plants, I still flush afterward.

[UserName]

Mine soak for an hour each.
They are Phals growing in plain fir bark chunks, potted in glazed orchid pots.
Until about a year ago, I was watering them with fifteen-to-thirty minute soaks, and that winter it was necessary, for my comfort, to run the (electric) central heating more. One Phal lost its buds to bud blast.
Now they get appreciably longer soaking time, and this winter the heating system has been used much less. So far, no bud blast this bloom season.

[Dollythehun]

Soaking, always. Alternating with fertilizer, fish emulsion and flushing.

[bil]

I water with a spray till water comes out the bottom. In Summer that usually means three times a week.

[jcec1]

I soak, usually for a couple of hours, then I drain with varying levels of moisture left in the medium; phalanopsis left to completely drain through to zygopetalum which are left quite wet.

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

Interesting. I may start soaking more of them. Are you all using the same vessel? New vessel and water for every orchid? I imagine cross contamination being an issue

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by vpsihop@hotmail.com

Interesting. I may start soaking more of them. Are you all using the same vessel? New vessel and water for every orchid? I imagine cross contamination being an issue

I did a kind of community soak for years, a couple pots in a big plastic container, changing the water, of course. Then I joined the OB and found out that was a major no, no. Now, everyone soaks in their own little tub with fresh water. I wash out each tub with a soapy sponge between plants. I sometimes pour the water through after soaking, but, recently I started to save it for the greenhouse plants.

I am not as fussy if they came from the same grower at the same time. Primadonnas, they are. And, it's time consuming. Still, they look darned good, imho.

[jkofferdahl]

It concerns me that you're just rinsing your soaking bowls out with a soapy sponge. Doing so really won't kill or remove any viruses if such exist in your plants. Each plant should be soaked in its own, sterilized container.

I've never really understood regular soaking, and maybe in part because of my philosophy on watering. As I approach it, the roots absorb the water and the media gets wet with a simple, quick flush. The roots will absorb the water quickly. Once the roots and media are wet, it is the roots which provide water to the plant, while the purpose of the media is to insulate the roots from drying too quickly. I can't imagine soaking to be at all detrimental to the plant (unless you leave it too long) but I can't see how it's beneficial either, unless a plant is essentially desiccated.

[Dollythehun]

Well, I just lost my post. Sometimes I use Lysol or Clorox but usually hot water and soap. I soak because it gets my pots wet too and usually my plants aren't wet enough.