Phalaenopsis Watering Advice - Complete Beginner

[Kevstar]

Hi guys, I’m completely new to this!
I’ve had many Phals over the years (gifts etc.) and got rid of them once the flowers had dropped as I was completely clueless on how to look after them and now realise what a waste that was!!!
My wife recently received one as a gift and I am determined to keep this one alive and also get a few more as they are beautiful.
The thing that baffles me is the watering of them. A good friend of mine has got around 20 beautiful phals in her home and assures me that they are “easy to care for and hardier than you think”. She advised me to soak them once a week for a few hours and let it drain and then I’ll be well away.
So upon her advice, I soaked mine, let it drain and it looks happy..
Now (2 days later) I have noticed the roots at the base of the leaves (above the potting medium) have returned to a silvery white colour but the roots in the pot (under the potting medium) are still green.
As we are having an exceptionally hot summer here in the UK, I figured maybe it’s drying out quicker than normal so I gave it a little mist but I’m worried I’m over watering it if I do this…
So my (very long) question is; do I wait for all of the roots to turn a silvery colour before I re-soak it or is there a better way to know when to water?
Many thanks.
Kev.

[camille1585]

First of all, welcome to Orchidboard!

Your friend is correct, and generally gave you good advice. The only thing I would change about it is that the frequency depends on the plant, and varies depending on medium type and of course the environmental conditions. My climate in the Netherlands is similar to yours (hot, sunny and dry now...) and to give you an idea, my Phals potted in bark are getting soaked every 4-6 days, whereas in a normal summer it's roughly once per week, and in the cooler months every 10-15 days. This is to give you an idea only, everyone has different conditions!

Have a look at this very good and informative thread. It's very long, but the bulk of the important information is in the first couple pages I think.
The Phal abuse ends here.

It's normal that the surface roots dry out first, and aren't cause for concern. If the roots in the pot are still green, don't water. If it's a transparent pot it's easy enough to check- I wait for the roots to turn silver, then wait another day or two to water again. Phals are much more forgiving of being slightly underwatered than they are of being overwatered.

Some people use wooden skewers to tell when to water, and base the decision to water on how damp it feels when pulled out of the pot. I've never used them, so can't advise more precisely.

[Ray]

That "silvery" coating on the roots is called "velamen". It is primarily dead cells that have formed a spongy layer on the roots. The velamen turns mostly clear when it is saturated, and the green, living, inner part of the root is exposed.

The velamen plays an important role in the plant's life, as it holds water for later, slower absorption by the plant, and traps nutrient ions when fertilizer solutions are poured through the potting medium.

"Overwatering" can be a bit of a misnomer. For the most part, phalaenopsis prefer a constantly moist potting medium. The trick is providing that while ensuring lots of air flow to the root system, as the roots are where much of the gas exchange processes in orchids happens, rather than almost totally through the leaves, as is the case for terrestrial plants.

You might want to READ THIS to gain a better understanding.

[Optimist]

silver roots are fair game for misting. Roots are often half in and half out or something like that. (No regular ratio). If it is indoors and dosent dry out quickly (England vs. Arizona), then try not to let water into the crown. If you are keeping the plant outside and there is plenty of air movement, then the phal can be kept in the rain, or drenched with a water hose. This confuses a lot of beginners. I drench my phals every day and they don't get crown rot because they are outside. I would never water them like that if it were winter and they were in the house. So water roots only if it is in the house.

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[Tommyr]

I used to be a Phal killer. I now grow them fine. The key is to use CLEAR pots so you can see the roots. If they're gray, water. If they're green, don't water.