Watering and Pots

[aliceinwl]

Your Dendrobium looks very happy. The shoots with roots are keikis: new plantlets. When roots are well developed, these can be separated from the parent plant with a gentle twist and potted up separately. It also doesn’t hurt to leave them attached.

I’m not sure what is up with your P. charlesworthii. I keep mine outside in bright shade. No direct sun. Mine is tightly potted in a orchiata, perlite, charcoal mix. I try to keep it moist. I make sure it’s well drained (no water sitting in the saucer) and fertilize every other watering. If you do repot this one, familiarize yourself with Paph roots, they’re really different looking.

[bobloes]

Thanks Aliceinwl From the little I know about California you may just have temperatures a bit higher than here. If I put it outside before May I suspect they would turn their toes up! Are these plants better off being potbound? I would have thought not as they grow on the outside bark of a tree.

[aliceinwl]

They like to be evenly moist and tightly potted. I think the even moisture requirement translates to a relatively small pot. I think mine is in a 3x3 inch pot. They also want the media packed in there so they don’t move around. In a larger pot, you may need to create an air space in the center so that it dries evenly. I’ve seen people use a rock for this purpose.

Sometimes yellow leaves can be indicative of too much light. I’m not sure where the tolerance is for these, but I keep mine slightly brighter than my Phalaenopsis. I also water with hard water rather than reverse osmosis. In nature these grow in limestone cracks and crevices in broadleaf forests rather than on trees.

Yes, I think we’re warmer. I still bring mine inside whenever forecasted temperatures are predicted to be below 2 degrees Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit). This is a shot of mine: P. Leannum left, P. charlsworthi with the bud on the right.

[bobloes]

On feeding would it be the best way to dose the water before soaking the plant? I notice that the nurseries sell a plastic container which you tip upside down and leave. It strikes me that that will only dose one particular area of the roots. Cheers

[Ray]

Welcome, Bob.

The key with any orchid potting medium is to have it be open and airy, while holding moisture. Unlike terrestrial plants, epiphytic orchids "breathe" through their roots. If there is insufficient air flow around them, they suffocate and die.

As to feeding, it is unnecessary to water first, and it actually quite wasteful. Periodically, when the plants need to be watered, add a tiny amount of a complete fertilizer to the water and use it directly.

How much to use is determined by the fertilizer formula and frequency of feeding, but I can safely says that "a little, done frequently " is better than "a lot, applied infrequently". Folks get away with monthly feedings, while I prefer to do so at every watering, which tells you there is some flexibility there!

[bobloes]

Hi Ray
Thanks for those thoughts. I am nothing if not a pedant (although able to laugh at myself about it). I am still unsure of the best watering method. Reading between the lines of your post I think you are filling a container (fertilizer or not) and then pouring the water over the growing medium and just allowing it to drain through and whatever 'sticks' to the roots is what the plant uses. As opposed to sitting the pot in a 'bucket' of water to have more time to absorb the liquid. The first of these suggests not much water or fertilizer is taken up. I would love clarification.
Also a couple of others have also spoken about allowing air to get to the roots. That would suggest when potting on not to pack the growing medium too tightly but also if I have a pot with drain holes inside a ceramic pot without drain holes do I need to take it out on a regular basis and leave it for some time to enable air circulation? Leaving the growing medium 'loose' seems to conflict with having the plant pot bound - another suggestion I have had.
I would really appreciate further guidance.
Regards all

Bob

[Ray]

Originally Posted by bobloes

Hi Ray
Thanks for those thoughts. I am nothing if not a pedant (although able to laugh at myself about it). I am still unsure of the best watering method. Reading between the lines of your post I think you are filling a container (fertilizer or not) and then pouring the water over the growing medium and just allowing it to drain through and whatever 'sticks' to the roots is what the plant uses. As opposed to sitting the pot in a 'bucket' of water to have more time to absorb the liquid. The first of these suggests not much water or fertilizer is taken up. I would love clarification.

Personally, I do not soak potted plants, as I prefer that the water running through the medium to flush it and entrain air as it pours out, but I see no serious issue with submersion, unless that soaking tub is shared - don't do that!

Also a couple of others have also spoken about allowing air to get to the roots. That would suggest when potting on not to pack the growing medium too tightly but also if I have a pot with drain holes inside a ceramic pot without drain holes do I need to take it out on a regular basis and leave it for some time to enable air circulation? Leaving the growing medium 'loose' seems to conflict with having the plant pot bound - another suggestion I have had.
I would really appreciate further guidance.
Regards all

Bob

No, do not repeatedly unpot your plants. No, don't leave the potting media loose. Experiment until you find one that achieves the "moist but airy" status under your conditions and watering habits.

I'm going to go a bit "Bill Nye" on you here:

When we water, most pours right through. Some is immediately absorbed by the potting medium and the roots, and some is held by surface tension in the spaces between the particles. It is that last fraction that's the problem, as if it is too extensive, it cuts off the air flow and suffocates the roots. (I am convinced this is the origin of the myth that "orchids must dry out between waterings"; drying allows those pockets to reopen...)

If you find a potting medium with sufficiently large voids, physics prevents that from happening, and some media components absorb better, so "suck" the liquid out of those gaps.

You might find this article to be of interest.

[Paphluvr]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I couldn't remember where this was posted. The temperatures you mention are all below what a Phal would find comfortable. I think the Paph would be happier with higher winter daytime temperatures, too. This type of Dendrobium I have no experience with but it appears to be doing quit well. The Paph looks a bit pale, maybe from lack of fertilizer? Also, take into consideration that the amount of light they get is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

[Pippa]

The watering method seems to be very personal - I know people who argue adamantly for soaking and others who only flush the pot through! I alternate! Soaking is good if I'm going to be away for a few days or if the plant is dehydrated. I loathe those orchid spike feeders - constant feed in one small area of the pot and then nothing when it runs out. Plus all that waste plastic - grrrrr! I feed my Phals and Den Phals 3 feeds in 4, currently using Orchid Focus feed which is easy to get hold of and they do well on it.

Re the temperatures, if your Phal has been used to higher temps, it may suffer if it suddenly moves to a much colder area. But I've found they can tolerate much cooler temperatures than you would think once they are acclimatised. My house never gets over 16 C in winter and it's usually 12-14, yet all my Phals grow like weeds and most of them are spiking/blooming now.

[aliceinwl]

Originally Posted by Pippa

Re the temperatures, if your Phal has been used to higher temps, it may suffer if it suddenly moves to a much colder area. But I've found they can tolerate much cooler temperatures than you would think once they are acclimatised. My house never gets over 16 C in winter and it's usually 12-14, yet all my Phals grow like weeds and most of them are spiking/blooming now.

That has been my experience with the complex hybrid Phals too. I don’t have any issues above 10C (50F). Most can even take brief stints below this. But, I do start to see cold damage on certain plants after prolonged regular exposure to temperatures below 10C (50F).