Am I watering this Coel. Unchained Melody enough?

[varda.elentari]

I got my first Coelogyne, an 'Unchained Melody' and potted it in tree fern about a month ago. A lot of the old roots got damaged and the pseudobulbs shrivelled up a bit. New roots started appearing about two weeks ago and I've been soaking the whole pot for 15-20 mins twice a week but the pseudobulbs are still shrivelled. So I'd appreciate some opinions from more experienced growers as to whether I should be watering more often. Or should I continue as normal and wait and see?

I know they get rain daily during the monsoon season in their natural habitat but I'm afraid of overwatering. Our humidity tends to be high right now, around 50-60%, so the medium would stay quite moist constantly if I water more frequently.

[Roberta]

If it's producing new roots and the new growths look good, you're probably fine. Old, shriveled psedudobulbs won't plump up. Odds are that they don't have much in the way of roots, that's OK - they are the plant's "reserve" - the plant will suck them dry while working on the new growth and new roots. Coelogynes do like to stay damp, but also need air. So when you water, let water run through the pot, then it can dry somewhat for a few days - which also pulls air into the root zone as water evaporates.

[varda.elentari]

Thanks for replying Roberta! The new growths look fine but the pseudobulbs that have shrivelled are still green and have leaves on them. Shouldn't they plump up as well?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by varda.elentari

Thanks for replying Roberta! The new growths look fine but the pseudobulbs that have shrivelled are still green and have leaves on them. Shouldn't they plump up as well?

Usually they don't plump up. So no worries. Coelogynes (like essentially all of the orchids that have pseudobulbs) eventually lose leaves (and often roots) on the older pseudobulbs, which remain as an energy source for the new growth until they are pretty much "recycled". If they have lost water during a time of bad roots, they were just doing their job. Maintain good culture and concentrate on the new growths. Think of the plant's cycle as a process, not a static object. Flowers will come from the newer growths - blooming (reproducing) is something that happens in youth.

[varda.elentari]

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

How dry would you say I should aim for between waterings?

[Roberta]

Coelogynes don't like to dry out. So feel it - as it goes from "wet" to "damp" you can gauge how often to water. If in sphagnum, you don't want it to get to "crispy". Frankly, I'd rather see you water more frequently and let the water run through the pot, rather than soaking. The running water pulls air into the root zone, flushes "crud". That's more like a "monsoon" than soaking is. (I water most things daily in summer, but they are outside, get a nice breeze, and dry out fast. Your environment is likely to be quite different. So feel the medium, lift the plant to learn how the weight changes, and aim for a cycle of "wet" to "damp" and repeat)

[varda.elentari]

That's very true about letting water run through the pot vs. soaking but I've just gotten lazy about watering. I'll try though. And I'll see if I can up the waterings to three days a week. Thanks for the tips!

I'm always blown away by your collection.

[varda.elentari]

I just noticed many of the leaves are curling (outwards and down). Could that be a sign of insufficient water?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by varda.elentari

I just noticed many of the leaves are curling (outwards and down). Could that be a sign of insufficient water?

Possibly. A photo would help here...

[varda.elentari]

Thanks for responding so quickly! I've attached a picture.