How do I water mounted orchids?

[plantluvver]

I just got my shipment of 4 orchids from Andy's:
Neofinetia / falcata (Onamisecai)
Maxillaria / tenuifolia
Encyclia / tampense (Florida form)
Brassavola / nodosa

They came mounted, and I have never had an orchid mounted before. How can I tell when to water them?

[AnonYMouse]

Plants from Andy's usually come with info on the tags. They also send a paper "key" in every shipment.

They put culture info for each plant on their website.

[Leafmite]

I grow under lights so I really don't need to worry about crown rot if I water in the morning (lights are hot and drying). So, here is what works for me. I either put my mounts in clear cups and pour water over them or, before I go to bed, I toss them in the goldfish tub and then, in the morning, hang them all back up. I do this about three times a week (brassavola, Angraecum leonis, encyclia, etc). You could use a bucket and do the same thing. If you grow in a window, you might want to run a fan for the neo. I think that would be the only one prone to problems from having a wet crown.
I really love mounts as long as the orchids are suited for them. Yours all are. Good luck!

---------- Post added at 04:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

Plants from Andy's usually come with info on the tags. They also send a paper "key" in every shipment.

They put culture info for each plant on their website.

I love that. It really helps to figure out the culture.

[AnonYMouse]

I should add I water mounted plants with squirt bottles or spray bottles (trying not to waste water in draught stricken CA).

[JDT]

I normally check the color of the roots, if they are light in color then I water, if they are dark I don't. Did you water when you got them from Andy's? When you water look at the color of the roots, good healthy roots get darker as they absorb moisture it might take more then one watering to do this, in the future when the roots start to lighten then it is time to water, don't let them dry out.

When I water I start at one end of my holding area when finished I allow the water to drip a little then I start over again, with over 100 orchids I don't have to wait long.

You don't say if you have your orchids outdoors or indoors or under lights which can also effect when to water. I live in South Florida and during most of the year I have to water my mounted orchids every day and sometimes more then once.

[plantluvver]

I am growing on a windowsill. I usually summer my orchids outside, but Maybe on these small ones, I will keep in the house.

[Harris E.]

I had a couple mounted orchids in my windowsill before I built my greenhouse and my experience was that they dried out very quickly. Especially in winter when the heat was on. I water whenever the moss on the mounts dries out. In my greenhouse that's at least every other day and more when it's hot. I use a sprayer and to spray thoroughly with 40ppm N fertilizer.

[cbuchman]

Like Harris E. I have to provide moisture every day. I mist heavily daily after I touch the mount to see how dry it is. In the winter, they can get quite crispy dry overnight when the heat is on. In the summer when they are outdoors this is less of an issue. Although when it is hot, I mist 2 to 3 times a day to reduce stress on the plants.

If they are feeling very dry, I put them into a cup of water and let them soak for 20-30 mins (or for a few hours if I am going out).

Bottom line is that you will need to learn how fast the mounts dry out in your environment. As mentioned above, Andy's provide good guidance on the moisture that the specific orchid needs. I typically transfer this information to the plant tag so that it is readily accessible. Armed with that information, you will figure out how often and how much to water your new mounted babies.

P.S. My Andy's order just came in too

[Leafmite]

You will probably want to summer the Neo, Max-ten, and Brassavola outside. They bloom and grow much better with the brighter light. During the summer, the light from the window is just not enough for them. I have a little trellis that I hang all my mounts on every summer so I don't lose them.
The Brassavola doesn't mind being a little drier as long as you give it a good soak when you do water it. The Max-ten likes quite a bit of water so you will probably want to toss it in a bucket every night (though if you do forget to water it for a week, it is very, very forgiving). My Neos tend to 'rest' during the winter and the roots turn white and don't start growing again until spring. I don't grow the other one so I can't really advise you there.
The Max, Neo and Brassavola should all be very easy mounts for you to tend and I think you will really enjoy the experience.

---------- Post added at 08:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------

Originally Posted by cbuchman

P.S. My Andy's order just came in too

Mine came yesterday.

[drtd]

I gave up on the windowsill method as well. I ultimately sucked it up and built a heated terrarium in my garage for my mounted orchids, as well as a few of my more humidity sensitive carnivorous plants. This was about 2 months ago, and they have all begun to put on new roots and are looking happy! If you aren't committed to a pretty steady spray/dunk regime, then I would suggest a terrarium, even if its just for the winter. Mine is just a 20 gallon fish tank with some small modifications for added heat and humidity.