i gave it a good soaking this morning,will check when i get home how dry it is to see how to carry on.its in a coarse bark mix in a container that cant hold any water im gonna imagine its dry already.i'm thinking daily watering is going to be needed

My phals are also potted like that and I do soak every day in summer, every 2-3 days in winter.

Good for you in trying something different. The basket may last longer than you think. If not, well, you have learned something, and the only problem might be that you have to repot sooner than you thought.

If you never experiment, you never learn.

It may well be that you have to water every day in the summer. I do. In the winter I have two wet days a week whenn they are wetted well, and the other five are damp days when they are just misted, with a little water running down the stem.

At least you can't overwater, eh?

Experimenting is definitely the way to go. Whatever works for your neighbour may not necessarily work for you.

Yeah, it always pays to remember that.

ja thats what im trying to find what works for me.so far i'v found that a plain bark mix worked perfectly for my phals.my dens are are doing well in both a bark/stone and plain stone mix with once a week watering.the cyms on the other hand did not do well in both the plain bark and plain stone but if im honest i dont think its the potting media but my watering in both failure and success.

I have a cattelya that igot as a young plant. I have had it for about 7-8 years. It has grown substantially but I would like to see our bloom. Not sure uhh I an watering properly. Iwater once every 2 weeks and fertilize once per month. It gets full sun for about 6 hours /day. Temp is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit day 68 degrees night.

Welcome to Orchid Board. It is probably best to start your own thread. You will get more specific advice for your situation. After 5 posts you can attach small size photos which are a big help for people to see how your plant is doing. Give info such as what it is potted in and anything about your growing conditions.

very happy to report that when I was watering this morning I noticed flower buds in the new growth

Congratulations!
I grow most of mine in plastic basket pots or plastic Vanda baskets. I am not surprised that your orchid is happy. :)