Help Me With the Basics on Watering Cambodian Orchids

[WildAlaskaKen]

Its pretty quiet in Siem Reap so in between Angkor Wat and Bangkok, I fiddle with Orchids, which are sold everywhere and are about a dollar each. I have attached some pics.

They are sold in little plastic pots or in baskets or Coconuts. Coconuts usually have 2or 3 plants, baskets 3, the ones in baskets they just put the orchids in without even taking off the pots! Then just fill the pot with coir

I have so many of them that I too am putting them in shallow pots, 3-4, filling them with coir and thats it.

All have some fertilizer that the Orchid ladies give me. Little round pellets.

My question is watering. The ones I have outside I water every day, sometimes twice in hot season especially when its breezy/ I use a pump up sprayer and wet the wood and mist the roots. But the ones inside in the pots? I have been wetting the wood and coir until a little water appears in the drainage, every other day and they seem healthy, but should I water more? Or less? I am getting lots of growth.

Thanks for your help.

[Roberta]

First, Welcome!

Lookng at those happy, healthy plants, I think keep on doing whatever your're doing. If something seems off, then you can think about what needs to be adjusted. But in that warm, humid climate that they love, for now they seem to be doing well,

[estación seca]

Welcome! All the photos show Dendrobium orchids. They like to be very moist when making active growth. If they slow down in winter and you have cooler weather where you live, you can water a little less

The medium will eventually break down and become mushy. When that happens, wait for new root growth to just begin. Remove the plant and shake off most of the old medium. You don't want to be too intense with this and damage the roots. Repot into a pot with whatever orchid medium is at hand.

Note that some coconut husk chips from coastal regions may have been washed in sea water. You need to rinse that out if it's present.

[WildAlaskaKen]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome! All the photos show Dendrobium orchids. They like to be very moist when making active growth. If they slow down in winter and you have cooler weather where you live, you can water a little less

The medium will eventually break down and become mushy. When that happens, wait for new root growth to just begin. Remove the plant and shake off most of the old medium. You don't want to be too intense with this and damage the roots. Repot into a pot with whatever orchid medium is at hand.

Note that some coconut husk chips from coastal regions may have been washed in sea water. You need to rinse that out if it's present.

Thank you all for the tips. The coconut here is all local buy it in huge bags from the pile in the back.

Can Orchids be overwatered? Im very consious of how long it takes to dry the surrounding medium

[estación seca]

Most orchids must have plenty of air at the roots. If they have this, and it's the warm growing season, and the pot isn't excessively large for the size of the root ball, it's hard to overwater them. People run into trouble growing them in houses much cooler than they would prefer, or in medium that is breaking down. When that happens the air spaces get plugged up with mush from the decaying medium, and roots can suffocate.

Pay attention over time to how long the coconut fiber lasts there. Repot at the correct season just before this is going to happen.

[WildAlaskaKen]

As long as I have some advice from experts coming, anything you can tell me about when to prune?

[estación seca]

You don't prune orchids. People may divide them when they get bigger if they don't want too large a plant, but large plants give better flower shows.

[WildAlaskaKen]

Originally Posted by estación seca

You don't prune orchids. People may divide them when they get bigger if they don't want too large a plant, but large plants give better flower shows.

Im msorry nthe word prune was wrong. I meant trimming out the dried leaves and stumps, although Its hard to see when they are actually dead or not.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by WildAlaskaKen

Im msorry nthe word prune was wrong. I meant trimming out the dried leaves and stumps, although Its hard to see when they are actually dead or not.

Don't be in a rush to cut. I have learned the hard way, cutting something that looked dead but wasn't. (One can't stick it back on...) If something stays dead for a full growth cycle (like a year) then it probably is. Don't try to be too tidy, be patient.

As long as those leafless canes are still green, they hold reserves for the plant. And they can sometimes rebloom too.