How do I rest an orchid - Orchid Board

KE8ICR · #1 10-14-2019, 09:13 PM

I dont know how to rest an orchid. Do I stop watering ? Do I move it to dimmer light ? I read that some orchids continue to need high humidity, but to stop watering...need some clarification please...for the sake of this discussion, please answer from the perspective of resting for the winter. Thanks

SaraJean · #2 10-14-2019, 09:44 PM

What type of orchid?
What type of winter conditions will it be growing in- such as humidity and temps?

camille1585 · #3 10-15-2019, 05:31 AM

You will need to tell us exactly which orchids you are asking about. It really entirely depends on the type/species.

Most common types want the same care year round (Phals, Oncidiums, Paphs...) the only difference is that you should adjust your watering to your conditions. Most people water less in the winter, not because of a 'rest' but simply because of coller temperatures, also indoors, and the plants don't dry out as fast.

Even among the winter resting types, they also varies a lot in terms of the intensity of the rest and type of rest.

Shadowmagic · #4 10-15-2019, 03:03 PM

some species don't need a rest, others do - you need to do a bit of research on the individual type - that should give you an indication of what rest they need which mostly just involves lowering the temperature to the requirements for the specific orchid so they get a rest.

In this time they will grow less and need less watering. If you were to carry on watering like before the pot would get waterlogged and the roots would start rotting so water when needed and realize during the rest it may be far far less.

I find a great way to help me is to weigh my orchids once dry and write this on the pot - then water it and weigh the pot, write this down too. Check the pot after a week or when dry and see how long it took for the plant to drink the amount given - that gives you an indication of how much the plant is drinking. In winter you will notice it will need less and you can adjust the amount you water per week which is better than letting the medium take twice as long to dry out than in summer.
So I try not to force anything by withholding watering - I just water less to prevent the pot staying too wet for too long in winter.

KE8ICR · #5 10-15-2019, 09:38 PM

I have two phals- NOIDS from grocery store. One of which I believe is dieing. I have Harella retrocalla(mounted) bulbophyllum, lasiochilum,shoenorchis scolopendrium, something called trichoceros species M, and coelogyne corymbosa

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Most of mine are mounted

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My orchids are in an insect window in my office . The window faces west and they all get about 1 hour of direct sun in the afternoon. The air in my office is dry. Most of my orchids are miniatures and are mounted. I have a fogger to try to raise the humidity in the window. have two phals- NOIDS from grocery store. One of which I believe is dieing. I have Harella retrocalla(mounted) bulbophyllum, lasiochilum,shoenorchis scolopendrium, something called trichoceros species M, and coelogyne corymbosa. I use distilled water . I also have a series japonica which isn't doing anything at all, no new growth- nothing. That's the one I am wondering about.

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My orchids dry out quickly, but the fogger is helping that . I am thinking if I dont see any new growth it means the plant is resting? Then should I move it and water less often..?

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My orchids dry out quickly, but the fogger is helping that . I am thinking if I dont see any new growth it means the plant is resting? Then should I move it and water less often..?

aliceinwl · #6 10-16-2019, 01:28 AM

No growth can mean the plant isn’t happy. I expect the Phalaenopis and Sedirea japonica may be getting too much light in a western window. Grocery store Phalaenopsis are also often in less than ideal pots and mixes and usually require a repot in short order to ensure long term health.

For the mounted orchids, you may want to see if you can swing a terrarium setup or something similar. I think it’ll be really difficult to meet their water needs in a low humidity window setup. If they’re having trouble staying hydrated, this would cause them to stop growing.

camille1585 · #7 10-16-2019, 12:29 PM

No growth can also be part of the normal cycle, particularily in temperature climates where are several months not conducive for growth. Many Phals, (Sedirea japonica included, it's now reclassified Phal) will have a period of active root and leaf growth, and then seemingly do nothing for a while. How long has the Sedirea been doing nothing?

Neither those, nor Haraella retrocalla need a real winter rest. I din't know enough about the others to say anything about their needs.

Do you have photos of the Phal you think is dying?

KE8ICR · #8 10-16-2019, 10:28 PM

Thanks for your advice. I will try to get a pic of the phal and post it

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The sedieria japonica I purchased about 2 months ago. I had almost given up on her . I had to cut off one root that had rotted at the proximal end (where it came out of the plant) It is mounted but since the window is right behind me, I had been misting it multiple times a day. Then, I thought it was too wet so I took some of the moss off. I stopped watering it for a couple of days. Today though I noticed a tiny new leaf starting to grow. I also left a section of the remaining roots at their proximal ends uncovered to try to prevent any further root rot. When I read that they are like a phal, I am now letting it dry out completely between waterings. I am using distilled or rain water only. The window area has a mist fogger which has been successful at keeping the humidity higher. I feed it o cells a week with spray orchid fertilizer.