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08-17-2020, 10:37 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 18,483
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Assuming it's an orchid that should dry out between waterings.... It depends on where you think the roots are. If you see live roots at the bottom drainage, holes, then I'd wait, even if the top is dry.
Remember if there are large air spaces in the medium you don't need to let it dry out at all.
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11-02-2020, 01:41 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 46
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I am very glad to know of the stick method. So we can just leave the sticks in the media then pull it out periodically to check for moisture, is that right?
I'm a new grower and have no idea when to water. I reportted most of my plants when I first got them. Since most of the roots were in very bad condition, I cut off the rotten ones and sprayed the rest with hydrogen peroxide, which I am now finding out is not good. So surprise, I now have mold in all of my potted orchids. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out a watering system that keeps whatever that's left of my roots hydrated, while keeping the core roots from growing mold (which afr still in my pots, the white fuzzy kind and green spotted kind). I'm thinking it's the peroxide, but at least with this stick method it'll tell me when to water, or at least the couple that I haven't reported yet. Ones I've repotted are in 3" pots, since there weren't very much root left. The roots are mostly near the top and middle of my pot, not long enough to be near the bottom. I thought the media dried very fast, since they are not packed tightly, its in a small pot and I had a small fan on everyday, and the pot feels lighter within a day of watering. And the roots at the top are very dry, but the media in the center of my pot are still growing mold.
So this is not a situation that can be remedied by skewer sticks right? I can't just wait for it to dry out, hence waiting out the mold, before watering them again, is that correct?
I'm not sure if this question can be put here or i should put it into another thread. I'm very new to this board, and this being my first board, I'm not sure of the etiquette. But I appreciate any answers to this dilemma. Thank you!!
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04-04-2021, 12:38 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Mar 2021
Zone: 6b
Location: Connecticut Shoreline, USA
Posts: 62
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When/How Much to water are a huge focus as I'm learning about orchid culture. I've killed many African violets and indoor citrus due to overwatering. I don't want to kill my orchids!
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04-04-2021, 12:45 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Australia, North Queensland
Posts: 5,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim in CT
When/How Much to water are a huge focus as I'm learning about orchid culture. I've killed many African violets and indoor citrus due to overwatering. I don't want to kill my orchids!
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Some nice tips here that could be useful :
Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here and Click Here
The skewer idea is like the oil dipstick method maybe. I've never used that method myself - maybe because it might not be convenient to use when the number of orchids increase, and also probably not great to poke a skewer down into media with orchid roots down underneath somewhere.
I also have never used the 'weight' method.
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04-04-2021, 01:54 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Zone: 6b
Location: New York
Posts: 1,360
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim in CT
When/How Much to water are a huge focus as I'm learning about orchid culture. I've killed many African violets and indoor citrus due to overwatering. I don't want to kill my orchids!
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Use the skewers for now and after awhile you'll be able to feel the weight difference from when you lift to check them and after they are watered.
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03-05-2023, 01:18 AM
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Jr. Member
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Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 18
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I have been using this and they work great. Pro tip is that if the stick has fine particles of soil/ bark on it, the media might not be getting enough air, which will lead to rot. Myrical grow does this and that is a prime indicator that it is a bad media. Orchiata on the other hand leaves hardly anything and the stick only is wet!!!
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03-05-2023, 09:41 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Dec 2022
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 165
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Whatever works is best. for me, best is clear or opaque plastic pots.
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05-01-2023, 04:59 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 225
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For the last 20 years I used the skewer method to determine my watering schedule without an issue with mold. Not sure why recently the wooden skewers are getting moldy within 24 hours.
I’ve seen a suggestion to coat the skewers with nail polish and my local orchid guy suggested spraying the wooden skewers w Neem oil prior to using.
Any thought? Or other ideas? Thank you Mel
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