Using skewers to determine when to water

[WhiteRabbit]

Gently twist a bamboo kabob skewer into the potting media - as near to the center of the pot as you can. At the very least, as far from the perimeter of the pot as possible. To check moisture, remove the skewer and touch it to your cheek or upper lip. (If you have VERY sensitive skin, prone to contact dermatitis, use caution - I've only read of one person reporting a problem, but just wanted to put that out there). A dry, but cool feeling skewer means there is just a very slight amount of moisture in the media.

Replace the skewer into the same place you removed it from. Or, leave it out of the pot until the next time you wish to check, but make sure the skewer is in the media for at least 30 minutes before checking the moisture, and try to get it into the same spot as previously.

At what point water is needed varies with the type of orchid, as well as individual species requirements.

Most of my orchids get watered at the "dry, but cool feeling" stage - ones that like to be moister get watered when the skewer feels slightly moist. If a particular orchid likes to dry inbetween waterings, you can wait until the skewer is DRY dry (feels dry, and NOT cool), tho I have found many of mine start to look a bit underwatered if I continuously let them dry that much - but better to err a bit dry, and then increase watering slightly if you start to see signs of dehydration.