just a quick question about watering?
 

hello,
well i have also posted today about my moth orchid in the pest and diseases as well..... but i have a question just incase i cant bring my orchid back to life so i will know for future refrence... when during the day is the best time to water my moth orchid... i have been told it is best to water plants in the evening so the leaves or roots dont get fried by the sun... but i have noticed some ppl saying they avoid watering them in the evenin cause of root rot... i am hoping to get a few more orchids even if the one i have doesnt survive... i think they are just beautiful plants...so for the future i would like to know if you could help pls let me know...

As for myself I water early in the a.m. and mist daily as well at the same time. I have taken kabob sticks broken in half and put into the mix and if I have a question about when or if the plant needs a drink I take the stick out and see how much moisture is soaked into the stick, if you choose a different option pretty much rule of thumb for many is if you are not sure if it needs a drink, hold off a day and water away thereafter. It's also a great advantage to have clear plastic pots, it also takes the guessing out of the thirst not to mention the roots love to be noisy and see what is going on around them ... :lol:

Oh, by the way :welcome: Aboard, a great place to hang out and please share your :photo: in the members gallery. :banana:

I water my Phalenopsis (moth orchids) about 3 times a week (they are in fir bark in plastic pots) by pouring rain (Or RO) water through the pot. I watch the roots on top (or in some cases running over the tops of the pots) for nice white roots with green ends. As long as they are green on the end, I am happy. I live in Michigan where sunlight can be iffy, but the only thing, so far, that has caused me a problem has been hail! I have decided no more outside for the Phals.

thanks for the replys.... the watering in the day with the sun was just something i had heard and as this plant seems to have been watered to much while my mother was taking care of it....i want to do the right thing in trying to bring it back... it was a beautiful plant before she got ahold of it... ha ha! but i would like to get a few more... this is my first orchid and it was a gift from my husband so i would really like to keep it alive.... and do the right things for it.... keeping my fingers crossed that i can nurse it back to health...

For my phals in s/h pots with straight prime-agra they grow warm 75-85f peak during the day. I water almost anytime during the day and night, odd hours in the morning too. If the pots are emtpy at 2 or 3 in the morning they get watered at 2 or 3 in the morning. They get serious air movement though.

For my moms phals in a traditional bark mix, its a colder grow area 70-80 peak during the day. They don't have fans running though. I have those wooden skewers in the mix and use it to tell me when to water. I watered about once a week in the summer now that its getting colder about once every two weeks. I water the phals in traditional mix in the morning (before leaving for work) or at night (7pm when I usually get home from work).

I had root rot issues when I overpotted and over watered phals. I think the major thing that kept me away from rot now is keeping water out of the crown and watering directly into the pot and letting the medium get almost dry. When I forget to water sometimes they go bone dry for a day or two. But I try not to let it get passed a day of dryness.

I firmly believe Phals can live happily with daily water if the roots dry off over-night. I happen to use plastic pots that I have burned slots into with a soldering gun. I also plant them in coarse fir bark with charcoal and Live Oak bark added (my own mix). Since the pot really doesn't dry out easily (even with the slots,) I water 2-3 times per week (as I said above.) If I were growing the Phals on a slab, or somehow exposed to more air movement, I wouldn't hesitate to water more often. I am down to only one Phal now due to a hail storm (hail goes right through Phal leaves!) but have had plants that were in constant blossom for several years (a developing spike at same time as a flowering spike) with my regime.

Great food for thought, I water my phals once a week, the roots, seeing through the clear pots, sometimes look like they could use a drink but I fear over watering and all sorts of rot will be going on. Now you's have me thinking :scratchhead: . To late in the season to make a watering regimen change but will give it great consideration...

Cheryl, I wouldn't recommend chaging your watering regime if you've been successful with the current regime. I'm just telling mine. With the survivor back in the house, I'm down 1 or 2 waterings a week, but he gets regular mist from misting the mini's which hang above him.