Phal watering

[estación seca]

They're understory plants that grow in deep shade. I've burned Phals that got less than an hour of late October, very early morning sun through a window.

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 AM ----------

Originally Posted by labyrinth1959

I didn't mean to imply using distilled water only. What I had in mind was to flush the pot thoroughly say once a month with distilled water sort of like a good rain storm. I currently fertilize every other week with a weak Schlultz's mix and every alternating week with a Kelp mix.

It comes back to the quality of your tap water. Your water utility posts a water quality report online. You can find the dissolved mineral level and pH there. Our alkaline, highly-mineral-laden water in Phoenix is great for desert plants and human bone formation, very poor for orchids.

[katrina]

Labyrinth, I don't know where you live (how far north or south) but I live in Ohio...not as strong as zones further south, naturally....but I do grow most of my phals w/direct morning sun.

They usually see that sun from the time the sun comes up until around 10 or shortly after 10. In the summer they all sit on an east facing porch w/no protection from the sun rising and in the winter some are in the window w/no protection. They are growing very well. I wouldn't give them direct sun too much after that 10-10:30 time frame in my area but they do fine here. And, if they've been growing in darker than ideal conditions...be sure to acclimate them to that morning sun or you will burn them up. Once acclimated though...morning sun is perfectly fine. How late you can take that morning sun will depend entirely on how far south you are and how intense the sun is in your area.

Side note - I have a P pulcherrima that needs light as bright as my catts and while this is not the norm for most phals...some do need a bit more in order to bloom well. P pulcherrima has been seen growing in full sun on exposed rocks in it's native habitat.


Just throwing that out there.

[labyrinth1959]

I live in Minnesota.

Do you screen the sun at all with shear curtains? I have been tempted to put in an east window with shears but haven't done that.

[katrina]

No, no sheer curtains or anything. My plants are acclimated to this level so if you've been growing them on the dim side then take it slow and give them sufficient time to adjust.

A good way to do that is by allowing them the direct sun only very early and then move them out of the direct sun after a short period. Over a couple of weeks you can leave them situated there longer and longer. Just don't rush the process or you might end up with crispy critters.

If you don't have the available time in the morning to do the shuffling around then you can start by reducing the shading and gradually reduce that aspect over a period of time until they are acclimated to the brighter light.