Phal watering ??

[tedbib]

Being new to orchids I have a question ..

I usually have to go away for four weeks --once a year.
Does anyone have any ideas I can use for watering my Phals while I'm away ,other than asking a neighbour to do it for me,which I don't really want to do

Is a month too long to leave them with out water?
Could I give them a good watering before I go and maybe stand them in a tray of pebbles /water with the bottom of the pot just out of the water ?

I look forward to your replies
Thanks

Eddie

[Moirae]

I'm fairly new to the orchid world myself, but I'm sure a month is way too long to without watering. The longest I've gone between waterings was 15-16 days and that orchid was in a 6 in plastic pot packed super tight with sphag from the nursery.

I've been away twice this year for 2-3 weeks each time and i had to rely on my mom (and give her reminder calls) to water them, but she at least owns a few orchids and will not pour water into the crown or leave them standing in water. Do you have any friends that know how to care for orchids that would be willing to foster them for that month?

Maybe others on the board will be able to give you some alternatives, but I think they will need a little more information first. What time of year will you be gone? Summer, Winter,etc? What is your potting medium, sphagnum moss, bark, leeca...? Clay or plastic pots? and How many phals do you have in your collection, 2, 5, 10?

[Stray59]

Yeah - I think a month is a little long for no water unless you have a system to reserve some moisture - not sure what this would be, but someone out there will probably have a good answer for you!
Best of luck - unless your neighbors are growers also, I would not rely on them myself. Too many "OOPS" factors involved; also, others trapsing through my house alone is not my idea of a comforting thought!
Steve

[keithrs]

I think it's to hard for someone to really know if your plant can go that long without water.

You can test it by not watering for a month..

[james mickelso]

Look into your local orchid club for assistance. Most orchid clubs have someone who would be willing to water once a week or so. Also what time of year are you away for this long? If winter you could water very well and then as you say, you could leave the pot standing on pebbles in a tray with water just a little below the bottom of the pot.Or you could double pot your phals. Take your potted phals, water them very well and then pot them up in a very coarse bark inside another pot. 4 inch into a 6 inch. Water the larger pot very well before you leave.

[tedbib]

Thanks for your replies

I have 5 plants, at the moment -- (they're infectious, arent they?)
I'll be going away around November (which is coming on for winter here)
Our summers aren't really all that hot here, anyway

I like the idea the sound of James Mickelso's idea about putting the pots inside larger ones with bark

As I have plenty of time before I go, I may try it out with one of the plants to see if it works

If not, I suppose I'll have to trust them to my neighbour.

Maybe I could buy my neighbour an orchid,then while she's looking after her own she can look after mine as well

[sthh]

The easiest way to kill an orchid is to underwater it, come back and see a shrivelled plant, and then overwater an already weak plant.

The second easiest way to kill an orchid is to overwater it before you leave, and come back to see a rotten phal.

I have done both before.

For a 1 month trip, get someone to come in and help you with very specific instruction on how to water your phals. (Overwatering is a big no no)

[tedbib]

It's looking more like........

Buy my neighbour an orchid for her birthday in March,show her how to water hers correctly and then when I go away later in the year, hopefully she'll know how to do mine

I get along very well with my neighbour --so I think that will be the best thing to do
(It's just that I don't like 'bothering' people if I can help it.)

[brammn]

You could try self watering planters/pots - if you search the orchidboard there's post from a few years ago on here (it won't let me post the URL for some reason)

I've never tried them personally so have no idea about the results. I've had a quick look in the UK and they don't seem to be cheap so I won't be trying them, but for 5 plants they're perhaps worth a punt; particularly if you can test them prior to your trip.

Only other thing I can think of is put the plants in the bath or a large sink and rig up some sort of shower/mini sprinkler to come on every other week on a timer. I do a similar thing when I'm away in the summer for a couple of weeks - just put a sprinkler on timer in the greenhouse so everything gets watered (I still get someone to come in and check that the timer/water supply hasn't failed though to be sure.....)

And yes - they're very infectious, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have quite a few more by November. The words 'You've bought more plants?!' are forever being repeated by my wife, along with a dis-approving look!

I might be wrong, but:
If they all are mature and healthy phals (NOT SEEDLINGS OR STRESSED PLANTS) you could just water them really well on the day you will be leaving, collect them all together in a plastic storage box without lid and place them in a darkest corner at your place.
I did this when I was leaving for 2 weeks and when I returned - media was still moist, so it should work for 4 weeks because I know they can spend 2 weeks in dry moss in dark box in the mail without problems.