Phalaenopsis Watering Question
Carey Sublette
I just received my first orchid as a gift, a Phalaenopsis, and have read
everything my modest library on plants has to offer (most extensive
coverage was in my inherited 1960 multi-volume New Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Gardening). But I am left with a few questions.
I am instructed to keep the potting medium moist (like a squeezed out
damp sponge). This is hard to relate to the potting medium that came
wiht the plant which was chunks of bark, about 1 inch in diameter (just
the chunks - no ground bark or other smaller material). This material
has excellent drainage, but doesn't retain water worth a hoot. How often
should I be watering it?
I am keeping the plant in the kitchen (not near a window), where it has
bright natural light, but no direct sun.
Should I mist the foliage? If so, how often? Is misting the flowers
harmful?
Thanks all,
Carey
Jim H
Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytes, which means that in their natural
environment they do not grow in soil but up on trees and only get watered
when it rains. Their roots are adapted to quickly absorb water when it is
available. The thick leaves enable it to store water until the next time it
rains. I water my Phalaenopsis (in a bark medium similar to yours) every
7-10 days. You should wait until the bark medium is just barely damp. When
you do water them water them really well, that is pour at least twice as
much water through the pot as will fill the entire pot and then let it
drain. I even let the pots soak in a tub of water for a few minutes before
draining. This ensures that no salts from the water or fertilizer build up
and hurt the plant.
I think your location in the kitchen is fine. Phalaenopsis nead 'bright
shade". If you notice leaves getting yellow this is an indication of too
much light, but I have only had this problem when my orchids were exposed to
direct sun.
BTW - A great beginning book you can get at your local Home Depot is "All
About Orchids" by Ortho books. It will give you a lot more specific
information on how to care for your orchids. Don't worry, though, it isn't
hard!
Jim H
Carey Sublette <car...@paciolan.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.11a5ef4d2...@nnrp3.crl.com...
dave weil
Carey Sublette wrote:
> HI!
>
> I just received my first orchid as a gift, a Phalaenopsis, and have read
> everything my modest library on plants has to offer (most extensive
> coverage was in my inherited 1960 multi-volume New Illustrated
> Encyclopedia of Gardening). But I am left with a few questions.
>
> I am instructed to keep the potting medium moist (like a squeezed out
> damp sponge). This is hard to relate to the potting medium that came
> wiht the plant which was chunks of bark, about 1 inch in diameter (just
> the chunks - no ground bark or other smaller material). This material
> has excellent drainage, but doesn't retain water worth a hoot. How often
> should I be watering it?
>
> I am keeping the plant in the kitchen (not near a window), where it has
> bright natural light, but no direct sun.
>
> Should I mist the foliage? If so, how often? Is misting the flowers
> harmful?
>
> Thanks all,
>
> Carey
Jim's answer was good, although I find that I have to water generally almost
twice a week, which shows that it can really vary from location to location.
As to the yellowing from too much sun, more often you find that the leaves
will get to be a *deeper* green from overexposure to sun. This is different
than most plants. Phals in particular should display leaves that aren't
deep green. They should be a lighter shade of green, paler than you might
think. If they get a real deep shade of "healthy" green, then they're
getting too much light. This is a hard concept for many beginners (and
*I'm* no great veteran or anything) to grasp because it's opposite of what
you'd expect. The best way to get an idea of the correct color of the
leaves is to pay particular attention to how the leaves look at the growers
and try to remember the shade.
As to misting, it can't hurt unless you overdo it. Remember, when you mist,
you're also getting the surface of the "soil" wet too so if you mist, mist,
mist all the time, it makes it hard to dry out like it should. Also, if
your air circulation isn't all that good, you set yourself up for possible
fungi. I've heard that they don't like water collecting down the middle of
the plant but I don't know this to be true. You SHOULD NOT mist the
blooms. It probably won't hurt them to get a little water on them but I've
read that you shouldn't directly mist them. Remember, when they're
blooming, they don't need a lot of care. Light isn't all that important
during blooming (which is also a hard concept for the beginner to grasp) and
if anything, you should water *less*, not more.
Since I don't mist my phals very often, that could be why I have to water
them more often than Jim does. It goes to show that there are a lot of
factors that go into watering, such as air circulation, air humidity,
temperature, etc. The best way to decide when to water is to look at the
surface of the mix. You'll be able to see it lighten in color as it dries.
Water it only when it looks likes it's almost completely dry. Also, get
used to the weight of the pot. It will definitely get lighter as it dries.
Soon, you'll be able to tell just from picking it up. Wait until it feels
like it's almost empty in relation to the weight right after you watered
it. It's a "feel" thing <g>.
Phals are really easy to grow. Don't fuss over them too much and you'll be
fine.
Of course, one of my phals has thrown a wrinkled shrivelled leaf which
concerns me. I'm probably going to throw it out to this group for a
question soon <g> (I suspect an accidental cold draft last winter.)
dave
HOBIIONE
As for watering. The phal. likes a real good, complete watering until run-off
every 5 to 7 days. It does not like constant wet feet so let the plant dry
out completely between watering. If you'd like you could give it a light
misting every other day...very light mist in the morning only. As for feeding
it a fertizer....every week give it a 1/4 stregth of
label instruction weekly. They enjoy a weak solution, weekly. I hope this
helps you and your lighting sounds excellent.
Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck.
Marija....
TL S WILSO
The following is a part of a message posted to the group last Saturday.
In article <373D7052...@mindspring.com>, dave weil
<dwe...@mindspring.com> writes:
>As to the yellowing from too much sun, more often you find that the leaves
>will get to be a *deeper* green from overexposure to sun. This is different
>than most plants. Phals in particular should display leaves that aren't
>deep green. They should be a lighter shade of green, paler than you might
>think. If they get a real deep shade of "healthy" green, then they're
>getting too much light. This is a hard concept for many beginners...
>
. I've heard that they don't like water collecting down the middle of
>the plant but I don't know this to be true. You SHOULD NOT mist the
>blooms. It probably won't hurt them to get a little water on them but I've
>read that you shouldn't directly mist them. Remember, when they're
>blooming, they don't need a lot of care. Light isn't all that important
>during blooming (which is also a hard concept for the beginner to grasp) and
>if anything, you should water *less*, not more.
The best way to decide when to water is to look at the
>surface of the mix. You'll be able to see it lighten in color as it dries.
>
>dave
>
I can't believe Dave was able to post the above and the entire group let it
stand without comment. (In fairness to Dave the above is only a part of his
message. Most of the original post I snipped out because I had no problem with
it.)
dave weil
TL S WILSO wrote:
So which part of the above did you have trouble with, all of the points or just
some of them? I'm curious.
I misspoke about the coloring of the leaves though. I'm pretty sure that I got
confused <g>. Of course, the leaves get darker with *under*exposure to the sun,
which is counterintuitive. I guess I was just out in the sun too much that day
<g>.
D'oh!
Thanks for catching that. I don't know how I let that go. Did you have a problem
with the rest of it? The watering part is partly from what I've read and been
told and partly from experience. If I'm wrong, I'm glad to have someone correct
me. keep in mind that I'm speaking of plants kept indoors, because as we know,
during the warm season, you can't let them dry out very long, but indoors, you
have a greater margin for error.
Carey Sublette
hobi...@aol.com says...
Thanks everyone. The Phal is doing great. I've soaked the pot once in
tepid water, and saw the roots plump up nicely. I live in Southern
California where the atmosphere dry, so looking at how the bark is
drying out I'll probably have to do this twice weekly. I haven't misted
it yet, but I might start on a once daily basis.
My old gardening encyclopedia made it sound like the Phal had to be kept
in a veritable sauna ('keep the benches and walkways wet' - as if it
could only survive in a dedicated greenhouse). I'm glad to hear that's
not really true.
I've also seen recomendations to keep the pot on a humidity tray - a bed
of gravel filled with water almost to the top. I'm skeptical that htis
is really going to increase the humidity for the plant in a meaningful
way since the ventilation is good.
Carey
dave weil
Carey Sublette wrote:
> In article <19990515141839...@ng-cj1.aol.com>,
> hobi...@aol.com says...
> > Hi How are you doing with your Phal. orchid.
> > As for watering. The phal. likes a real good, complete watering until run-off
> > every 5 to 7 days. It does not like constant wet feet so let the plant dry
> > out completely between watering. If you'd like you could give it a light
> > misting every other day...very light mist in the morning only. As for feeding
> > it a fertizer....every week give it a 1/4 stregth of
> > label instruction weekly. They enjoy a weak solution, weekly. I hope this
> > helps you and your lighting sounds excellent.
> > Let me know how it goes for you. Good luck.
> > Marija....
> >
>
> Thanks everyone. The Phal is doing great. I've soaked the pot once in
> tepid water, and saw the roots plump up nicely. I live in Southern
> California where the atmosphere dry, so looking at how the bark is
> drying out I'll probably have to do this twice weekly. I haven't misted
> it yet, but I might start on a once daily basis.
Great!
My Phals live in the house. That's a pretty dry humidity situation. Here in
Nashville, we have pretty high humidity but by the time the climate control get to
them, the humidity is pretty much sucked out. Watering seems to take care of their
humidity needs pretty nicely. I do mist them when I think about it. Which isn't
often. Just remember to watch your soil if you mist daily. You might not need to
water but every two weeks if you're real aggressive with your misting. Remember,
better to let them go dry than to keep them slightly damp all the time.
>
>
> My old gardening encyclopedia made it sound like the Phal had to be kept
> in a veritable sauna ('keep the benches and walkways wet' - as if it
> could only survive in a dedicated greenhouse). I'm glad to hear that's
> not really true.
That's definitely not true, although I'm sure that they thrive quite nicely in a
cooler portion of a greenhouse (after all, that's how they get to us, eh Rod?)
>
>
> I've also seen recomendations to keep the pot on a humidity tray - a bed
> of gravel filled with water almost to the top. I'm skeptical that htis
> is really going to increase the humidity for the plant in a meaningful
> way since the ventilation is good.
Well, the verdict is out on that. But it's agreed that a grouping of plants on a
pebble tray definitely will increase the humidity level. I just don't think you
have that much to worry about with Phals when it comes to humidity levels. *Too*
much humidity could cause rot, especially when combined with overwatering. Better
that you have good ventilation (which means besides getting fresh air to your
plants, it will help you in drying out the pot quicker.) Just make sure that they
aren't getting the "good ventilation" from an air conditioning or heating vent.
That's bad!
Phals are pretty hardy. Just don't fuss over them too much and you'll be fine.
That's the problem I've got with one of mine. I got a shrivelled leaf out of the
top and I'm worried to death about it. I'm sure I'm not doing it any good. I'm
trying to be more blasé about it but it's hard. I'm sure I've got a long haul
ahead...and then there's the catt that I almost killed 2 years ago. Left it outside
by accident during a photo session. I brought all of the others in but forgot it.
We had a mild frost and the plant was severly damaged. I was sick! But I actually
got a single bloom during the last blooming period! It looks really weird because
many of the pseudobulbs have virtually no leaves but I only lost 2 of them outright
and the tallest one has stayed firm but yellowing for almost 2 years (it looks
*really* weird because all that's left of the top is a small arrowhead of the top
leaf, which was all I was able to save) and is throwing out a new growth that is
almost to the sheathing stage. I've noticed another new growth in the past few
months. It may be several years before I get any significant blooming but if you
saw the mushy nature of the leaves after that frost, you'd be amazed.
dave
Alynne7725
>stand without comment.
heh--figured he'd come to his senses after a while....<G>
Alynne7725
>you
>have a greater margin for error.
>
outdoors in very warm temps, lots of air movement, and lava rock potting
medium. I water frequently and it works well, for me.
phals dont like to dry out too much--nor be sopping wet. medium that lets air
in and has good drainage, but will retain some moisture is what is needed.
then, watering schedule according to how fast the medium drys out.
Michael
FYI, sauna is dry heat.
I have been keeping my Phal (my first) on the gravel bed as recommended
and it seems to be doing very well. I have not tried it without it. I
am very near the ocean in SoCal and I water about once per week - 8
days.
Michael
Torrance,CA
care...@earthling.net wrote:
> My old gardening encyclopedia made it sound like the Phal had to be
kept
> in a veritable sauna ('keep the benches and walkways wet' - as if it
> could only survive in a dedicated greenhouse). I'm glad to hear
that's
> not really true.
>
> I've also seen recomendations to keep the pot on a humidity tray - a
bed
> of gravel filled with water almost to the top. I'm skeptical that
htis
> is really going to increase the humidity for the plant in a
meaningful
> way since the ventilation is good.
>
> Carey
>
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---
dave weil
Alynne7725 wrote:
Yeah, it was a big ice cream cone to the forehead <g>.
However, I never would have known the difference if someone hadn't mentioned it,
so for that, many thanks!
I'm still not sure what objection TL had to the rest of it.
dave
Jim H
water dipper nearby? You take the dipper full of water and pour it over the
hot rocks = Mucho wet heat. Keep doing that and you'll look like a lobster
and run out looking for the nearest snow bank just like the Scandinavians.
BTW you can endure much higher temperatures with dry heat.
Jim H
Michael <micha...@my-dejanews.com> wrote in message
news:7hum0s$6h9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
TL S WILSO
<dwe...@mindspring.com> writes:
>I'm still not sure what objection TL had to the rest of it.
>
>dave
No objection really. That's why I didn't try to correct it. I just included the
rest to see if anyone had a differing opinion. It would appear not. TL
TL S WILSO
>just
>some of them? I'm curious.
>
>I misspoke about the coloring of the leaves though. I'm pretty sure that I
>got
>confused <g>. Of course, the leaves get darker with *under*exposure to the
>sun,
>which is counterintuitive. I guess I was just out in the sun too much that
>day
><g>.
>
>D'oh!
>
>Thanks for catching that. I don't know how I let that go. Did you have a
>problem
>with the rest of it?
OK let me look and remember why I included what I did:
In article <37422090...@mindspring.com>, dave weil
<dwe...@mindspring.com> writes:
>As to the yellowing from too much sun, more often you find that the leaves
>> >will get to be a *deeper* green from overexposure to sun. This is
>different
>> >than most plants. Phals in particular should display leaves that aren't
>> >deep green. They should be a lighter shade of green, paler than you might
>> >think. If they get a real deep shade of "healthy" green, then they're
>> >getting too much light. This is a hard concept for many beginners...
>> >
That part we have already agreed on.
>> . I've heard that they don't like water collecting down the middle of
>> >the plant but I don't know this to be true.
I just worried about leaving it as if it might be OK to let water collect in
the middle. It could cause trouble for new growers who don't know of the danger
of crown rot.
You SHOULD NOT mist the
>> >blooms. It probably won't hurt them to get a little water on them but
>I've
>> >read that you shouldn't directly mist them. Remember, when they're
>> >blooming, they don't need a lot of care. Light isn't all that important
>> >during blooming (which is also a hard concept for the beginner to grasp)
>and
>> >if anything, you should water *less*, not more.
I tend to do things that way too. I was just fishing for other opinions on
these points.
>> The best way to decide when to water is to look at the
>> >surface of the mix. You'll be able to see it lighten in color as it
>dries.
I don't think the color of the mix is the best way to tell when to water,
though it is one clue. As the mix ages a bit and holds water longer, continuing
to water every time the surface looks dry may be leaving the center of the pot
way too wet.
I'm not trying to be nit picky here. You asked what I objected to, so now you
know what I was thinking. I would have never posted a response in the first
place except for the part with the error about light levels and leaf color. I
just hated to have a beginner read that and do the wrong thing based on the
leaf color of his plants.
Steve
in the Adirondacks of northern NY
dave weil
off-base. Afterall, I wouldn't have thought to go back and re-read my original
post and catch the obvious error (I *still* don't know what in the hell I was
smoking that day <g>)
I did respond to a couple of points below.
TL S WILSO wrote:
Yeah, I didn't mean that you can't let water get in there but that I was trying to
emphasize the word "collecting." More accurately, I think I should have said that
you should attempt to mostly water generally around the edge of the pot instead of
directing a stream of water right over the top of the plant every time you water.
>
>
> You SHOULD NOT mist the
> >> >blooms. It probably won't hurt them to get a little water on them but
> >I've
> >> >read that you shouldn't directly mist them. Remember, when they're
> >> >blooming, they don't need a lot of care. Light isn't all that important
> >> >during blooming (which is also a hard concept for the beginner to grasp)
> >and
> >> >if anything, you should water *less*, not more.
>
> I tend to do things that way too. I was just fishing for other opinions on
> these points.
>
> >> The best way to decide when to water is to look at the
> >> >surface of the mix. You'll be able to see it lighten in color as it
> >dries.
>
> I don't think the color of the mix is the best way to tell when to water,
> though it is one clue. As the mix ages a bit and holds water longer, continuing
> to water every time the surface looks dry may be leaving the center of the pot
> way too wet.
Actually I shouldn't have said "the best way." The best way is a combination of
visual and picking up the pot for weight. But I'd argue that if a beginner gets a
plant, most of the time, the plant will be "freshly" potted and won't need
repotting for at least a year if not longer (there are exceptions of course.) In
that time, he or she will have a year of watering under the belt and hopefully will
pick up on the visual changes. It's one of those things that you just have to
learn as you go...very difficult to describe.