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vwhippiechick

Quick Question on Common Orchid

vwhippiechick
9 years ago

Bought this orchid at Lowes for $5. It had 5 blooms initially but they died out one by one. Now however it has rebloomed. It has a few more buds and I can see two more stems starting lower on the primary stem. The instructions said to water every 10 days and fertilize once a month. I have followed this for a couple of months now. However I think I may have overwatered the last time (12/15). Should I do anything to help it dry out or just wait it out? How much water should I give it each time? The pot is 5" in diameter and 5" tall. I am so pleased that it has done this well. I do not have a green thumb. Thanks for the help.

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Comments (6)

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    When you water your Phalaenopsis, you should give it a good water, not wimpy sips, then you should let it dry out a bit before you water it again.
    How long between watering intervals? depends where you are in the USA. The mix in the pot and the growing conditions where you have the plant and the time of year.
    Give the readers here more information.

  • emg1953
    9 years ago

    Does the pot have holes to let the water drain out. This is very important with phal. If the roots stay too wet they will rot. I put my orchids in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes then let the water drain out once a week. I also add just a little bit of fertilizer. Also what medium is it growing in? I have mine in an orchid bark mix. I always repot when I buy an orchid so I can check out the roots.

  • vwhippiechick
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, the pot has holes. Not sure what the medium is . . . I am afraid to do too much with it as I don't want to upset it :-) I have been watering at 10 day intervals as the instructions advised. Not sure what is meant by growing conditions as the plant is inside. It is winter time here in KY.
    Thank you for the responses!

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Growing conditions = Temperatures, humidity, air movement, amount of sunlight, potting mixtures, size of pot and so on.
    Just posting without saying where you in the USA make it difficult for other people to give you a good reply.

    Time of year??? I do tell people that because it is summer here, but a watering interval of 10 days might be fine there in winter, but come summer you might have to water more frequently.

  • vwhippiechick
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    We keep our home between 62-68 degrees. The plant is in the kitchen, not in direct sunlight but there is a skylight in that room so plenty of indirect light. Not sure of humidity. The back door is near the plant's location so some air movement. I was worried about drafts of cold air but this has not seemed to be a problem. The pot is 5" in diameter and 5" tall.

  • jane__ny
    9 years ago

    The plant looks okay. You could slip the plant out of the pot and take a look at the roots to see if they are green. If they appear to be rotting, you might have to repot although this is not a good time to do that.

    Just hold back on watering until the mix is almost dry to the touch. Do not overwater, the roots will rot. These plants grow attached to the sides of trees. Their roots do not grow in soil. So you need to learn the fine balance between watering and soaking. Soaking is bad. The roots need air as if they were hanging on a tree.

    Jane

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