Jennifer, the best thing I can tell you is to use the skewer method of watering orchids. This method works for any kind of medium. Get some shishkabob skewers from the grocery store. Trim them down and keep them in the pots. When you think the plant needs water take out the skewer and touch it to your cheek, lips, or the back of your hand. If it's wet, don't water. If it's nearly dry, water. How wet or dry the skewer is before the plant needs water will depend on the type of orchid. For phalaenopsis, they like to be watered and then approach dryness (but not completely) before being watered again. Cattleyas prefer to dry out.

If you decide to carry other types of orchids you will have to check the culture sheets to see what their watering needs are.

This is excellent advice. Bamboo skewers work best, I think.

I think one of the problems here, Jennifer, is that it's never all or nothing with orchids and that all growers have to adapt their habits based on the environment they can provide. You also have to remember that seasons change and so do your growing conditions.

The first grower you consulted had his orchids in a mix containing bark, which dries a lot faster than sphagnum moss (what your Florida orchids came in). The problem with bark, though, is that while the top of the medium may look bone dry, it's still quite wet in the center of the pot.

The second grower you consulted was likely correct that you were overwatering your orchids. However, not watering your orchids at all while they are in bloom will reduce the longevity of the flowers. It also puts stress on the plant, which is not always a bad thing. Odds are, however, that the flowers will not be as numerous or large.

What it comes down to is that growing orchids well is the result of getting a bunch of interrelated factors right, starting with the light. An Eastern window works well, but may sometimes require a bit of a boost (think long, dark days of winter - a lamp with a compact fluorescent bulb works absolute wonders). Phalaenopsis like warmer conditions, about what we like in our houses. You then have to adapt your watering based on those - higher light and warmer temperatures = a plant in active growth which uses more water = more frequent waterings. The inverse is also true - less light and cooler days = plant in dormancy and using less water = less frequent waterings. Phal also have a tendency to focus their energies on one thing - blooming or vegetative growth (roots and leaves). So it is true that they will use less water when in bloom, but not to water for three months or more... In all cases, water your plant when the medium is barely even moist all the way through. The blond fluffy stuff becomes crunchy when dry, so it's really easy to tell when to water. The only caveat here is that some commercial growers pack the sphagnum in really tight, which smothers the roots. But if it's nice and fluffy, you should be fine. The skewer trick mentioned above can help you figure out about how often to water. I prefer the finger trick though - just stick your finger down a couple of inches along the side. Water when dry.

I hope that this helps. I'm also enclosing a link to some culture sheets produced by the Canadian Orchid Congress, which I find very useful for inside growers where there really is such a thing as winter.

Julie

Here is a link that might be useful: COC Culture Sheets

Hi Jennifer,

While I was slaving over editing my p's and q's, a couple of others have posted, so please forgive any duplication of information here.

The skewer method for testing is a good one. You can also stick your finger a good couple of inches down into the center of the media. If damp, don't water. If it is barely moist it is time to water. These methods will work for any orchid media.

The discrepancies among your customer's and nurseries' instructions are likely due to the fact that they are based on Their conditions, which may not duplicate Your conditions. These variables can make for confusion, but the moisture testing methods, above, should help.

It is not quite true that "orchids take very little water." It is true that Phalaenopsis (Phals) should not be watered until they need it, as above; however, when you water you should water Thoroughly, drenching the media (no water on the plant or crown) to wet the media completely. Then, it should be thoroughly drained, so that the pot is not left to stand in any water.

Two cautions, here:
1. Blooming plants tend to use water faster, so some vigilance is necessary to prevent unexpected drying out, which can result in progressive bloom wilt. Once a bloom wilts, it is not likely recoverable.

2. It has been my experience that, with blooming Phals, using water to which fertilizer has been added can cause some blossoms to drop; so I stop fertilizing once the first bloom opens. (For the short term in your shop there should be no need for you to fertilize, anyway.)

The fluffy blonde moss is probably New Zealand sphagnum moss, used by many Phal growers. If not too tightly packed, it allows air to get to the roots and dries gradually. The surface becomes crispy, first, so it is necessary to check beneath the top inch+ to see if it is really ready to water. You may want to check under the top inch of medium, anyway, to be sure that there is only sphagnum in the pot. Some growers use sphag + fir bark (or something else) for an open medium and top-dress with an inch (more or less) of sphag.

I have never used peat moss and bark (your first grower) for Phals, because peat (if you are talking about the fine stuff) would fill all the spaces and choke off air from the roots. In addition, it would be apt to keep the roots too wet for too long, encouraging root rot.

Time between waterings depends on all the variables (heat, light, stage of growth, medium, etc.). My unblooming immature Phal in pure sphag in a slotted plastic pot dries in 3 to 4 days. The mature, blooming one in sphag and fir bark (2 parts to 1 of bark) in unglazed terracotta takes 5 to 6 days. The other mature blooming in the same sphag and fir mix takes 7 to 8 days, because it is in a plastic lined basket with No drainage (have to water and dump out excess!). This info is just to try and give you an idea of the interval you might expect.

I hope this will help.

Sweetcicely

All the advice you've been given is good. My take on the seeming discrepancies in advice you got originally is that what it takes to keep an orchid barely alive and what it takes to grow it well aren't exactly the same.

Light and air matter, and are interrelated with watering. Growing thriving orchids is a matter of balance: More light and more air, more water. Less light and air, less water.

In a dim area, as in a store (yes, that's bright for seeing, but dim for growing), it is easy to overwater. Then comes root rot, followed by leaf wilting and flower drop.

In a bright area, such as a bright east window, the same amount of watering will keep the plant too dry and it won't thrive.

So there isn't a hard and fast "rule" that you can learn that will give you mastery of orchid growing. It takes a lot of figuring and time going by (and failures) to get things right. And it takes judgment of what's going on, signs a plant is thriving, etc.

Remember, you are interested in *selling* them, not growing them.

If I were you, I would stock orchids. But I would stock only enough so they sell out completely within two weeks. That way your customers are getting good plants and you aren't cheating them by selling them dying orchids.

Learn the major types of orchids that are suitable for home growing (Orchid Society webpages), so you can order and sell the easier ones. Print out the instruction sheets given by the Canadian Orchid Congress or American Orchid Society, and offer it to your customers.

Orchids that need high light are hard for novices to care for and rebloom in MO, so you may want to stock mostly lower light orchids. Fortunately, these are among the most popular types.

Stock some beginner orchid books as well (Check out the AOS website for the names of some.

That way, your customers get what they want (orchids), and you are conducting your business in an honorable way. And I guess you know you will be having terrific price competition from the box stores.

Good luck.

So have we completely confused you and left you quaking in your boots yet? ;-D

It really isn't that bad. Growing orchids is like growing any other plant or keeping a pet for that matter. In order to have a happy, healthy plant (or pet) you first have to learn about what its needs are & then figure out what you have to do to meet those needs.

As you've now learned, there are different medias that can be used, and each medium will affect how often watering is needed. (Though I must admit I'm rather bewildered by the woman who told you not to water a plant while in bloom. But then to each their own I guess.)

If the plants you get in are in plastic pots with sphag or coconut husk chunks, one advantage is that another indicator that it is time to water is the weight of the pot. If the pot is heavy, in all likelihood the media is still more than moist enough.

I would suggest that you make sure your supplier also includes a tag with the name of the orchid -- not just "Phalanopsis" but rather the complete clonal name (for example: Phal. Brother 'Calypso'). While some customers couldn't care less, you will likely get others to whom that matters -- especially if they are hobbists who enter plants in shows.

I think mehitabel's suggestion to stock one or two *inexpensive* orchid-growing books is bang-on. That way you can verbally give them a quick, reassuring overview, but then refer them to the books.

For starters, it would be more helpful to ask the question "How do I not kill this plant", rather than the question "How do I grow this plant?". This approach will save some grief in the beginning, and more informative reading can be done at leisure.

So, let's assume that you tell the buyer that while the orchid is blooming the plant can be placed in any location where it can be enjoyed, as long is it is not cold, drafty, directly exposed to forced heat or hot sun, and preferably not in a completely lightless spot. The only question remaining is watering.

If the orchid is potted in the blonde fluffy stuff (which is long-fibered sphagnum), you can use weight as a guideline. When it is dry on top and the pot feels light, water thoroughly with lukewarm water until the pot drains. If it is potted in bark, the wooden skewer method is pretty good. A finger also works really well. If the bark is dry an inch from the top, water the same way. Finally, a little too dry is better than a little too wet, particularly when the plant is being displayed outside of growing conditions.

That's it. Just trying to simplify for you. Hope it helps.

Book suggestions:

Ortho's All About Orchids; Orchids for Dummmies

J

Well! Thank you all! I have learned a lot. I will not sell anything in my store that I can not successfully grow myself. I do not just order a few and hope they sell quickly while they look healthy. I take home whatever does not sell - the mass majority of people will not buy an orchid that is not in bloom At home, I have been learning how to take care of them. Now I can see that my orchids at home are alive but not thriving. I have never fertilized them and I have never given them supplemental lighting on grey days AND they have gotten quite cold at their window many of wintery day.

What I would like to do in addition to getting some books, is printing out this post with all your wonderful answers to show my customers who are interested. Does anyone object to this?

Thank you!!!!!!!!

P.S. All the plants are labeled very precisely.

I don't see that anyone would object - this is after all a public forum. And I applaud your initiative and only wish that my local plant stores did the same, rather than bringing in a few NOIDs and letting them decline their way to the grave over a couple of weeks.

Julie

Let me ask some questions about fertlizing...

what kind of fertilizer do you recommend for phals?

And when do you fertilize? When in bloom? When dormant? And how frequently?

TIA!

In defense of your customer who said never to water when the plants are in bloom,....I've had blooms completely wilt within 12 hours of being watered. It goes against all logic. It happens most often with Phals, probably because Catts like to be a little dry. They may have been close to the end of their bloom life anyway, but it's a little disconcerting. I tend to mist the potting medium or water more lightly when the orchid is in bloom. Those that wilted quickly were watered thoroughly, because they seemed dry enough to need it. I sometimes wish for a little less mystery with my orchids! Avoid getting water on the bloom, if possible. Sherlene

counselor,

Asking about orchid fertilizer will get you TONS of answers. Quickly put, I love, love, love MSU fertilizer for all of my orchids, but have also used 20-20-20s and other assorted fertilizers. Dormant plants don't get fertilized (they're dormant, so won't use up the fertilizers, which will then end up being so much more mineral salts). I fertilize plants three out of four waterings. The fourth is a flush. This goes for all plants, except dormant ones.

Julie