Indoor Orchid Watering?

[Germinatorman]

I use a turkey baster and a gallon bucket. The mounted plants get a weekly soak in a plastic 'under the bed' type bin. Also, daily the mounted plants get a healthy spritz from a spray bottle - straight RO water until the media is soaked.
I am dealing with about 250 plants, about 30 of them are mounted.
Playing around a little with semi-hydroponics, would love to switch the Catts. and other larger plants over if my experimenting works out.

[rapidan]

Very impressive Eric! Good idea

[PBaez]

Eric,

I really like the container method. I am just beginning and have an even dozen of various genera. I flush once a month and water weekly -- usually Saturday and then fertilize Sunday. Having "only" a dozen it's easy to keep this schedule. When I flush the water sensitive ones with distilled water, I reuse the water that is drained with the others.

[Germinatorman]

I would be very careful regarding using drained water on other plants. For one thing, when you water you are leaching salts out of the pot and into the drained water. You water your other plants with that you are giving them more than you intended. Also, you can transfer insect eggs in drained water. Also, it is possible that you might transfer fungus and bacteria spores as well as virus through that water. I would not chance it.

[rapidan]

250 plants sounds like a job Don lol, How often do you water your non mounted plants?

[Germinatorman]

Everyone gets a big drink on the weekend and during the week I water the water lovers a second time. In the summer it is almost every day for everyone hanging from the pergola. That is with a hose - what a piece of cake that is after spending the winter squirting a turkey baster. It does, however, help you develop a great grip!!!

[cindiras]

With my semi-hydro catts, once a month they go into a five gallon bucket of water to soak the pellets for 10 or 15 minutes, then drained except for the reservoir area. During the month between soaks, I top up the reservoirs with water, fertilizing with time release pellets every three months.

[Germinatorman]

I never thought of soaking the pellets in the semi-hydros. I think I am going to try that. I am guessing that is pure water, no additives. Kinda like leaching bark or moss.

[smwboxer]

My 10 or mounts go to the shower every afternoon after work (except those in bloom) and get a good 10 minute soaking. All other plants get a good flushing and feeding in the kitchen sink over the weekend and some of the smaller guys get a mid-week drenching as well. Have about 100 plants.

[cindiras]

Germinatorman- I have a dehumidifier running in my basement during the summer and catch rain water to soak hydroton pellots, but in the winter months, they get tap water that sets out overnight to de-chlorinate before using.