RYERSON EXPANS IBLE ORCHID FOLDER Page He 
LET'S TALK ABOUT WATERING CATTLEYAS 
"How often shall I water my orchids?" is the $64 question asked more often than 
all others combined. Also it is the most difficult to answer. 
“Vnenever your plants need water," is the only truthful answer, but not very 
helpful if you can't tell by looking at your plants when they need water. Since 
i can't see your plants and the conditions in which they are growing, the best I 
can do is offer a few hints. 
First of all, consider the stage in the growing cycle. (See Page G.) If you 
treat all plants alike, regardless of cycle stage, some will be too wet; others 
too dry» The following "signs" apply principally to plants in the middle stage, 
i.e€., growing vigorously. They should be somewhat dryer in the first and final 
stages, as explained on Page G. 
The following suggestions should help you judge - before the plants themselves 
begin to suffer - whether or not you are applying sufficient water. 
NOTE COLOR OF POT. If the outside of the pot looks bright red; feels warm and 
dry to the touch, the plant probably needs water. If the pot is darker red; 
feels cool and slightly damp, there is still plenty of moisture in the osmunda. 
WEIGHT OF POT. A Seinch pot, packed with osmund3, will pick up a full pound of 
water when soaking wet. A little practice in lifting the pots will show you 
how wet or dry they are, deep down in the osmunda where you can't see or feel. 
WATCH THE POTS AFTER SPRAYING. How fast does the pot dry off after you have 
sprayed the outside of it? If it drys immediately, the plant probably needs more 
water. If it stays moist several minutes, there is still moisture in the osmunda. 
SAMPLE MOISTURE POT. Put crock and osmunda in 4 pot about the same size as those 
holding the plants you fear you are not watering correctly. Pack the osmunda the 
same consistency as you use in potting plants; only omit the plant. Water the 
SAMPLE POT every time, and exactly the same, as you do the plants. Then, when- 
ever you feel sure your plants need a good heavy watering, pull the osmunda out 
of the sample pot and examine it. If it's still pretty moist, play it safe and 
don't do any soaking that day. OVER-watering does a lot more damage than UNDER- 
watering. 
WATCH THE SURFACE OF THE OSMUNDA. Under normal conditions, it drys out quite 
rapidly while the deeper portions may still be plenty moist. So the above hints 
are more dependable in telling you that your plant needs water. But often the 
surface of the osmunda will tell you the plants have been OVER-watered, or that 
the drainage is poor. Press your thumb down on the osmunda, If it feels slimy 
and almost "squishy" to the touch, and there is fuzzy white mold growing on it, 
examine the drainage hole and un-plug it if stopped. Then put the plant where it 
can dry out. It may take it a couple of weeks. 
WATCH THE NEW LEADS. If water is allowed to stand in the “oup" formed at the top 
of new leads any length of time - particularly overnight - BLACK rot is inevitable. 
Once that disaster happens, all you can do is cut it off, costing you a season's 
blooms. 
