I finally stopped overwatering my orchids after 3 years of guesswork

I used to water my Phalaenopsis every 3 days without fail, thinking they needed constant moisture. Then I killed a $40 orchid from Trader Joe's last spring and a friend told me to check the roots instead of sticking to a schedule. Now I only water when the pot feels light and the roots look silvery, maybe once every 10 days. Has anyone else had better luck with a moisture meter or just sticking to finger tests?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel_young20d agoTop Commenter

Got a moisture meter. Thing sits in the drawer now. Finger test works fine. You ever check the roots through a clear pot?

wendy_bell8320d ago

Oh man, the finger test is just the classic, right? I mean, I can't trust a gadget over my own hand, idk. And clear pots, yes! I started doing that after I got a sad little succulent that was clearly drowning because I couldn't see what was going on. Now I've got like six clear nursery pots sitting inside cute cache pots, just so I can peek at the roots whenever I feel like it. It's kind of addictive honestly, like checking in on a little underground world every time I water.