# Paphs/Phrags: When to Water, When to Fertilize



## NeoNJ (Dec 1, 2011)

Is it assumed that watering weekly is the protocol? Just checking. 
This time of year, especially with my Phrags, I tend to always make sure
they are "wet". I've read that leaf tip burn is a result of ensuring that there are no dry periods (and not a result of to much fertilizer).

It's the "Fertilizer" issue that is my concern with my Phrags. Do I fertilize weakly-weekly, or fertilize 1x per month?


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## eOrchids (Dec 2, 2011)

I water once a week throughout the year.

Between Spring to Fall, I fertilize twice a month. During Winter, I fertilize once a month.


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## Ray (Dec 2, 2011)

I find that if I flush frequently and thoroughly, they thrive.

I don't know the exact TDS, but using MSU RO at 125 ppm N, it's somewhere in the 750-850 ppm, and even at that, the phrags are good.


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## Erythrone (Dec 2, 2011)

Water: weekly for most of my Phrags. Every 2 to 3 days for Phrags in small pots. This is the schedule for winter... and summer.... but in summer there is water in the saucer!

Actually I water when the mix begin to dry on the top in cooler months because I am afraid of rot. I water when the plant needs it. In fact that means weekly for most of my Phrags. And every 2 to 3 days for Phrags in small pots.

Fertilizer: every watering. 75 to 100 pmm N.


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## Shiva (Dec 2, 2011)

My potting medium is very porous and dries quickly, so I water every two to three days with water at about 20 ppm. Phrags klotztcheanum and kovachii are watered twice a day with pure water. The largest pots can go for a week. I used to fertilize weakly with every watering but I now fertilize every sunday with about a 100 ppm.


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## Rick (Dec 2, 2011)

Most of my phrags are in some kind of semi hydro like system that stays pretty much constantly wet. The others are in baskets which get watered just about every day.

Feeding for me is pretty much weekly (Sunday), but in winter I will skip on cloudy days and cut to maybe 1/2 of what I do in the summer. So its definitely less feeding in cooler cloudier times, but can't say exactly how much less.

I've found that the leaf tip burn is more closely linked to excess K and not dryness. If you are using straight RO water, try cutting it with some of your tap water to get some Ca/Mg back into the system.

I keep my paphs dryer, but thats a relative term also. In regular pots, they may get a heavy watering once a week, but usually get misted every day. I've moved a lot of my paphs into baskets which I can wet down pretty good every few days.


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## quaker (Feb 2, 2012)

My phrags are watered continualy by a drip method which they seem to enjoy. The beauty about this system is that you don't have to worry about stagnancy in the mix be it bark,sphagnum,rock or charcoal etc. I fertilize them just twice per year with blood and bone meal which they also seem to like. I think that you should try various methods and stick to the one that you find does best for you.

Ed


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## Marc (Feb 2, 2012)

I water when my plants need it, of course I don't do this on an individual basis but I know that my plants in small pots dry out faster then the ones in the big pots.

Also because I'm not able to control temperature as much as I would like it I tend to water less in the winter because my plants are in a a room were I'm glad when the temperature stays at 15C when it's freezing outside.


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## SlipperFan (Feb 2, 2012)

My Phrags are watered 2x a week in the cooler months, and at least that often when it's warmer. It gets pretty humid in the summer months, so I don't usually have to water them more than twice a week, unless it gets really hot in the greenhouse.


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