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Roger Tonkin[_2_] · 07-04-2016, 11:54 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In article ,
says...

"Roger Tonkin" wrote

I was wondering about that, what had I done wrong.

The plant is in a cold north facing bedroom, only heated if we
have family to stay. It is on a table near a window but not
close enough to touch it. We have had a water problem in a
corner of that room, in January with all the rain, but not near
the plant. Given the speed with which it has taken hold, I
don't think it originated in January. I water from the bottom
first thing in the morning, so I don't think it is me!

I have severed the offend leaves close to the plant, where they
look quite healthy, so just keeping my fingers crossed.

I water my orchids, except for the large standard Cymbidiums, by placing the
pots in a bucket of pot deep water, with fertiliser 3 out of 4 waterings,
and leaving them there for at least half an hour to soak. I then drain them
off thoroughly and place them back on their windowsills. I do this about
once a week, slightly more often in summer, slightly less in winter.
The growers use a flooding/draining system to their benches when they grow
orchids so my system is similar.

I have a little pot (it was a decorators pot for decanting
paint) that is just a bit bigger than the pots the plants are
in. I bring the pot full of rainwater in overnight and water by
standing the pots in for roughly half and hour first thing in
the morning.

Frequency is far less than you suggest, usually 2 weekly in
summer and monthly in winter. I look at the roots in the see
through pots, and if all that I can see are greyish green I
water, if they have distinct green on them, I don't!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales