This maybe a basic question but a pat down answer eludes me.
How are you supposed to water orchids?
How often are you supposed to water?
I have in the past watered by dunking, pouring, used a pump sprayer, sprayed with spray bottle.
When I have mentioned spraying, I've been told No, when I said dunking I've been told it's to much, when I have poured it seems like it's not enough (bulbs shrivel mottling of leaves)
Now I think I have a pest problem and want to admin insectsidal soap but am afraid of over watering plant. It's a concentrate to add to water? I need help and don't want to lose collection have about 75 now

Tony, IF you have 75 orchids, you are doing a lot of things RIGHT! I think your main problem is not knowing what you are doing right and what you might be doing wrong. Is that correct?

Give me more information about your growing conditions and what you primarily grow. Include light, air movement, watering/fertilizing schedule, fertilizer dosage, potting media, pots or mounts, and temperature variations.....well just everything you can think of. What makes you think you have a pest problem?

Keep in mind that I am simply a hobbyist orchid grower and happen to have a (tiny) tropical plant business (to keep me occupied when I retired three years ago). Thus, you will get information from a non-expert here (from me, not ATP). I feel quite sure you could ask a dozen of us here the same questions and would get a dozen different answers.

Hi Tony! I am also from San Joaquin County like you.

For me, I have learned to adjust my watering regimen for my orchids, and also depending on what type I am watering.
For example, during summer, with our soaring, incredulous triple digits, I can freely water my orchids outdoors, won't seem to get enough since it is just too terribly dry and humidity is so low.
During winter to spring, for those I do leave outdoors, I have to avoid giving them overhead watering, only watering they get is from Mother Nature and the foggy conditions we always have here in San Joaquin County. As it is, no rain from mid Dec to this January...really bothersome..Pretty much the ones I can safely leave outdoors are my cymbidiums and vanda coerulea. My zygopetalum and some of my dens are partly outdoors staying inside the growcamp. My Phals are always indoors year round, and during summer I dunk water them. During the colder months I allow greater intervals to watering them, and never allowing water to go into their crown. My Oncidiums are all indoors during late Fall to Spring. These ones get a bit more watering than the Phals. During summer time, I sometimes deliberately leave them in water for a day or two, since they cannot seem to have enough.

Consideration is the temperature when you do your watering. Now for that spraying of insecticidal soap, if you can schedule it early in the day, when temps at least hit 50 to 55 F and make sure there is good ventilation around, so your 'chids will have enough time to dry out before nightfall.

Good work, Tarev. Tony doesn't even need me.

Aww...thanks and you are so funny Ken! Of course your insight is needed here too.

Ok first I got in over my head.
Second had these all downstairs in hallway, dining room, office trying use the sun and flour. Fixtures in house, seemed ok then winter happened. Temps in house dropped and fluctuated a lot highest 80 to lowest 50. Phals, oncidium hybrids, dendros and catts. At first used tap which a high ph(8.4) with a lot of TDS.now using water from water mill express6.0 ph not sure of TDS supposed to be ROStarted with MSU fert in summer, then moved to bettergro bloom and reg. in sept of last year.follow instructions cut in half. Weakly weekly. I have since moved these into their own room with 2 2lamp flour, 2x4 4 lamp about 1' above Phal900lum, 8" above on vids 2800lum, Catt and dens 6" above 9k lums. Temps hover around 75day, 60% h and 50 nite85% h I get my medium from repotme(imperial mixes). during summer seemed very dry, but winter seems very wet was pouring water over medium, then used pump sprayer was told that wasn't good. spots started showing up now the pest. Only use plastic orchid pots with slits or holes some clear some not, or actual orchid ceramic pots, but was told not to pot in those directly anymored which I do not. I am using a 16 in osc fan on low in that room. Try to water 3 times a week but really only 2 now.
I did have more but the number had dwindled.

A point that might need stressing is that watering is different for different types of orchids, as Tarev mentioned. Vandas with no medium at all and their roots waving around in the air benefit from a good shower every day. If you did that to a Phal it would not appreciate it. Also orchids on mounts dry out much faster than those in pots or baskets, so need a douse or dunk more often.

Tarev and I disagree on the idea of misting Phal leaves, but I think the important point is to never let any water sit in the crown of the plant. I have mine potted or mounted on a slant so that the crowns drain, so I do mist all mine with a pump sprayer every day. In summer the spray has weak fertilizer in it, about 1/4 strength.

Certainly every orchid needs less water when the weather is cool, and some types go completely dormant so you need to not water them at all until new growth starts up. I have an assortment in our bathroom at the moment, and some are getting a good douse with the shower nozzle every day, while most of the others just get a light spray, and a good douse about once a week. I'm also fertilizing the indoor ones weekly, with the pump sprayer.

I appreciate the info and I too in san jauquin co. Want to join society here but always just miss meeting. I don't keep any outside right now but catts dens do in spraing summer under table umbrella with pastic drapped uto ground. It's kinda hard to keep up them like that as I am constructing worker, wife does. Wh I'm home or not during that time we use hose mist all the way to about 4pm rest stay inside but it get to be 90 or so. I don't like using Ac on rare occasion I do maybe 2 to 5 times. I came from pleasanton and this will be 2nd summer in valley and I have experience in valley, grew up in Sacto. Sorry about grammar but I have no comp and do everything by iPhone and spell check can get in way. But I need all he info I can get.here is another pic of my bollo, and zygo of why I think is brown sot but not sure

Go for it Tarev and Elaine. I know so little about pests, and I know I should know a lot more, I will have to let someone else chime in on those pictures.

Remember what I said, Tony. Ask a dozen for advice and you will get a dozen answers about THE SAME QUESTION. We all have our "beliefs" and we all have our experiences. But we all grow in so many different conditions/environments, that one answer simply doesn't fit all occasions. My experience only fits my conditions and environment, Tarev's is different, and certainly, Elaine, who lives in a sub-tropical region, will be different. You and Tarev have similar conditions (I think).

I am going to step back and let others comment. I grow a awful lot of orchids, and grow about the same range as you do, Tony. Cattleya alliance is what I grow most of though. But my experiences and conditions are different. I will chime in IF I think it will benefit you.

Thank you chime in when ever. I do know different genus require different water schedules and try to as needed. I have none mounted. And aware the of Noble rest period. Now the pest being indoor plants not sure where they came from, just hoping there beneficial but according to picks could have a couple different kinds. I also hope they are the cause of the markings. 1 last thing I no longer water overhead if pump sprayed I just do media around in circle till it comes out of bottom then move on

Tony, I seem to do so many things that many orchid grower find concern with. As I said, like you, I grow those genera and many more. I only have 600+ orchid plants. I simply don't pick and choose a growing condition for a select few. I have to grow them all. I guess, perhaps simply by luck, when one grows as many plants as I do, there comes a time that by simple observation, I know what the plants need. That may be oversimplification, I don't really know. People agonize over watering overhead. People agonize about temperature variation. People agnonize over fertilization, people agnonize - well they agonize over everything! I guess I am a simple man with a simple plan. I guess I supply the "average" of what orchids need. I am sure that there are orchids that won't do well in my environment and in my growing conditions. If you take the time to ready some of the history and academic literature concerning orchids, you would wonder how anyone, anywhere, can grow them. Take at look at the most recent AOS magazine and read the article on Madagascar orchids. Can anyone grow these very specific orchids? I do. I must be incredibly lucky!

As I said, there are probably others than can give you better advice than I.

Do you think @JRsbugs could identify the pest in the photos?

I am not so good with pests either...but I did read in another forum where they suggest using Bayer 3 in 1 insect disease and mite control. Either that or change the media altogether of the affected plant, since sometimes there are just too many eggs already.

Tony, you certainly have more orchids in your collection than I do. I only have a few, since it is just too hard to keep the humidity up in our dry area here. I do not use any special lighting on my orchids either, just the south facing window during winter for those plants I do bring indoors. What I do make sure, especially when it is winter time and the orchids are indoors, is to run our ceiling fans after I do my watering, just for about 5 to 10 minutes, and the plants seems to like it that way. But definitely interval in watering is bigger, like once every 1.5 weeks. And I know the orchids are okay even longer without water as long as the temps are cool. Have left them one time for 3 weeks, and all is still well. It is really more critical I think during our warm and hot days especially when it is starting to hit the mid to high 90's. The plants are just getting too stressed with the dismal humidity. When it is time to bring them out, they are in my growcamp beside a fountain, so that is their additional source of humidity, as little as they can get from the cross breeze that comes through. Then watering resumes with more frequency, like twice a week, since the plants are finally ready to give it a go and enjoy the warm conditions again. During intensely hot days, I may have to do it a little more often, sometimes even twice a day.

Oncidium alliance orchids are notorious in getting spots on their leaves and getting very wrinkly pbs and leaves. That's why these ones gets more watering attention from me. Real water hogs, hard to drown. I am not successful with cattleyas..I think Ken has more experience with them.

I have no problems using ceramic, clay, wood or fabric containers..what is important, these containers must have drainage, and media is appropriate to the type of orchid I am using it for. Chunkier media for Phals; smaller bits for Onc and Zygos. Smaller containers with chunky media for Dens. I have been experimenting with hygrolon, clay rocks and lava rock with my Phals, and so far they are doing well with it. Just got to give Phals more aeration at the root zone. Watering habits got to be adjusted as seasons change.

Alright I understand what you are saying about watering. I know last summer dens catts got it everyday because of heat. Unfortunately these have to sit on table over a red brick patio. Once I took temp at this table at 7am it was already 90 degrees. I have done a little research on the species of said multiple genus. I have gotten great advice about media. I now kinda wish I had started in winter so I kinda had an idea of what to suspect. I only started this mad hatter experiment last year right around now with a NOID Miltassia Charles Fitch look alike. I did have problem with fungus gnats for short time as well midges. That was crazy but got hold of that fairly quickly lik month and half. I will tell you I have used most all of what's available to me short of the heavy hitters ie.. Captan, straight pyrenthines, draconian so on. I understand we are not trying to chemically grow our orchids want to try and be as natural as possible. I am a member of Orchidboard, and FirstRays forums and have asked them in my pest situation. The feelers are out just kinda in limbo at moment. My main concern for my chids is I don't want to upset the natural balance Mother N has put in place. If these are beneficial then I don't want to strip my plants of these beings. Someone here mentioned @jrsbugs. I think once I figure out what these are It will guide me theough the next door. Is there an entomologist within this forum that anyone may know of? If not how would I get a hold of this jr person. My media is made up of chunky pieces, I use a very high quality substrate that really isn't cheap. All my chids are in this (Imperial Mixes by Repotme) and were potted as soon as blooms dropped last year. Well I look forward to any info given by any member of any forum I am part of. Just for info I do follow strict sterilization procedures. I must go. I plan soil drenching with neem and insectsidal soap tomorrow morning around 4 am. You'll have a good night and I will keep you abreast of situation. Here are some of my pics from before this happening.

The bugs are a mite which tend to appear when moisture and temperature conditions are suitable for them. They can feed on many things, mould seems to be a favourite.

Look at Tyrophagus putrescentiae ..

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Japanese translated ..

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It's quite possible there are dead aphids or other small insects which are collecting mould that they are feeding on.

Thank you so much for the article JR, also I am most appreciative of the additional statement about what they were eating cause there is some mold growing I have noticed. Now with that could these be feeding off rot of some kind, like root, stem, or bacterial. That would explain a lot. Well I guess I need to add some thing for mold in this mornings treatment. It also explains why they aren't on the plants them selves . Thank you so very much. Hope you day is a bright one.

I have never used any kind of insecticide ON my orchids, natural or synthetic. I have seen numerous posts over the years stating that the Bayer 3 in 1 is a great insecticide to use. I do have numerous bright-yellow, sticky, pest strips in my greenhouses though. They sure do catch a lot of tiny flyers. Also, as a preventative, I will use a Black Flag insect fogger in the greenhouses in early fall, just when I begin to fill the greenhouses with plants. IF I see flying insects in the winter or early spring, things that we call gnats, I will fog again. There are numerous foggers available at the big box stores. Other than Physan 20, that's the only chemical as I use.

I don't really know why, but occasionally I will have a Phal. get mealy bugs. I have never seen these pests on any other orchids. I simply dab the insects with alcohol on a Q-tip and then re-do it a few days later. That works for me.

Has anyone used the 3 in 1 as a sink-filled solution, submerging the pots up to their rims, and holding/leaving the pots there for a few minutes? That would certainly thoroughly wet all the media and all the roots in the media. If you do this, would you run clear water through the media to flush out the insecticide or does the insecticide need to stay for residual effectiveness? As I said, I have no experience in 3 in 1 usage.

You're welcome Tony. I hope the mould isn't from rot, you have some interesting set-ups for your orchids!

Tony, I trim dead roots off my orchid plants every time I re-pot. It takes time but I think those roots are simply a source for problems, since they absorb water like a sponge and just remain a sodden mass of dead tissue.

Thank you both for the reply,
Yes I have heard that done with the 3 in1 as well as some of the other insecticides. To my understanding there is no rinse procedure expect for the leach once a month. Dr dawg when I got into orchids I was turned on to an all natural fungus gnat product and like it and still use it for that purpose and that a infused cinnamon water with rubbing alcohol with a little chunk of mosquito dunk in it. The cinnamon prolly as you to ward bacteria and fungus off, rubbing alcohol to dislodge or kill pests on leaves, and the dunks have that bacticillus t. In which that bacteria or whatever. The larvae of fungus gnat larvae eat the BT and it makes not want to eat anymore, so they starve. I bought the first few bottles then started making my own( warning making your comes out way darker so spraying on light colored flowers I don't recommend even though it's safe) my plants seemed to love it. I would sprinkle a sm amount of mosquito bits larvae of gnats would chew on that. But I kept media to moist and they would grow mold. That ws before I repotted. Enough of that I am Not trying to be a sales man.
As far as plants, yeah being my first wet winter(you know rain a little bit ago), cooler temps than normal, plus moving from downstairs to that bedroom humidity is up between 60 and 80 reg, couple with my not so good regimine. Yeah that's rot I dumped a couple more yesterday really bad. One of the Onc new bulbs fell over smelled pretty bad, plus a Phal that had stem rot last leaf fell. When they were downstairs I had15 to 20 % hum I and got just a couple to spike and bloom bit that was it then I got humidity trays with no change. Plus I have dogs that I keep inside with all wood floorsthey have four left feet lol. So yeah I do have some rot trying to get hold of it now. Contemplating even trying to treat except for Azamax cause of the wetness.
JR are referring to the Paph. If it was I also was trying my hand at arranging, when it came time to repot I put it in a cork tube with some Sm tillidansias mounted to plus the moss, that the only mounting I have done. Was going to pot straight in but it was recommended to put plastic pot inside of tube. I love that Paph want to spike it again but with double flower thought it might need a rest. But thank you I thank both of you for your help again
Here's a couple more