Round or square should not matter for how often you water. Size and material of the pot matters much more. Big pots dry out slower, as do plastic and other non-porous material ones compared to unglazed clay. The mix you use has an even bigger effect. The environment matters, too (dry/humid, cold/warm, windy/not).

Generally, I think if you find a week after a thorough watering the medium is still generously wet, then that's a problem and one or more of the above factors need to change, so the roots dry out faster.

The square containers that I was asking about are plastic. If I remember correctly, GG prefers these containers. I was just asking her advice as to how she worked with the moisture problem.

I'm curious, too, about why a plastic orchid pot would be any different than any other plastic pot? Do you typically grow in clay? I grow almost all of my Hoyas in plastic, I just don't think I would call them "orchid pots." I know some orchid pots have side slits, or maybe you're talking about the opaque ones? I can see how clay dries out faster, if that's what you use. But I think GT is right - it's more about getting the right pot size with the right mix than the KIND of pot you use. Maybe GG will jump in here and elaborate, so we know what you mean. What do you typically use?

Denise in Omaha

Hi Susan,

You're right, I do prefer these pots, and nearly all my Hoyas are in them. It takes a week for them to dry out +/- a day depending on the season. They dry out fully and I have more of a problem getting them watered quickly enough, than them staying wet too long.

There is a small group in a different room, which receives only natural light and can take 1.5 weeks during overcast weather and winter. I haven't had problems with this group per say, but it really concerns me. I also think they should dry at a weekly pace. I intend to set up another artificially lit Hoya shelving unit for them - I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Even though they too only get natural light, the big plants dry out as fast as the well-lit little ones, and I think it's because they are more isolated (less humidity) and the aircone pots provide more air flow.

My medium is 1/3 perlite, 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 chunky bark. I also grow indoors and although my plants are grouped together to create micro-climates, I am growing indoors, in zone 5, and it's not a humid environment. (I see you're in zone 7, so you probably have some differences in your conditions.)

As far as the exact type of pot goes, Denise, I use the 3.5" pots like this

I don't know much about calling them orchid pots or otherwise, but I think orchid pots generally have more air flow one way or another. These little pots have lots of drainage holes and minuscule little feet that elevate them ever-so-slightly. I have some round plastic 4" pots that meet this criteria too and no one calls orchid pots, but they aren't really normative, either.

For bigger plants, I use the aircone pots. They're not cheap, but I appreciate them because the bamboo hoops fit in them comfortably, they are heavy duty, and much less tippy than round pots.

It is my experience that, if your Hoyas are getting sufficient sunlight to bloom, they will also be drying out fast enough in a plastic pot. I have my rigida in terra cotta pots so they can dry out fuller and faster and it is all I can do to keep them from dehydrating. I could never keep most Hoyas alive in this setup.

This post was edited by greedyghost on Mon, Jun 9, 14 at 12:33

Thanks, GG. I have a few grown in these pots. Everyone else is in clay. I do prefer clay, tho.

Yeah, well if it didn't work for you, you'd know it. I really think we must just have extremely different humidity.