While I would love to comment, I am going to refrain and let somebody who doesn't wick water respond.

As an aside note, I would highly encourage you to at least look into wick watering. In my opinion, this type of watering is the easiest way to avoid a good many of the pitfalls that both beginners and experienced growers face daily. Excess water and fertilyzer are two of the biggest killers of AV's. Wicking is a good way to more accurately control both of these factors.

If after you have looked at it thoroughly and still decide you want to go conventional, no problem, a good many people here are doing that too.

Good luck and enjoy!

I, typically, wait a few months or so.

But, then again, I usually am using a pre-fertilized soil mix.

My mix nowadays is: 1/4 cup of worm castings to a gallon of 50/50 soil and perlite. The soil is MG soil, so it's pre-fertilized. Once my leaves root in their vermiculite, I put them into this soil. I give plain water until babies first appear.

When the babies have 2 or 3 sets of leaves, but are still too small to remove, I give them weak fertilizer. Sometimes Jack's Classic orchid food (9-7-6 I think), sometimes I use the same stuff I use for the adults.

Before I knew any better, I used to give babies the package-directed dose, and never lost anyone. Just had slow growth for months and didn't know what was up. So--you should be just fine if you feed them every other week or so.

Also--welcome to the world of AVs!! Have fun being totally addicted! Before I forget, if you don't want to wick, I use a dollar store turkey baster to water mine.

As a general rule, weak weekly. And every third watering, let flow through for salt buildup removal.

Ok, if that needs translation, I use about 1/2 strength fertilizer and apply when I think of it, if not every other watering.

Thanks for all the great info. Love the turkey baster idea.