Watering orchids should be learned because it is not so simple and obvious. Without water, some orchids wouldn't live long, though some, like Phalaenopsis, are truly drought tolerant. Orchids are exotic plants that should not be watered the same way as most other plants. There are a few rules to keep in mind when watering orchids. Seehow to water an orchidso that it grows he althy and blooms beautifully!
How to water an orchid so that it grows he althy and blooms beautifully?
What water should I water the orchid with?
When caring for orchids, it is worth knowing that water quality is very important for these plants. Tap water is too hard for many orchids, which is detrimental to them and causes unsightly spots on orchid leaves. Therefore,you shouldn't water your orchid with tap waterOrchid growers had to spend a lot of work on growing hybrids resistant to tap water. However, if we want to provide our slopes with really good water, it is worth collecting rainwater, because it is the most suitable for these plants. However, you should also be careful here that the rainwater for watering is not contaminated. Or,orchids can be wateredwith a mixture of distilled water and tap water. Mineral water is not suitable for orchids because it contains too much mineral s alt.
Orchid watering rules
Since orchids appeared on our window sills, a lot of books and articles have been written about watering these plants, and yet most of us still have problems with this treatment.It is no wonder because watering is still one of the most difficult orchid care treatments.
ItHow often you water your orchiddepends on many different factors, such as the type of substrate, how long it can hold moisture, and the size of the pot.
If too little water is supplied, it does not reach the lowest roots and the orchid will therefore wilt. The orchid rarely withers. You have to really try to dry this plant to death because orchids also absorb moisture from the environment. Weekly watering is a rule of thumb for a typical 12 cm pot. At the same time, after watering, wait until all the water has drained and only then put the plant back in its permanent place on the windowsill.
Advice!After watering the plants, always place the orchid in exactly the same place where it stood before and in the same arrangement of leaves against the light, because orchids react very badly to being moved.
Miniature orchids, growing in smaller pots, 8-9 cm in diameter, should be watered more often (up to 2 times a week) because they dry up much faster. Sometimes the smallest ones need to be watered even 3 times a week. On the other hand, orchids grow in large pots 14-16 cm in size. can be watered freely every 2 weeks. To sum up - the larger the orchid, the less frequent it is to water, and the smaller it is - the more often it needs to be done.
Note!Before watering, put off the tap water to be watered. It is best to leave the water overnight for all the chlorine to evaporate and for the water to come to room temperature.
It is worth remembering to water the entire pot evenly from all sides, not only on one side, because it may cause the plant to form roots only on the side on which it is watered. It's a good idea to dip the entire pot in water. However, with such watering, you need to be careful not to immerse a he althy orchid in the water in which we have just dipped the sick one, because it is easy to infect another plant.
After watering the orchidit is necessary to wait until the water has completely drained from the pot and only then put the orchid back in its place. The orchid often rots because you forget to properly drain the water from the pot. Therefore, draining is as important as watering itself.
Orchid sprinkling
Orchids placed on window sills do not need sprinkling because they only need the general air humidity in the room. Even if the air is slightly dry, it is better to place a container with water next to it than to sprinkle the plants.
There are also orchid species that absolutely need morning and evening sprinkling. Then there is no help and you need to spray them regularly.
Note!When sprinkling orchids, remember to spray the underside of the leaves because this is where the plant has stomata through which it absorbs moisture. Spraying the top side of the leaves won't do anything.
Sprinkling is also a good procedure if the plant has a sick or poorly developed root system, but then you need to sprinkle it several times a day.
Katarzyna Matuszak
