Watering Orchids

Watering Orchids - 6 Simple Rules of (Green) Thumb

Executive Summary about Watering Orchids by Anne Pinter

Watering orchids can be as simple as setting up a regular routine and testing and adjusting the environment in which they live. 

When watering orchids it is best to follow these 6 Rules of (Green) Thumb.

1) Watering Frequency. A suggested starting point is to water once a week in winter and maybe twice a week in summer (as they will tend to dry out quicker) but test this out for your particular situation.

2) Don't Over-Water It is better to under water than over water and you can easily judge this by placing your finger in the media to make sure it is drying out sufficiently between watering. 

3) Research your orchid. So make sure you know your particular orchid's requirements.

4) Pure Water When watering orchids it is best to use rainwater. 

5) Drainage Make sure you have a pot that allows good drainage. 

6) Orchid Media NEVER use soil. Check out your local garden center for a suitable media. 

The Orchidaceae is a huge family of plants so there will be exceptions to these rules. When buying an orchid, make sure you ask the watering requirements of the orchid.

Common Mistakes on Watering Orchids

Executive Summary about Watering Orchids by Diane Yu-Villanueva

Watering orchids may sound uncomplicated, but there are some tricks you should follow in order to make your plants thrive and bloom. 

Here are a few mistakes people do when watering orchids:

I water my orchid often because they are tropical plants. - In their habitat, they are exposed to drenching rains that may last hours or days, but many of them also adapt to a dry period with little rain fall for weeks.

I fill the orchid pot with water since it looks really dry all the time. - In many cases, the plant should completely dry between waterings.

I come home late at night and that's the time I could water my plant. Besides, there is not much sun so my plant can absorb all the water. - Watering at night is not recommended because it encourages the build-up of moisture rather than moisture absorption, which can then result in root rot. 

My orchid looks fine and doesn't need water. I'm assuming this because even though its roots are silvery white, it's okay because its leaves are still green. - Consider your orchid's roots as a water indicator. 

I've been told I cannot use tap water for my orchids, only rain water, or else - my orchid will die. - Nowadays, most people just use tap water, and this is fine. 

I don't use an automatic sprinkler because my orchid may be overwatered. - Many orchid keepers use this setting for their own orchid gardens.

The water in my home is softened by a water softener, but I am sure that this will not have an impact on my orchids. - If the softening was accomplished by an ion-exchange method there is no problem. However, if the water was softened using chemicals, you do not want to use it on your orchids.

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