Very often, owners of blooming orchids wonder why the plant stops blooming, looks sick and dies. The thing is that orchids are more demanding and capricious in care than indoor plants familiar to everyone. They are especially whimsical in nutrition, so in order for the beauties of orchids to please the eye with lush flowers, you need to know a few simple rules for watering these plants.
How often should an orchid be watered
This question does not have an unambiguous answer, since the watering of this tropical plant is influenced by the air temperature in the room, and the humidity, and the season, depending on which the flower needs more or less moisture, and the composition of the substrate, and even the size of the pot. One thing for sure is that it is better to water the orchid rarely, but abundantly. The roots of the plant should not be constantly in a humid environment; from excessive watering, they will begin to rot and the plant will die.
Considering that in the natural environment orchids exist comfortably and bloom, clinging to the roots of the bark of trees, and torrential rains alternating with hot, dry weather are the ideal environment for them, you need to try to bring their indoor existence closer to the usual. For example, improper watering is a common mistake among orchid lovers. Orchids should not be watered frequently. The potting medium must be completely dry. If the substrate does not dry for several days, it must be replaced with a larger one so that the roots are better ventilated.
How to know when to water your orchid
In order for a tropical plant to feel comfortable in a room environment, you need to learn how to correctly and timely recognize the condition of the soil. There are several signs for this:
- if the pot seems heavy for several days, then the substrate is damp and watering is not required;
- if you rake the contents of the pot with your finger, you can feel the moisture in the soil and determine the need for watering;
- a wooden toothpick stuck into the substrate truly signals the need for watering - if the stick removed from the soil is dry, then the orchid needs to be watered;
- the fact that the plant needs watering is indicated by the color of the substrate and the roots of the orchid - the wet substrate is always darker than the dry one, and the dry roots of the orchid become not green, but light gray.
Perfect watering for orchids
All orchids love watering by lowering the pot into a bowl of water. Such "baths" moisturize the substrate well and evenly, give the roots plenty of water to nourish. The pot with the plant must be immersed in a bowl of water and left for 15-20 minutes. In the cold season, this procedure should not exceed 10 minutes. At the end, the pot is removed from the water and left hanging for another 20-30 minutes to allow the water to drain.
At night, orchids "sleep", so it is better to water the plant in the morning, so that during the day its roots are saturated with moisture and the substrate dries up.
What water to water an orchid
The health of the plant depends on what water is watered. Ideally, it is better to water the orchid with rainwater, but if it is not possible to collect moisture after the rain, the usual one, from the water supply, will do. Water for irrigation must be sure to settle for 3-4 days. When watering an orchid, it should also be remembered that the plant does not like various impurities in the form of salts and lime; only soft and clean water is suitable for watering an orchid. The presence of a large amount of impurities can be judged by the accumulation of scale in the kettle: if it appears quickly and in large quantities, then the water is not suitable for watering orchids, and it must be defended and boiled. The most suitable option is to add distilled water to the settled water in proportions of 1: 1.
Orchid shower
It is believed that a hot shower has a beneficial effect on the orchid and stimulates its flowering. Perhaps this is so, but you should not pour boiling water on the orchid, the water should not be hotter than 38 degrees. In addition, in order not to injure the plant, the shower stream should be as small as possible. And yet, after this method of watering the orchid, it is imperative to dry all the hard-to-reach sinuses of the plant. This can be done with a paper towel or napkin.
Contrary to the opinion that the orchid is capricious and requires special care, a gorgeous plant can be grown by observing simple watering rules. And remember that it is better to forget to water the orchid than to "give" the flower to water again.
