What You Should Absolutely Know About Watering Orchids
The way you are watering orchids is very important as this is one aspect that could spell the difference between life and death of that particular plant. Unlike regular flowers orchids are very sensitive to water and light and hence the wrong way of watering orchids can easily kill it.
Watering Orchids The Right Way
There are a number of factors that you should take into consideration when you water your orchids. First would be the season and climatic conditions. A safe method would entail that you water your plants twice a week in hot and dry climate and about once a week in winter. Pay attention to the size of the pot as well this is important. Generally in ideal conditions, a six inch pot would require watering once a week, while a four inch pot would need a repeat every five days.
Next is the medium which you are using for your potted orchid. Bark tends to loose moisture faster than other mediums so you would need to pay extra attention to pots which use this medium. Check the medium every alternate day by inserting your finger or a pencil for about two inches inside the medium. If it comes out moist it is okay; however, if it is dry you need to water your orchid immediately. Keep in mind that the medium needs to always be moist not soggy. Watering orchids too much is also a killer.
The type of water used for watering orchids is also very important. Do not use tap water unless there is no other way available for you. This is because the tap water is usually treated with chlorine to make it potable for humans; chlorine is not a friendly element for orchids, though. The best is to collect rainwater and use that for watering your orchids.
Another very important aspect which is often ignored by orchid lovers is the temperature of the water used for watering orchids. The best would be to have the water at exactly the same temperature as the weather where the orchid lives. If the water is too cold comparatively it would damage the plant very badly if not even kill it.
A Word Of Caution
Ensue that the leaves of your orchid are not wet after you water the plant. If water falls and gets trapped between the leaves, take the trouble to wipe it off or you will loose all the leaves. Yellow leaves are a sign that tell you your orchid is over-watered - reduce the frequency.
