The Top Ten Things You Must Know About Watering Orchids

If you want vibrant blooms to cover your orchids, there are several key things you must provide to them. One of those is the right amount and type of water.

In their natural environment, orchids get all their water from the rain, which is automatically PH balanced for their needs and because of where they grow, they don't get too little or too much. This makes sense, after all, because they wouldn't grow there otherwise. However when you remove and orchid from its natural habitat and bring it into your home, if you don't mimic the growing conditions it's designed for it won't do well. So here are the things you need to consider when watering:

1. The PH factor of the water. Natural rainwater isn't loaded down with chemicals like chlorine and it is usually a little bit acidic. Purchase a water testing kit (they're cheap) and check your tap water. You want a PH that hits between 6.4 and 6.8. If your tap water isn't the right PH, take a trip to the local nursery and pick up a PH balance kit. It'll contain substances that'll raise or lower the PH. Follow directions on the kit.
2. The mineral content of the water. You don't want your water to be full of mineral solids and other chemicals, because those can be as hard on your orchid as they are on you when you drink them or on your pipes as they build up inside them and restrict water flow. Even acid rain isn't loaded down with minerals, and whether the orchid is a ground-growing type or a tree-growing type, it's going to get the minerals it needs from its environment. Check what percentage of minerals is in your water - how hard or soft it is. You can usually get a kit to do that, though most water softening companies will do the test of you for free. If there are too many minerals, plan to filter your water. The recommended level of mineral salts is below 120 parts per million. All your houseplants, not just your orchids, will benefit from this because water that has too high a concentration of minerals in it can clog the pores on the plant leaves. Be careful what you use to soften the water with, however. If you opt for a salt system, go with potassium chloride NOT sodium chloride. Sodium is poisonous to your plants, potassium won't hurt them.
3. Don't over-water. Regardless of whether your orchids are growing in bark, a bark mixture, or anything else, the potting medium should never appear wet to look at, should not feel wet to touch the top of, and should at no time be soggy.
4. Ensure that the pot you'll be using will provide plenty of drainage. Before you actually plant an orchid in the pot you're considering, test its drainage. Fill it with the potting medium you'll be using, drench the soil with water, and then let it sit for a couple of weeks. Check the soil every few days. You want the top to dry out almost immediately and you want the soil to be moist but not stick together when you dig out a handful within just a couple of days. It should be very dry after two or three weeks. If not, then your pot isn't providing proper drainage and your orchids will get root rot.
5. Avoid plastic pots and or pots that are glazed on both the inside and out. Plastic pots have all sorts of problems, from looking ugly to preventing the soil from breathing. Glazed pots can also restrict airflow. Your best choice is a clay orchid pot, but if you can't get one, then use a normal clay pot that's unglazed both inside and out or at the very least use a clay pot that's not glazed inside. And be sure to do the dry out test mentioned above.
6. Avoid getting water between the leaves and/or new growth. Bacteria and fungus like wet places and the kind that can kill you orchid like cool not warm temperatures. If you do get water between the leaves, dry them off. You can do that any number of ways, but a straw that you can puff air through works well. Use care and GENTLY pull the leaves back, don't wrench them back. Your goal is to dry away the water, not damage the leaves. In their natural environment, the bacteria and fungus play a vital role and keep the orchids from taking over or choking out other growth, but in your home all they do is deprive you of a beautiful plant. So don't let them get a foothold.
7. Wait until the sun's out before watering. If you water when it's sunny and the temperatures are warm, natural evaporation will take care of drying out the water that gets in between the leaves, and the temperature will be too high for the bacteria and fungus to get started.
8. Water early rather than late. You should do this with all plants, actually, including your grass. Plants open their pores early in the day and absorb moisture, then close the in the afternoon and evening, so you need to water when they're ready for it, not when the water will act like a magnifying glass and burn their tissue. This strategy also ensures that your orchids have all day to dry out before the night temperatures fall far enough for the bacteria and fungus to get going.
9. Do not water with cold or hot water. This is common sense. Remember, you're trying to imitate the plant's natural habitat and rain is normally lukewarm. The only times of the year that rain is icy is after the orchids have already gone dormant. They'll go dormant at your house too, but you should never water them with icy water. Leave a closed (to prevent evaporation) container of water on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then water with it. All pants are sensitive to the difference between room and water temperatures and a difference of as little as 10 degrees can throw them into shock. Rather like what happens to you when you jump into a COLD swimming pool.
10. Carefully pour water over the soil and continue to do so until it runs out of the pot OR stick the pot in a container and fill the container with water. If you opt to use the second method, make sure that the water level is lower than the lip of the pot, not over it. Leave the pot sitting in the container long enough for the soil to turn moist. Then remove it from the container and let it drain well before returning it to its normal growing spot.

Want to know more about good orchid watering habits? Click here for tips on everything you need to know about proper lighting, fertilizing and of course, how to water orchids.