How do you water orchids? Let me teach you a simple method.
Qinyuanchun originates from the forest area at the border between Meilin Town, Nanjing County and Gaotou Township, Yongding County, Fujian Province. This line of grass is currently the only fine-leaf variety among the local Sanxingdie; its leaf width does not exceed one cm, its plant shape is compact like a Cymbidium, its flowers stand above the foliage, its flower stalks are slender, it normally bears 4~5 flowers, it is a medium flower type, and its butterfly transformation is stable. Orchid growers who have seen it praise it highly...
In spring, summer and autumn, water when the pot surface turns white.In winter, when the pot surface turns white, wait two or three days before watering.In summer, water in the evening; in winter, water at noon.In the other seasons, the watering time is relatively flexible.Use a spray head to water directly, two passes each time.On average, each pot gets about five seconds per pass, with an interval of more than ten minutes.
After watering thoroughly, lift the pot and feel its weight, then every day insert a chopstick into the pot and pull it out to see whether there is moisture on the chopstick. After a few days, when there is no moisture on the chopstick, it means the potting soil is dry. At this time, lift the pot again and feel its weight. Repeat this many times, and you will know whether the potting soil is dry. Gradually you will develop a sense of the pattern and no longer need to lift the pot. Once you are familiar with how many days it takes for the pot to dry out under different weather conditions, water again. Do not be afraid of drying them to death; orchid roots are sponge-like structures containing a large amount of water and will not die after being dry for three to five days. Also, beginners are afraid of watering too much or too little, so they often water only a small amount, which is wrong. This often causes the half-water phenomenon, that is, the water does not penetrate thoroughly; the pot surface looks wet but inside the pot it is dry. The growing point of an orchid root is at the root tip, commonly known as the crystal head. With proper watering, the crystal head will be very beautiful. With improper watering, such as half-watering, the crystal head will dry up, and when the crystal head dries up, it means the growing point of that root has stopped. Therefore, when watering, either do not water, or water thoroughly. Do not be afraid of too much water. As long as the root system is good and the growing medium drains water and allows air through, excess water will not remain in the pot. Root rot is often not a watering problem but a growing medium problem. If the growing medium is not breathable, water accumulates in it and smothers the roots. Remember one point: roots breathe. Roots are like a person's mouth and tongue; they need to breathe and eat. Orchids and humans have physiological similarities, except that the orchid's head is in the soil.
If it is a soft growing medium, the simplest way to judge is to look at the pot surface: when it is dry, you can water.
When watering, pay attention to the moisture inside the pot; there is the dry method and the wet method. Dry inside the pot but not parched, moist but not wet, is the standard. Dry and parched leads to empty roots; excessively wet leads to waterlogged black roots. Watering when dry but not parched is the dry method, which stimulates orchids to produce leaf buds, roots and flower buds. Watering when moist but not wet is the wet method, which lets already grown leaf buds, roots and flower buds have enough water to grow rapidly. This is also one dry and one wet. After fully watering heavily, let it sit for a period, and wait until no gravitational water flows out of the bottom of the pot. At this point, the water retention rate is 100% (fully absorbed water). When the growing medium loses 10% of its water, it enters the moist but not wet state. When the water loss exceeds 40%, it enters the parched state. At this time, it is the best time to water. In summer, orchids should be watered at night when it is cool and ventilated.Water!