How should beginners water orchids properly?

      I have been growing orchids for over two years and have tried several kinds of potting media: the very moisture-retentive pre-mixed medium from the seller, Xiantu (immortal soil), bark, Zhijinshi (Japanese pumice), Qibao orchid stone, even the small stones from a fish tank. In the end, after all that mixing and matching, the fewer orchids I kept, the more I lost, some rotted, some died. Looking back, the reason was that I did not understand the nature of orchids, did not understand potting media, and the medium was not breathable. Another reason was that the seedlings were weak and I planted them in a large pot, and again the cause was that the medium held moisture too well. When the seedling is weak and you water it, the seedling cannot absorb the water, it cannot breathe, and so the roots rot and the plant collapses. There is a saying that goes well: most orchid deaths are caused by watering too much. As a beginner, when you first get an orchid you have one goal, to grow it well, so you keep pampering it. You fall into many pitfalls, not knowing that watering is closely related to weather, potting medium, pot type, seedling condition, season and so on.

      Take weather, for example. When it is sunny, the light is good, and after you water, the orchid's photosynthesis works well and it absorbs the water in the pot quickly. Likewise, on cloudy days the light intensity drops, and if you water, the orchid cannot absorb it, which may cause waterlogging that soaks and rots the orchid roots. The respiration of orchid roots, like that of most plants, requires sunlight for photosynthesis.

      Next is potting medium. Most of us modern growers use granular potting media. Those who use soil to grow orchids are, frankly, all experts who have already seen through the tricks of the trade. As a beginner, I suggest you still use granular potting medium, use larger granules, and add as little soft medium as possible. Soft medium holds moisture well and does not dry out easily, so if you are diligent with watering it easily causes waterlogging, whereas larger granules drain well and let orchid roots breathe well. Among potting media, Zhijinshi is recognized as a good thing. Why? Because Zhijinshi holds water, drains water, does not cause waterlogging, absorbs water very quickly, and is easy to water through thoroughly. Another point is that it has a clear-cut characteristic, that is, wet and dry are obvious at a glance, because it changes color after absorbing water, which gives beginners a very good indicator. So if you are not short of money, I suggest you add more Zhijinshi, at least 60 percent of the potting medium in the pot is better, and the rest you can add Xiantu or bark, whatever you like. The granules should be larger. When you see the pot surface dry down two or three cm, you can water. This way the roots are not likely to rot. If you are not at ease, let it dry a bit more, but do not let it dry too much, because letting an orchid dry too much will also cause empty roots.

       The third is pot type. For beginners, it is best to use a transparent plastic pot, which is sold in many places online and very easy to find. A transparent plastic pot has one advantage: you can see clearly, you can see the dryness and moisture of the potting medium in the pot, and you can see the growth state of the orchid roots. This is of great benefit to your future development. It is best to buy the kind of nested pot, black on the outside, so green moss is less likely to grow on the transparent pot wall. As for watering, plastic pots are the least breathable. Sometimes you read other people's posts, where someone says water every few days, or water by touching the pot, and that is all about the breathability of the pot. Clay pots are the most breathable, purple clay pots are next, and then there are porcelain pots and plastic pots, which basically have no breathability. So people who use plastic pots should water two days later than those using clay or purple clay pots (the two days mentioned here is just a concept, and exactly how many days later still depends on your weather or potting medium factors). This is because of the breathability of the pot. Never water every few days just because someone else says to. Learn flexibly and apply it, do not copy others. You must learn to look at your own environment to decide on watering.

       The fourth is seedling condition. If the seedling is weak, find a strong seedling and plant them together. Do not plant a small seedling in a large pot. By the same reasoning, its absorption capacity is weak and it easily causes waterlogging and root rot. Weak seedlings are better grown leanly, and for newcomers it is even more important to grow them leanly. Growing leanly does not mean growing with controlled water. This is why the potting medium should be larger; larger medium does not easily cause waterlogging, and weak seedlings grown with more water easily grow roots and send out new roots, which is good for weak seedlings. If the seedling condition is strong, then there is no need to say much. I think if you can grow weak seedlings well, strong seedlings should not be a problem either.

       The fifth is season. Temperatures differ between north and south, so what you grow in the north cannot copy the watering methods of the south, but there are many common points within. The most important thing here is to grow according to temperature. Newcomers had best buy a thermometer, available for sale in all major shopping malls. From zero to 15 degrees, the orchid needs very little water, because when the temperature is low, absorption slows down. At this time you must control water; if it is dry you can spray the leaf surface. From 15 degrees up to 20 degrees, if there is no fan or sunlight or the like, you must also control water. If there is sun, the temperature will rise, and if the potting medium is dry you can water normally. From 20 degrees to 30 degrees is the orchid's growing season, and you can water normally. This time is generally in summer; do not water at noon, it is best to choose the evening, after the temperature has come down. Note that after watering you must ventilate. Ventilation is very important. Usually, if you can open windows for ventilation, do so. Ventilation is the first priority.

       The last point to explain is do not give half-measure water; if you water, water thoroughly, so it can wash away the waste produced by orchid root respiration, which is good for the flowers.

       The above are all my experiences from these two years. I wrote this article just to help those friends who have just started growing orchids avoid detours. Some things in it may be understood incorrectly, and I hope the teachers can point them out in time so I can correct them. For beginners, never rely on feelings. Use transparent pots to grow them, use large granules to grow them, and trust your eyes rather than your feelings, because that is more practical.