General Methods and Practical Tips for Watering Orchids

       I have been growing orchids for more than two years, and I have tried several kinds of potting media: the very moisture-retentive pre-mixed medium from the seller, Sentai stone, bark, Zhijinshi (orchid stone), Qibao orchid stone, and even the small stones from a fish tank. In the end, after mixing this and that, I had fewer and fewer orchids, some rotting and some dying. Looking back, the reason was that I did not understand the nature of orchids or the potting medium, and the medium was not breathable. Another reason was that the seedlings were weak but were planted in a large pot, and again the cause was that the moisture retention was too good. When the seedlings are weak and you water them, they cannot absorb it, they cannot breathe, and so the roots rot and the plants collapse. 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, which is to grow it well, so you keep pampering it. You fall into many pitfalls without realizing that watering is closely related to the weather, the potting medium, the pot, the condition of the seedlings, the season, and so on.

      For example, with weather: 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 the potting medium. Most of us modern growers use granular potting media for orchids; those who use soil are, frankly, experts who have already seen through all the tricks. As a beginner, I suggest you still use granular potting medium, use larger granules, and add as little soft medium as possible. Soft medium has good moisture retention 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, orchid stone is a good thing. Why? Because orchid stone retains water, drains water, does not cause waterlogging, absorbs water very quickly, and is easily watered through. Another point is that it has a clearly defined characteristic, meaning 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 adding more orchid stone, at least 60 percent of the potting medium in the pot is better, and for the rest you can add Sentai stone or bark. The medium should be larger; when you see the surface of the pot dry down two or three cm, you can water. In this way, root rot is not easy. If you are not at ease, let it dry a bit more, but do not let it dry too much; if an orchid dries too much, it will also produce hollow roots.

       The third is the pot. For beginners, it is best to use a transparent plastic pot. These are sold in many places online and are 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, with a black outer pot, so that green moss is less likely to grow on the wall of the transparent pot. As for watering, plastic pots are the least breathable. Sometimes you read other people's posts, where they say water once every few days, or water by feeling the pot, and that is all about the breathability of the pot. Clay pots have the best breathability, purple clay pots are next, and then there are porcelain pots and plastic pots, which basically have no breathability. So people using plastic pots should water two days later than those using clay pots or purple clay pots (the "two days later" here is only a concept; the exact number of days depends on your weather or potting medium). This is caused by the breathability of the pot. Never water once every few days just because someone else says so. Learn and apply flexibly; you cannot copy others. You must learn to look at your own environment to decide when to water.

       The fourth is the condition of the seedlings. If the seedlings are weak, find a strong seedling and plant them together. Do not plant small seedlings in a large pot. By the same reasoning, their absorption capacity is weak, and waterlogging and root rot easily occur. 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 waterlog, and weak seedlings grown with more water easily produce roots and new roots, which is good for weak seedlings. If the seedlings are strong, then there is no need to say more. I think if you can grow weak seedlings well, strong seedlings should not be a problem either.

       The fifth is the season. Temperatures differ between north and south, so if you grow orchids in the north, you cannot copy the watering methods of the south, but there are many common points. The most important thing here is to grow according to temperature. Beginners had best buy a thermometer; they are sold in all major shopping malls. From 0°C to 15°C, orchids need very little water, because when the temperature is low, absorption slows down. At this time you should control water; if it is dry, you can mist the leaves. From 15°C up to 20°C, if there is no fan or sunlight or the like, you should also control water. If there is sun, the temperature will rise, and if the potting medium is dry, you can water normally. From 20°C to 30°C is the orchid's growing season, and you can water normally. At this time it is usually summer; do not water at noon, and it is best to choose the evening, after the temperature has dropped, to water. Note that after watering, there must be ventilation. 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-pot watering. If you water, water thoroughly, so that the waste produced by orchid root respiration can be washed away, which is good for the flowers.

       The above are all experiences from the past two years. I wrote this article in order to let friends who have just started growing orchids take fewer detours. Some things in it may not be understood correctly, and I hope all the teachers can point them out in time so that I can correct them. For beginners, do not rely on feelings. Use transparent pots to grow them, use large granules to grow them, and trust your eyes; that will be more practical than your feelings.