How to water orchids? Yuke Growing Orchids Part Two shares experiences and insights
[Yuke Growing Orchids Part Two] My views on watering orchids
[Yuke Growing Orchids Part Two] My views on watering orchids Growing orchids means you have to water them, and the main task in routine care is watering. This seemingly simple matter becomes anything but simple in the eyes of us orchid lovers, so all the major orchid books devote large sections to it, and recently there have been quite a few articles online about watering. In writing about watering, I only hope to offer something new and not waste everyone's time. So, back to the point. No matter how you water orchids, broadly speaking there are only two methods: the dry method and the wet method. The so-called dry method is mainly for the traditional approach based on mountain soil, because mountain soil is fine and holds water well, so it is fine to wait a few more days after the soil surface dries before watering. The wet method is mainly for granular orchid media, since water will not accumulate in the pot and the granules are large, you can water freely whenever you like without fear of root rot. Traditional mountain soil orchid growing has relatively high requirements for the environment and for water control. It is really somewhat difficult for beginners to grow orchids well in mountain soil, but when it comes to watering, it all comes down to one word -- moist. If the soil still looks a bit moist, no need to water; when it is dry, water thoroughly. Mountain soil must not be allowed to dry out too much, otherwise it becomes hard to water thoroughly. When the soil surface turns white, it is time to water. So the watering interval is hard to express in terms of a set number of days -- it might be three or four days, or it might be one or two months without watering, depending on the situation. But remember the word "moist," and growing in mountain soil is not such a difficult thing. Some people grow club moss on the pot surface as an indicator of whether to water, and that is indeed a good method, but if your environmental humidity is not high enough, that club moss will not be easy to keep alive. Watering orchids grown in granular media is much simpler. Pay attention to the principle of preferring moist over dry, and they are very easy to grow. The general reasoning has been stated in many articles, so I will not repeat it. I will only say that watering orchids in granular media looks simple, but it is not simple either. Why? It depends on what kind of orchid roots we want to grow. Too much water will produce water roots -- thin, brittle, with little dry matter. Too little water will produce hollow roots. So what to do? Actually, the answer lies beyond watering itself: our growing medium must contain a type of granule that can retain water, such as fired soil, brick pieces, Kanuma soil, and the like. With these granules in the mix, watering becomes not so difficult. Moreover, the so-called moist here does not mean dripping wet every day; you also have to let it dry out occasionally, so the root system will not grow wildly and turn into water roots, but instead become thick and strong. Only with good roots can the leaves flourish, and only then is a good new-growth rate possible. These days most orchid enthusiasts water with a spray head, drenching everything from top to bottom, and I am no exception. Most of the time that is how I water; just be sure to blow it dry with an electric fan afterward, otherwise the new leaves easily rot at the crown. The exception is that I also have to watch the weather and the coarseness of the medium. If the weather is too hot, during sustained high temperatures, I can switch methods -- growing the granules on the drier side too, and only adding moisture when relatively dry, that is, pouring a small amount of water in a circle around the edge of the pot, keeping the medium merely moist. First, it prevents disease; second, it can stimulate flowering and new shoots -- two benefits in one! As for the timing of watering, in summer mostly in the evening, in winter mostly at noon -- really it is just to keep the water temperature as close as possible to the ambient temperature! In reality, everyone's environment is different, the pots and media used are different, and there is no fixed rule for watering. But as long as you pay attention to the word "moist," watering orchids is just this simple!
Heavy spray watering, washing the leaves and watering at the same time!
Observing the grass on the pot surface tells you the moisture level of the medium!
Club moss on the soil surface with the traditional method
Moss decoration is even more beautiful, but I would not recommend it to everyone. I just grow a few pots for fun, and the medium is fine loess!
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