What are the basic watering methods for crops?

For plants cultivated by humans as horticultural subjectscultivation, the water they need depends entirely on thecultivationgrower's supply. Whether water is given at the right time and in the right amount has an enormous effect on plant growth and life. Three Years to Learn Watering Watering can be said to be one of the most important tasks ingrowing orchidsand Chinese cymbidiums. One often hears the older generation oforchid growerssay: "Three years to learn watering." This means that when growingorchidsand Chinese cymbidiums, if you want to master the knack of watering, it takes at least 3 long years of exploration, which shows that watering is not easy. Many people in orchid circles believe that as long as you are thoroughly familiar with the essentials of watering, orchid growing is more than 60 percent successful, because once you know how to water, at least you will not cause orchids and Chinese cymbidiums to wither through improper watering. The two words "watering" seem, on the face of it, to be an effortless task that one can do without learning. However, when you look into it more deeply, you can understand that the watering discussed here is not the simple question of "water once more often in summer and once at longer intervals in winter," but must vary according to that year's climate, the environment of thecultivationsite, the placement location, pot size, the nature of the growing medium, the condition of the orchid plants, the species of orchids and Chinese cymbidiums, and so on. So, strictly speaking, there is no fixed, unchanging method for watering. Only by relying on one's own accumulated cultivation experience, gained from the actual process of growing orchids, can one find a set of watering methods suited to one's ownorchids. Basic Watering Methods Although there is no watering method that applies universally, in the cultivation of orchids and Chinese cymbidiums there is still one most basic method that can serve as a reference. Generally speaking, when the sphagnum moss covering the surface of the pot as a growing medium appears dry, that means it is time to water. Next, the water used to sprinkle the orchids and Chinese cymbidiums is best stored for a day in advance before use, so that the water temperature can be the same as the orchid room temperature and accidents will not occur because of watering. In the minds of most orchid growers, there generally exists such a notion, namely that in summer one must not water during the daytime, lest it cause water damage, or cause root rot because the water in the pot becomes warm. In winter it is just the opposite: one should choose a clear morning to water, because if you water in the evening, the water may turn cold and freeze the orchid roots. An Orchid Expert's Watering Wisdom The watering methods described above are, I believe, universally recognized and are the most widely adopted basic methods. However, in the past I once happened to meet an orchid expert I had never known before, who was discussing "the art of watering" at length with another orchid friend. This expert, without holding anything back, poured out all the watering experience and insights he had accumulated over more than 10 years, telling it all in full detail. According to this expert, the common saying that one must not water in the morning is actually incorrect. He said that for more than 10 years, whenever he found the orchid pot dry he would water, paying no attention at all to whether it was morning or afternoon, and sometimes he even watered at noon; his orchids and Chinese cymbidiums had never had any adverse problems arise from watering. Furthermore, this expert said that in fact there is no such thing as so-called "water damage." He believed that what is generally called "water damage" is purely a disease caused by pathogens. Regarding this view, he once explained it this way: "If you say that after watering, exposure to sunlight will cause water damage, then let me ask you: in Taiwan, China, doesn't it often rain in the morning or afternoon in summer, and shortly after the rain stops the sun comes out again? This kind of situation is common. If the earlier theory of water damage could hold, then under this situation of the sun coming out strongly after rain, wouldn't all those flowers, grasses, and trees outside all get water damage? But what is the fact?" "Actually, the so-called 'water damage' that occurs on the leaves of orchids and Chinese cymbidiums is not caused by exposure to sunlight after watering. Based on my personal experience, I think it should be formed by pathogens. The reasoning is very simple: if water damage were caused by the sun, then it would count as a symptom of a physical nature, and logically it should not be passed on to the next generation. But for most mature plants that develop water damage, as long as they are not properly treated, the proportion of their next generation suffering water damage is almost 100 percent. And water-damaged diseased plants that have undergone disinfection treatment show no water damage symptoms in their next generation." Although this expert's statements have not yet received clear confirmation, they do have a certain reference value. According to this expert, as long as good ventilation is maintained in the orchid house, watering at any time during the day is fine. I wonder whether readers have any opposing opinions? (Zhang Fengrong)