Orchid pot surface dry but inside wet, what to do? Strategies for growing orchids on a balcony

A pot surface that dries out quickly is a common problem when growing orchids on a home balcony. Often, just after watering, the water on the pot surface has already evaporated dry within a day, but inside the pot it is certainly still wet enough. Orchids in such conditions often develop slowly, with thin, small roots and a sparse root system. This is related to the low humidity, fast air circulation and high temperature on a balcony. Changing the local environment of the balcony is of course the best approach; if the local environment of the balcony cannot be changed as one wishes, my method is as follows: Use a mixed potting medium for planting, applied in layers with different mixing ratios. Specific operation: the lower section of the pot (2/3 of the pot height) uses granular potting medium (plant gold stone + bark + granular orchid soil), and the upper section of the pot (1/3 of the pot height) uses granular potting medium mixed with coconut coir; the higher up, the greater the proportion of coconut coir, and then a layer of coconut coir is spread on the pot surface. Because coconut coir is very moisture-retaining and also breathable, under the balcony's low humidity and fast air circulation it can basically ensure that the humidity inside and outside the pot stays consistent. The orchids I grow with this method have good roots and also sprout well. For orchid growers who cannot find coconut coir, using sphagnum moss should also achieve the same effect. (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter)