Will watering orchids during the new shoot stage cause the shoots to rot? Here is the truth

Most city friends grow orchids on balconies, where they cannot get rained on. So these home-grown orchids definitely need to be watered by hand. During the new shoot stage, if the potting medium is dry, can you water them? Many people online say you cannot, that watering during the shoot stage will rot the shoots. Is that actually true?

Haoshe Nongfu likes to use natural examples for comparison. Orchids in the wild are watered by rain, at no fixed time and in no fixed amount, so why do wild orchids not rot their shoots? First, wild orchids are surrounded by a thick layer of fallen leaves, so rainwater does not splash mud from the ground onto the orchid leaves, and therefore does not affect their leaf respiration. If a home-grown orchid has a fine potting medium, the impact of watering can splash onto the leaves, and this affects the normal respiration of the new shoots.

Wild orchids grow near broadleaf forests or pine forests, which both shade the sun and block the rain. After the rain is intercepted by the trees, by the time it hits the orchid leaves it is already a fine drizzle, equivalent to the watering can we use, and it does not give the new shoots a strong physical impact. But some orchid growers, to save trouble, water with a large ladle, which creates a forceful physical impact, and this may also damage the orchid shoots.

The environment of wild orchids in summer is mostly shady, so even if rainwater stays on the leaf shoots, there is no strong sunlight shining on them, so no magnifying-glass effect forms, and the orchid shoots do not get scorched by heat. But if a home-grown orchid does not have a good shade environment, and the watering time is wrong, water on the leaf shoots under strong sun may form a magnifying glass, concentrating sunlight and scorching the orchid shoots.

In summary, Haoshe Nongfu believes that if you water home-grown orchids during the new shoot stage, you just need to pay attention to a few points. Do not let potting medium splash onto the orchid shoots; water finely with a watering can; do not water under strong sun, and set up a good shade environment.

Friends, do you think orchids can be watered during the new shoot stage? Share your experiences and insights.