Orchid watering has the trick of "one dry, two wet, three half-dry-half-wet" - vigorous shoots and fragrant blooms

Promote Chinese orchid culture, spread orchid knowledge

Orchids are the gentleman among flowers, with graceful bearing and noble temperament, and many friends love to grow them. But orchids are truly not easy to grow well, and the difficulty lies in watering. As the saying goes, "Watering takes three years of skill, growing orchids takes a single insight." Once you have mastered the skill of watering, you need not worry about failing to grow orchids well!

There is an art to watering orchids. Follow "one dry, two wet, three half-dry-half-wet," and orchids grown with this 3-time cycle watering method will have thick roots, strong shoots, and bright, fragrant blooms! Without further ado, let's take a look at exactly how to do it!

One dry

In the 3-time cycle of watering, the first watering should wait until the orchid's potting soil is completely dry. When the soil surface is dry and turns white, insert a wooden stick into the bottom of the orchid pot, pull it out after 5 minutes, and if there is no water mark or clinging soil on the stick, it means the potting soil is completely dry and you can water the orchid. Water thoroughly until water runs out from the bottom of the pot.

Two wet

"Two wet" means the second watering should be done when the potting soil is relatively moist, generally best done in the evening of the day after the first watering. Friends who have trouble judging the dryness and moisture of the potting soil can insert a flower and plant moisture meter into the soil; when the reading shows the soil moisture is around 70%-80%, you can do the second watering.

With the first watering dry and the second wet, the orchid goes hungry one moment and full the next, which can stimulate the orchid's will to survive. During the flower bud stage, it helps induce strong shoots and flower buds, and the blooms are delicate and beautiful with an intoxicating fragrance.

Three half-dry-half-wet

For the third watering, water when the orchid's potting soil is on the dry side but still has some moisture, and the surface soil has not yet turned white. That is, water the orchid when the potting soil is in a half-dry, half-wet state. Depending on the water retention of the orchid's potting medium, the third watering is generally best done 3-5 days after the second watering.

When giving the orchid its third watering, you can appropriately mix in orchid-specific organic nutrient solution to supplement the orchid's nutrition. Only orchids with sufficient nutrition can produce many strong shoots and bloom brightly and fragrantly.

Why water orchids in this 3-time cycle? This is because dryness promotes root growth and moisture promotes leaf growth. First let the orchid go hungry for a while to induce rooting and sprouting, then give water in time to ensure the flower buds can grow healthily. The second and third waterings keep the orchid's potting soil in a moist state, allowing the orchid's branches and leaves to grow more robustly. With more orchid leaves and stronger growth, the orchid can carry out photosynthesis better, and the overall growth of the orchid will be even better!

When it comes to watering orchids, everyone has their own method. The "one dry, two wet, three half-dry-half-wet" 3-time cycle watering method is not a rigid rule; you need to appropriately adjust the watering amount and interval according to the region where you grow orchids and the potting medium used. To graduate from the course on watering, fellow orchid growers still need plenty of practice to figure out the watering method best suited to their own orchid treasures.

Orchid Bar, your good teacher on the journey of growing orchids