Orchid new shoots rot easily when watered; master these points and you can spray and water boldly

For orchid growers, the thing they care about most in the first half of the year is the growth of new shoots. Watching their own new shoots grow green every day puts them in a particularly good mood, but if the new shoots rot by accident, that kind of heartache is probably something only fellow orchid lovers can understand.

There are many reasons new shoots rot. Aside from pathogen attack, shoot rot after watering may count as a common phenomenon. Are orchid new shoots really not to be watered? When Photographer Farmer is on the mountain, he often sees wild orchids drenched by rain, and every morning there is a thick layer of dew. Could it be that the new shoots of wild orchids are not afraid of water?

Photographer Farmer will make a comparison between wild orchids and home-grown orchids to analyze why home-grown orchid new shoots rot from water. The moisture for wild orchids comes mainly from two sources: rainwater and dew. On the mountain, orchids mostly have tall trees around them (one of their growth habits). When it rains, these trees act as a buffer; even in a heavy rainstorm, the rain does not hit the orchid shoots directly, but is buffered through the leaves and branches before dripping down, so the physical impact on the orchid shoots is not great.

Dew on the mountain generally begins to condense after 11 p.m. At this time, the respiration of orchid leaves is relatively weak, and they do not need to carry out photosynthesis. Once the sun comes out, the dew on the orchid leaves evaporates quickly, and the orchid leaves begin a day's work. So dew on the mountain only benefits orchids (cooling, increasing humidity) and does no harm.

When home-grown orchid new shoots rot from water, Photographer Farmer, after exchanging views with many orchid lovers, made some summaries. He found that the cause of shoot rot is not water, but the method and timing of watering (spraying). Some orchid lovers are rather careless and water with a big gush, causing the new shoots to bear a very large impact force, and after physical damage forms, they rot.

Some urban orchid lovers also water with tap water. The tap water quality differs from city to city, but most tap water is indeed not good for watering flowers directly. Orchid new shoots are still at a very tender stage and are especially sensitive to tap water (particularly some with high chlorine content). This is also one of the causes of shoot rot.

When watering in the sun, if water accidentally gets poured into the center of the orchid shoot, the sunlight shining on it forms a convex lens effect, concentrating sunlight on the orchid leaves. No plant can withstand such heat, so it is no wonder the orchid leaves rot.

There are also some orchid lovers who, fearing that a city balcony is not humid enough or too hot for growing orchids, spray water on the orchid leaves 4 or 5 times a day. In fact, orchid leaves need to be dry during the day, because they need to breathe and photosynthesize. If they are soaked in water all day long, they cannot breathe normally. The resistance of new shoots is still relatively weak, so it is very common for them to rot from suffocation.

Therefore, Photographer Farmer thinks that orchid new shoots are actually not afraid of water; the key is to learn some watering methods from wild orchids. What do you think? You are welcome to share your valuable experience.