Don't do this when misting orchid leaves - it prevents crown rot and triggers a surge of flower spikes
Can you spray the leaves and crown of an orchid when watering?
When we read articles about orchids, we often see advice telling growers not to mist the leaves, and not to spray water into the center or crown of the orchid. The main reason is that we all grow them indoors, and indoor growing is the most prone to causing rot of the leaves and crown once water is sprayed on them.
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Actually, orchids can be sprayed with water on the leaves and crown. Even in greenhouse cultivation, they use sprinkler irrigation equipment directly to water and raise air humidity. So why are you told not to spray water this way? Because your indoor growing environment has very poor air circulation, and the light is not very strong either. With no ventilation and no light, after spraying water the moisture stays on the leaves for a long time without drying. This leads to rot of the leaves and crown. If the orchid you grow has very good ventilation and very ample light, then after spraying, the water on the leaves stays for a very short time, and the light and air movement dry it quickly. During that short time attached to the leaves, the leaves can still absorb water, and rot is not likely to occur. Misting the leaves is very good for it. It can also remove dust from the leaves.
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But when we spray foliar fertilizer, we must be careful not to spray it into the crown, because after we spray it on the leaves, if we spray too much it will also flow down into the crown. If we don't get the concentration right, and the fertilizer concentration is too high, it will easily cause crown rot when it flows into the crown. When spraying foliar fertilizer, choose one with a low concentration that is not likely to burn the plant, and when spraying, just let a slight mist appear on the leaves. Do not spray directly onto the leaves so heavily that it runs off in large amounts - that won't do, and it easily burns the leaves.
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If the orchid you grow has very good ventilation and ample light, you can absolutely spray water on the leaves and crown with no problem at all. If your indoor growing environment has poor ventilation and poor light, it is recommended that you do not spray it
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