What kind of water is best for watering Phalaenopsis orchids, and what causes the surface to harden?

On the road to growing orchids well, many people have noticed that watering is the key to doing so. Generally speaking, ordinary people only use tap water to water their flowers, but doing this over the long term inevitably causes the surface of the sphagnum moss to harden. So how should watering be done in home care? Can you let tap water sit for two days before watering? Is this method reliable?

In response to the questions commonly raised by flower enthusiasts above, the editor here will give a reply. Actually, the problem with water is not the chlorine in tap water, but the relatively high calcium carbonate content of the water itself. Water containing calcium carbonate is what is commonly called "hard water." When this kind of water is used to water flowers over the long term, white crystals form on the soil surface, causing the sphagnum moss to harden.

In addition, there is another factor: the environment for growing the flowers may have too good ventilation. Although good ventilation can greatly reduce pests and diseases, excessive ventilation will also make the plant lose water too quickly, thereby causing the stomata of Phalaenopsis to close and reducing water loss. At the same time, the result is that the leaf epidermis also becomes thicker. Over time, although flowering may not be affected, leaf growth will be inhibited, and the overall appearance will not look vigorous enough.

What is even more troublesome is that excessive ventilation will also cause your watering frequency to increase, because the soil dries out too quickly. Frequent watering will make the calcium carbonate in the water accumulate in the soil more quickly, forming more crystals, further affecting the health of the plant's root system and possibly even causing root rot. So the root of the problem is not just the water quality, but also your care environment.

So what kind of water is good for watering orchids? It is recommended that you try filtered water or rainwater to water the flowers. Doing so can reduce the accumulation of calcium carbonate. At the same time, you can appropriately adjust the ventilation of the environment. When the wind blows, do not let it blow directly onto the plants. You can add some shielding in front of the potted plants.

In addition, when watering, you can observe whether the soil is dry or wet. If you cannot judge, you can use your finger to feel the condition of the surface soil, and wait until it is slightly dry before watering, so as to avoid watering too much. It is believed that by reducing the accumulation of calcium carbonate when watering the flowers, the root system and leaves of Phalaenopsis will subsequently grow more healthily. I hope the above suggestions are helpful to flower enthusiasts!