14 top tips on how to water your orchids

So, you have nurtured a beautiful Orchid. But growing orchids can be a difficult task. As part of  our series of orchid care tips, it is important to understand how and when to water your orchid, as it can drastically impact its health. In this article, we will teach you the key points on how to successfully water your orchid so that it can continuously thrive.  

Most orchids require a moist environment and a potting medium that is porous to allow for good water absorption. The potting medium should be well-drained but retain moisture.

Orchids are pretty good about telling you what they need. During the growing season, pseudobulbs should be fat and plump, and fleshy leaves should be held up off the potting media and thick. Some deciduous orchids might shrivel during the winter. This is fine. Know what you’re growing.

Here are our 10 top tips on how to water your orchids.

Top Tips and things to avoid.

The following are very generic tips. There are 25,000–30,000 different species of orchid, and some prefer slightly different methods of watering. Mostly these tips below will suffice. However, if you want to become an orchid connoisseur, then you will need to investigate every orchid’s preferred watering likes.  

Phalaenopsis is the most common orchid genus for newbies. The orchids featured in so many design publications on coffee tables across the United States are these thick-leaved plants with graceful, arching sprays of bloom.

1. You should only water your plants once or twice a week. But assess the potting medium first. Over-watering rather than under-watering is the common cause of Orchid death.  
2. To see how wet the growth media is, insert your finger into it. Pencil technique if you don’t want to put your finger in. If the lead section of your orchid turns a darker shade of brown, you don’t need to water it yet. As with bark chips, Sphagnum moss might appear dry on the top but remain moist within the pot, so be careful to poke the surface with your finger or a wooden stick.
3. Different potting medium holds water in different ways. In terms of water retention, pine bark nuggets are superior to charcoal or clay pellets. Sphagnum moss is very absorbant.
4. Always water your orchids in the morning, no matter what kind you have. Always. Toward the end of the day, orchid plants should be completely dry. 
5. Limp orchid leaves can be  another tell-tale sign of needing water. 
6. Watering your plant in the kitchen sink is ideal. A bucket will do too. Use water that is neither too hot nor too cold. Drain the pot for around 15 minutes after that. It may look to be dry, yet it has received sufficient moisture.
7. Each time you water an orchid mix, you should properly hydrate it before allowing it to totally dry out before rehydrating.
8. For certain types, such as vandas, it is possible to leave them in the water for an extended period of time. The goal is to ensure that the velamen is thoroughly saturated with the solution. Your goal is to leave a few drops on the roots after watering. This shows that the plant has received all of its water. An orchid in moss is at risk of having its roots destroyed by soaking it in water, because the moss’s inner core is always damp.
9. Is water quality important? Nowadays, most people simply drink tap water, which is fine but not ideal. But be mindful that such water may have more salt and calcium than untreated water. If you notice deposits on your plants, it’s time to find a new supply of water. If you want to be more scientific, then take account of the pH which is a measure of acidity and alkalinity stated on a scale of 14 to 0–7 being neutral. A value between 5.5 and 6.5 is ideal for orchids. 
10. Make sure your orchid roots and containers are getting enough air movement.  A good supply of fresh air is essential for the health of orchids. Draining a newly watered plant becomes a lot easier when there is a lot of air movement.
11. A decrease in watering throughout the winter months may still be beneficial to your evergreen orchid. 
12. Keep an eye out for orchids that are flowering, sprouting roots, or putting on new leaves and water them more frequently.
13. Before removing the ornamental cache pot from the orchid’s growth container, remove the cache pot’s drainage hole to allow excess water to drain away. It may be watered in the sink, then returned to the ornamental pot after the water has dried.
14. Finally, don’t let your Orchid sit in water. Excess water is not good for it.

Is Misting Orchids Necessary?

There is no need to mist your orchids by hand if you live in an area with high humidity. As an alternative, you may place orchid pots on a humidity tray, which is a shallow saucer or basin filled with a layer of rocks. Stack your orchids on top of the stones, and then fill the tray with water so that it doesn’t touch the pots. The plant’s surroundings will get more humid as the water evaporates. Running a humidifier in the room where your orchids are situated is also a good option. Keeping an orchid happy and healthy is dependent on the amount of humidity in its surroundings.

Should I Water Orchids with Ice Cubes

This is controversial.

For instance, the Greenhouse Grower says:

The short answer is: Yes! The results from the experiment show that ice cubes are a practical way to water Phalaenopsis orchids grown in bark media. The recommendation from Green Circle Growers, which we used during the experiment, was three ice cubes, once a week. The ice cubes should be placed on top of the media, avoiding direct contact with the leaves. The water that remains in the bottom of the decorative pot should also be emptied to prevent damage to the roots.

But Orchid Republic says: 

We hate to break it to you, but watering your orchids (with ice cubes,) or any houseplant for that matter, will only do them more harm than good.

Different people will advise different things. All we would add to this argument is the following:

Orchids, which thrive in the forests, are known as ‘epiphytes‘ because they grow on trees with deep aerial roots and store water in either fleshy leaves or stems that have been thickened. called ‘pseudobulbs’  They are traditionally warm climate plants which live happily in the steamy jungles and forests of the world. How often in nature do you think ice falls on them? 

 

Understanding Orchid Roots

Orchid velamen is a great indicator of how much water your plant needs. Freshly wet velamen are green or speckled, whereas a dry velamen are white or silvery (depending on the species). The easiest way to water your orchids is to learn how to read their roots.

Read more about rotting orchid roots here and aerial roots here

Conclusion

If only there was an easy guide or a little water fairy that hovered over your plants and told you exactly when and how much to water. Unfortunately, there isn’t. But that is one of the satisfying reasons people grow orchids. It’s all about balance and instinct—and plenty of patience.

In conclusion, water your orchids when the soil is dry, don’t use too much water, and skip the ice cubes.