Orchid is a bright, extraordinarily beautiful flower on a thin and fragile stem. At home, the plant requires complex care, which is full of various nuances. Despite this, its natural sophistication, sensuality and subtle fragility attract many houseplant lovers.
The process of watering a flower raises many questions: how to water an orchid in a pot, with what water and how often? Proper watering of an orchid is a guarantee of the successful cultivation of a beautiful and flowering plant. In turn, a mistake made when caring for an indoor flower can lead to its death.
Features of watering orchids
Orchids for beginners seem to be plants that are almost impossible to grow at home. Despite their exactingness, with good care, flowers grow well and bloom on the windowsill in any home, like other houseplants.
Often, when purchasing a plant, beginners water the orchid too abundantly and often. This can cause root rot. Overfilling for this capricious and delicate flower is much worse than underfilling.
The main and most basic rule for watering an orchid isthe frequency of watering depends on the rate of drying of the soil and the root system. You should not be of the opinion that you need to water the orchid no more than once a week, because this statement is erroneous.
The rate of drying of the soil in the pot and, accordingly, the frequency of watering depend on many factors: lighting, pot size, humidity level and air temperature in the room where the orchid grows. It is impossible to say for sure how often to water the plant - in different conditions, the frequency of watering will be different.
What water to water an orchid?
Water is an important factor that determines whether a plant will delight its owners with unusually beautiful flowering. In addition to the fact that water is the main source of nutrition for orchids, it performs the function of thermoregulation of the plant. In its natural habitat, the orchid receives nutrients from rainwater. But now everyone knows that rainwater in urban areas is significantly inferior in terms of performance and safety level to rainwater in tropical forests.
Water hardness
Water for watering orchids at room conditions should be soft. Moderately hard water is also acceptable. Since the process of measuring water hardness is quite complicated and not accessible to everyone, there is a popular way - the harder the water, the faster scale forms in the kettle.
With high hardness, oxalic acid, which is sold in flower shops, will help soften the wateror chemical stores. For five liters of cold tap water, 1/8 teaspoon of oxalic acid supplement will be enough. Then the water settles during the day. It is advisable to then strain the water or drain the liquid without shaking and leaving a sediment at the bottom of the container.
You can also put a bag of high-moor peat into the water at night, which, among other things, acidifies the water. It is advisable to dilute distilled water with settled water in a ratio of 1: 1, since after distillation, water loses the necessary minerals.
Another way to reduce hardness is to use a water filter. The device effectively copes with harmful bacteria, fungi and heavy metals.
The level of acidity of water and its optimal temperature
For the successful cultivation of an orchid and its flowering, an important role is played by the acidity of the water, the optimal level of which is 5 (pH=5). Acidity can be tested with litmus paper. If the acidity level is above the required maximum, you can lower it by adding a few drops of lemon juice to the water.
Water for watering orchids should be at room temperature or even a little warmer. The water temperature of 35-40 degrees is considered ideal for a plant.
Orchid watering methods
In addition to the main issues that everyone faces in whose house an orchid grows - how often to water, what water to water and how much - an important point of care is the method of watering the plant. Existdifferent ways of watering an orchid, however, you can quickly and fully water an indoor flower only by soldering.
Hot Shower
This is the most common way to water an orchid, as it recreates the natural conditions of warm tropical rains. Experts note that plants watered in this way grow green mass faster than others and bloom more often. In addition, regular washing of orchid leaves is a reliable protection against various pests. It is important to remember that this method of watering an orchid is only suitable for those regions where soft water comes from the tap.
"Hot shower" is that the orchid is placed in the bathroom and watered with a weak stream of warm water through the shower head. The optimum water temperature is 40-52 degrees.
The duration of watering depends on how quickly the substrate is saturated with water. After watering, the plant can be left in the bath for 10-15 minutes in order for the excess liquid to drain.
About one hour after watering, carefully wipe the leaves with a dry cotton cloth or paper towel. This is done to remove excess fluid from the leaf axils. If this is not done, the core will rot and the flower will not be able to grow further.
It happens that after this method of watering, s alt deposits appear on the leaves of the orchid in the form of white spots or streaks. To remove them, wipe the leaves with a cloth soaked in beer or lemon juice in a ratio of 1:1.
Dive
If an orchid grows in your house,how often to water it, we have already found out. Let us consider in more detail the method of watering by completely immersing the flowerpot with the plant in water. Taking the pot out of the water, it is necessary to allow excess liquid to drain. For example, submerging a small pot in water for 30 seconds takes the same amount of time for the water to glass.
This method saves a lot of water, but it is only suitable if the substrate and plant are intact and he althy.
Watering with a watering can
Prepared water for irrigation is poured into a watering can and poured in a thin stream over the entire surface of the substrate. It is important to avoid getting water into the growing point of the orchid and leaf axils. Watering should be until excess liquid begins to flow from the bottom holes of the pot. After the water drains, after 2-3 minutes, you can repeat the procedure and drain the excess water from the pan.
Water watering should be done in the morning.
Spraying the roots
This method is suitable for orchids that grow without soil, that is, they are located on blocks. The roots of such plants dry out much faster, so they require more frequent watering. Spraying is best done in the morning, so that the roots have time to dry. The atomizer should be set to “fog” mode.
How to water a blooming orchid
Watering orchids during flowering has its own characteristics. The plant should not be allowed to suffer from thirst or suffer from excess moisture. On average, the frequency of watering is once every 3-4 days. Wateringblooming orchid need early in the morning. The flowering period can last up to six months, so you should also fertilize the plant.
Most often, an orchid withers due to improper care, including watering. In order to prevent the death of your favorite plant, you need to know the basic rules for watering an indoor flower. Knowing what the orchid needs, how often to water, what water and how much, you can extend the flowering period of the plant.
