Probably everyone has heard of such beautiful flowers as orchids. These plants have always amazed us with their magnificent beauty. At first glance, it seems that to grow such a miracle at home is not so simple. In fact, not everything is so difficult. Orchids are wild and indoor, tropical and rock, but all are beautiful and delightful. The Indians of the Amazon firmly believed that this flower has a divine origin.
What determines the frequency of watering?
As with all flowers and plants, orchids need special care. But how to water a flower at home, which is also moisture-loving at the same time, and is used to growing not on ordinary soil, but on stones or trees?
As a rule, tropical orchid hybrids are sold in stores. Such plants prefer a rather high humidity and woody substrate. It is necessary to know how to water this plant at home while it is at rest, as well as during the growing season.
In nature, plants feed on rainwater. They draw moisture from rotten wood. Urban taps usually have too hard water for these colors, so water for irrigation is better to prepare separately. Someone is picking rain or melting water for their pets, someone is using filters, acidifying water with fluorine, oxalic acid, or taking distilled water. Water for watering orchids should be no more than 35 degrees and not less than 30.
The quality of water, its composition and temperature determine the condition of the indoor plant. To make the water softer, some growers use boiling. During this process, chlorine compounds evaporate from the water, unwanted microflora are destroyed, the concentration of iron decreases by several times, and salts, which form a white deposit on the upper soil layer, precipitate. The main thing is that the liquid for irrigation does not acquire increased acidity.
About what kind of water you need to water the orchid, we wrote here.
How to determine what to moisturize?
Often, orchid owners do not understand why the plant suddenly became sluggish, does not bloom and dies. Such flowers are very demanding in nutrition. You need to be able to recognize the condition of the soil in which the plant is located. There are several signs worth paying attention to.
- Pot weight
If the capacity in which the orchid grows is somewhat heavy, then the substrate is still damp and should not be watered.
- The contents of the pot.
You can manually dig up the substrate and see how wet it is.
- The color of the roots.
If the roots of the flower from green turn to gray, then they dry out and need watering.
- Check with a toothpick.
It is necessary to insert a wooden stick into the ground and it will show how dry or wet the soil is in the pot.
- A signal of water shortage can also be dropping leaves.
How many times a week do you need to water?
At home
If the flower is at home, watering will also be very different from the option if the orchid lives on the street, for example, serves as a decoration for the veranda, or grows on a stand outside the window.
In the first case watering will be more intense, since the temperature in the house is higher. Do not forget that just bought an orchid after transplantation is better not to water for several days (for watering orchids after transplanting, read here). It is better to give it time to adapt, putting it on the window sill and only after the stress period of the orchid has passed can watering be done. In winter, watering is reduced to 1 time in 3-4 weeks (how to water a flower in autumn and winter?).
About how there are ways to water the orchids at home, read here.
On the street
The frequency of irrigation is determined by the type of orchid, season, flowering or dormancy period, the level of air humidity, the dispersion of the soil. Flowers growing on the blocks on the veranda or on the outer walls of the house should be watered much more often than those that grow in pots on home window sills (how to water the potted orchid and pots?). In the summer, outdoor flowers need watering 2-3 times a week.
Plant irrigation frequency:
Blooming
The frequency of watering for each plant is individual. All orchids are different and each needs its own approach. Watering orchids during flowering is also important and saturated, in contrast to those plants that are at rest. The formation of inflorescences and their blooming requires a lot of strength, and the orchid, as is known, receives nourishment not from the soil, but from water and air.
Not blooming.
The plant at rest must be watered much less frequently, as the orchid needs to gain strength, and it is inactive at this time. This means that excessive watering can lead to rotting of the stem or roots.
What happens if moisturize:
Too often
Many people think that if the plant comes from hot countries, then it needs constant and abundant watering. But these epiphytic plants do not directly contact water. Overmoistening can have irreversible effects. Rotting roots will lead to the death of the flower.
Reference!If the plant does not bloom, does not give new leaves and roots, it means that a state of dormancy sets in and overmoistening will not benefit.
It is also necessary to prevent the water after watering remained on the leaves, in the axillary buds, or in the outlet, it is removed with a napkin, cotton swab or cotton pad. Retention of water can damage the plant and cause decay.
Not enough
If the needs of the plant are ignored and watering the orchid becomes very scarce, then this also will not remain without consequences. When the orchid has gained a green mass and begins to bloom, poor watering will destroy it implicitly. If we recall the climate of a tropical forest, then there are periods of drought, diurnal temperature changes, tropical rainfall. therefore for these colors cycling and constant change of conditions is important.
Before purchasing this plant, it is better to first study all the information on its care. Each species requires its own conditions for maintenance. It is worth considering the fact that the climate and temperature conditions can be different even within the same apartment. Western and eastern window sills are suitable for these plants.
Remember that any skills and abilities come with experience. If you follow all the rules, orchids will bring you joy and aesthetic pleasure while contemplating these amazing inflorescences.
