Orchid is demanding on soil moisture. Before and during flowering, you need to know how to water the plant. The health and appearance of the flower depends on this. During this period, damage to the roots must not be allowed.
Orchid Watering Frequency Factors
This criterion is determined by such factors:
- season;
- life cycle;
- air temperature and relative humidity;
- lighting;
- soil composition;
- growing method.
How to water an orchid
Note! The darker the location of the plant, the lower the air temperature and the finer the substrate, the less often water the orchid.
Sprayed seedlings planted in the suspension system more often - 1-3 times in 12 hours. And flowers on the block are irrigated more regularly than specimens in pots. But the rate of absorption and assimilation of water varies between different varieties. Moist soil is suitable for such plants: Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium.
You can determine the need for watering by the following signs:
- if there is condensation on the walls, then you do not need to add water. On the contrary, the dry parts of the plant indicate that it is necessary to moisten the soil;
- very green coloring of the roots indicates a large amount of moisture. If the roots are white, then it is important to add water;
- if you feel a lot of weight when lifting the pot, there is no need to water the flower. If it is light, then it should be watered.
Phalaenopsis
There is no exact schedule for hydration. Such irrigation is suitable for all types of orchids: 1-3 times in 7 days in the summer and up to 2 times during the week in winter. During a period of intense heat, the substrate dries quickly, so it is necessary to moisten it more often.
Lighting
It is recommended to provide the orchid with light by placing it next to the window at a maximum distance of 1 meter. It is important to ensure that the sun's rays do not penetrate the plant.
Phalaenopsis by the window
If there is insufficient light, the remaining "buds" will not open, and the leaves will grow too quickly, which will lead to their drying out.
Temperature
Orchid comes from the tropics, but does not like heat. At high temperature, it will begin to bloom, but will quickly drop the buds and become calm. Therefore, a suitable temperature for the plant is 22 ° C.
Tank size
The orchid pot doesn't have to be big. You need to use narrow containers in which you can put the entire root system. The optimal parameters are the identical value of the diameter and height of the pot. Large containers lead to an uneven flow of water to the roots, which begin to rot. Tall and narrow pots overturn because there is no normal support.
Phalaenopsis in a pot
When choosing the appropriate size of the container, it is important to stay on the pot, in which the flower will be a bit crowded.
Watering Options
Watering orchids at home is usually done as follows:
- you need to put a pot of plants in the basin;
- take a vessel with liquid and water the plant liberally, while letting it stand in water for about 15 minutes;
- the plant should be in water at least 3/4 of the height of the vessel, and it is good if the liquid reaches the shoulders of the pot, it is 1 cm to the border;
- moisten the bark over the entire height of the water level in the pot and wet it as completely as possible. This is enough for a week.
Watering raises many questions: what water is better to water an orchid, when and how much?
During flowering
A watering schedule should be provided in which natural conditions are ensured. When the orchid blooms, seeds appear. They are small and volatile. Growing a plant at home, you need to pour water on the roots, but you do not need to fill them until a puddle appears.
Note! If the room is dry, it is important to spray the leaves, but make sure that the water is not in the core of the plant. Water the orchid only with dry extract, and in winter, watch that the temperature in the root area is not below 14 degrees. If the windowsills are cold, then you can put polystyrene under the flower pots.
If it will be seen that there is no condensation on the inner walls of the pot, and the roots of the orchid have become silver, then this means that it is time to water.
Watering orchids. The duration of the process varies: flowers with well-developed roots require transplanting in 2 liter pots. They need to be drunk longer than small ones in pots with a volume of 0.3 liters.
Summer and winter
You can use water with a temperature of about 24 degrees in the summer, and in the winter - warmer, some of which should drain after irrigation. You should put the plant in a pot and pour out the residues so that there is no overmoistening, rotting of the roots.
Important! If there are sick orchids in the collection, they need to be watered separately from others so that there is no infection of healthy species.
Watering orchids in summer and winter varies. In winter, in poor light, the physiology of plants changes, so the intervals of moisture should be increased.
Recommendations of specialists:
- it is important to ensure that there is no moisture in the central part of the plant, so you need to remove it with paper or bend the plant and allow water to slide off the sheet;
- in spring with an increase in daylight, flower growth is activated, then increase the frequency of watering. But if it is insufficient, then some parts of the plant, the leaves become crowded. It is important to prevent this. The degree of drying depends on the structure of the plant, the size of the pot and decomposition of the substrate;
- in summer it is recommended to moisten the plant 2 times a week, and in winter only once every ten days (these are normative recommendations, but there is no exact schedule, because the need for watering is determined individually in any case, depending on the relative humidity and type of flower).
Important! A plant that has been at rest for a long time will require a small amount of water. Orchid is demanding on the composition of the liquid.
Watering Methods
The easiest method is with a watering can. Pour soft water onto the surface along the border of the pot. Filter it in advance until there is no water left below. The orchid absorbs the remaining liquid.
Watering a flower with a watering can
Recommendations for phalaenopsis lovers from the komnatnie service: it is important to familiarize yourself with the features of caring for the type of plant that you want to grow. If several orchids grow, it is better to water them alternately. This eliminates the transfer of microorganisms from one plant to another. It is necessary to take into account changes in the growth of phalaenopsis in order to understand how to provide them with a regime for normal flowering and growth.
It should be borne in mind that the root system of these flowers is not located in the ground, but in a nutrient medium consisting of parts of the cortex; therefore, water flows over the substrate and flows down. Before watering the flower, the roots may not have time to absorb the liquid evenly and become saturated.
Through the pallet
It is important to choose the appropriate size of this container and arrange the flowers in it. It should be watered from a watering can along the border of the pot or directly into the pan. Pour a suitable concentration of fertilizer in advance.
Note! Such watering is convenient in saving time and does not require maintenance. There are cons in the method. If the plant becomes ill, the disease will pass to other flowers through the water. All orchids in the pallet can become ill.
Hot shower
Take turns to bring the plants into the bathroom and shower with a stream. This method is useful for orchids. It imitates tropical showers and removes dust from leaves, opening mouths and pores. After 5 days, phalaenopsis can dry out, so you need to water it again.
It is important to let the flowers settle, so that they get more moisture in the bathroom, then return them to their place. After the procedure, no water should remain in the parts of the plant. The hot shower method in the warm season is recommended to be carried out once every 30 days.
Immersion method
About once every 7 days, you can water with this method. To do this, pour settled water into the container at a temperature of 24 ° C, then immerse the flower pot so that the water does not come into contact with the plant’s neck and leave it in this state until saturated.
After watering, drain excess fluid. You can return the orchid to its location. Do the same with another batch of flowers. It is convenient to use to moisten the pots. It is necessary to choose transparent products larger than the pot. You can water the orchid by immersion directly in this planter, and then simply drain the residual liquid.
Watering at home in individual pots
This method of watering Phalaenopsis is safe if there are many plants. Pour a little water at the bottom of the pot (its height is not higher than 2 cm) and release the flowerpot. The flower will take as much fluid as needed, and the excess moisture remaining at the bottom should not harm the roots and the plant itself.
Note! Before watering orchid flowers at home, it is important to choose a planter, which is slightly larger than the pot for air. This method differs from other options in that there is less water in the vessel so that the root absorbs it evenly and in a certain volume. It is enough to add fluid every 7 days.
Watering orchids in individual flower pots is safer in that inside the pallets or in the basin, through the water, the diseases do not apply to other flowers, and all plants have their own flower pots.
In a closed system
If the flower is located in a closed vessel without additional holes, then moisten it in this way: pour water to the top of the plant and drain after half an hour. The container will contain enough liquid to absorb.
Note! For orchids growing in the bark, any of these methods is suitable, except for spraying.
Greenhouse at home
This is a transparent polycarbonate box. It will transmit light well, cut into pieces. In contrast, glass is lighter, warmer.
The greenhouse made of this material corresponds to the design of the apartment, if you choose the right size.
The right choice of irrigation method
To choose the appropriate method, you need to consider different factors.
- the substrate in which the flower grows, and its composition;
- type of plant;
- the container in which the flower lives;
- humidity in the room;
- fluid hardness.
Note! Permanent liquid at room temperature for a long time to use for watering orchids is not necessary. During the evaporation of chlorine, this water is a hotbed of pathogenic microflora: it is enough to recall the green color on the vessel in which the water from the water supply is located. And if some flowers can perceive this cocktail normally, the orchid may react poorly to this water.
You should take into account the common mistakes of gardeners, for example, too frequent watering. This is not necessary, because the roots do not have time to dry, but they rot from excess water.
Hydrogen peroxide as a spray
You can use peroxide concentration of 3%. To increase the useful consumption of the drug, use microsprays in 50 ml vials with a spray. This device will give a small stream.
Note! All vegetative parts of the plant should be sprayed: foliage, stem, roots. To process the visible part of the substrate. It is first important to make sure that there is no dust on the plant.
The procedure is carried out in non-sunny weather or in the morning-evening, so that there are no burns. Air temperature should be within 22 degrees. In the process of processing, it is important to try so that the drops do not flow down the stem, to avoid getting on the flowers. After spraying, inspect the plant for water in the axils of the leaves and core. Remove excess fluid with a paper towel.
The most important thing you need to know in order to successfully grow orchids is that their roots are different from the roots of, for example, a cactus, and therefore require a completely different approach to watering.
Succinic acid
This is top dressing, used only to help or restore the plant in such cases:
- lack of flower growth;
- phalaenopsis treatment;
- the presence of signs of oppression (peduncles or a sluggish plant do not appear);
- resuscitation of dying flowers.
Note! In conclusion, we can say that you often do not need to moisten an orchid. It is recommended to carefully monitor the reaction of the plant to the action of top dressing. The frequency of treatment with succinic acid is up to two times a week for recovery and once a month for prevention.
