When to water the orchid?

Who has not ever had an orchid at home? Surely few people. Either because it has been a gift or a desired purchase, this plant has almost always ended up decorating the interior of a home. And it is very, very pretty. But also complicated.

In order to be healthy, you need a series of care, such as receiving water every time you need it. However, When to water the orchid? Is there a trick to water at the exact moment? Fortunately for everyone, the answer is yes. 🙂

What type of water to use to water the orchid?

This plant needs a very special type of water. It must be taken into account that the vast majority of species grow on the branches of trees, with exposed roots (called aerial roots), so if we used a water with a lot of lime it would clog the pores of its root system.

Therefore, the best water to irrigate is and will always be rain. But what if we can't get it? No problem, because in that case we can do two things:

• Fill a bowl with water and let it sit overnight. For the next day the lime and heavy metals will be at the bottom, so that you just have to take the water from the upper half of the container and water with it.
• Pour the liquid of half a lemon in 1l of water. Thus, the pH will decrease enough so that the water can be used for irrigation.

When do you have to water it?

Epiphytic orchid

If we do not have much experience and / or knowledge about orchids and their cultivation, we will not have to worry too much, since the epiphytic species are usually sold planted in transparent plastic pots with pine bark. Thus, it will be very easy for us to know when to water, because it will be enough to look at its roots: if they are white, it is because they need water.

Semi-terrestrial or terrestrial orchid

These types of orchids are sold in conventional plastic pots with mulch or peat. To water at the right time, we will have to check substrate moisture. For this we can introduce a thin wooden stick (like the ones they give us in Japanese restaurants); if it comes out practically clean when you extract it, it is because it needs water. Other things we can do are use a digital moisture meter, or weigh the pot once watered and again after a few days.

Has it been useful to you? 🙂