HI, I'm Dave Epstein. This is Growing Wisdom. And today, we’re going to talk about watering Phalaenopsis Orchids. The Phalaenopsis Orchid is one of the most common orchids that folks have in their house that’s why I want to take to you about how to water it properly. Watering your Phalaenopsis Orchid is fairly easy.
The key is you don’t want the orchid to be sitting in the water. I like to use the recommended quarter strength of orchid food in the container for my orchid water. I mix up my orchid food in the container and then I pour it into the orchid twice allowing the water to drain through the orchid twice. Be sure it's fully drained before you place it back in its container.
When watering, try not to get the growing crown of the plant wet. Once the water’s fully drained, I put it back in the container. And that’s it. I water my orchid once every seven to 10 days or as needed. The “or as needed” is because in some homes, it's a little bit drier. And in other homes, it's a little more moisture. You really want to check your orchid to be sure it does need water. To do this, use your finger and feel the medium. Dig down. If it's very dry, it definitely needs water. If the medium is still very moist, it definitely doesn’t.
The Phalaenopsis Orchid doesn’t want to dry out completely nor does it want to sit in very moist medium. They like to have a little bit of moisture at all times. If you follow these simple steps, your orchids will be happy and they’ll actually start to re-bloom. Look at this one. It's my third year on this orchid and it's actually sending up a new bloom. In several more weeks, this orchid will have several blooms like these orchids.
Two other tips, use lukewarm water when watering and water during the day, not at night. Orchids can be shocked by cold water. And if you water them at night, the moisture can help to promote disease. And your orchid doesn’t want that. By following these easy steps, your orchids will thrive and flower for years to come.
Come back every week for all our tips, hints and helps at Growing Wisdom.
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