Growing Orchids? Be Sure and Water Them Right
We should appreciate orchid and other flower cultivators, in part, for the burgeoning movement to make full use of the water that reaches our homes, particularly that which falls as rain. If you are starting out with orchids, this could be something you should look into.
Orchids, similar to most other plants, have very particular likes and dislikes as to what is provided them to nourish their roots. Most of them definitely do not like water that is too hard. Unfortunately, the water that comes out of the faucets in many places is too hard for orchids to thrive at their best. Most of the time, hard water won’t kill orchids. It might stunt their growth, though, or keep them from ever blooming as wonderfully as they would have.
A nice thing about orchids is the fact that they sport thick, fleshy roots that can hold up to hard water better than many other types of plants. Woody plants, for example, with their fine root system, are easily ruined by water that is overly hard. Nontheless, you should avoid using hard water on your orchids if you can avoid it.
There are filters that you can buy to place on your water line that will make your water softer while taking out many impurities that would be bad for humans and plants alike. But nothing is better than good old rainwater when it comes to doing right by orchids! After all, this is the kind of water that nature supplies to plants the world over.
A number of companies make rain barrels that are perfect for catching and storing rainwater until you want to use it. Many homeowners set up the barrels beneath the rainspouts coming from their roofs. With a little planning and work, you could set up a bank of barrels to direct water directly to your orchid plants. Then your watering chore, presuming you live in a fairly rainy area, becomes virtually hands-free.
Whatever water you use, don’t put it on your plants if it has a chill on it. For example, I would never use water collected from an outdoor faucet on a cold day, without first allowing it to come to room temperature in my home or in the greenhouse. Chilly water can cause spotting, rot young growths and harm roots.
Some orchids will benefit from water with some lime mixed with it. In years gone by, people noticed that imported Cypripedium orchids often were covered in chalky lime deposits owing to the plants having grown in limestone rock crevices where the water trickled down on them. So if you have a Cypripedium, you could experiment with adding lime to its water, a little at first and then more if you determine that the plant is thriving on it.
The art of orchid cultivation is an intriguing subject. Orchid growing is not as difficult as some people like to make it out to be, but you must arm yourself with accurate information before plunging in to this rewarding pastime.
The most complete guidebook to contemporary orchid growing, many people are finding, is Orchid Care Expert by master orchid grower Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. Howard’s well-written guide is a complete education all to itself. And, it is perfect for neophytes as well as more seasoned orchid growers. In addition, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which contains an ever-expanding library of postings on a broad range of topics of orchid care.
