Posts Tagged ‘water’
Tips to Water Orchids
Posted on: November 7, 2011
Orchids have been included in list of home plants for their gorgeous fragrance and variety in shapes, color and sizes. Like other plants, orchid plants also need proper growing conditions. Giving right amount of water at right time to your orchids is one of the basic needs of orchid flowers to grow and thrive. Remember that different species of orchids have different water needs, so you are required to research your particular plant as well as you should also be aware of general watering needs of an orchid.
Orchid plants are typically found in tropical areas. The areas where many orchids are grown receive tremendous rain. These areas can also be very humid in native habits. Ideal humidity level for orchid flowers is 80% but this humidity level could be quite uncomfortable for human to live in so you need to think other strategies to provide your orchids with healthier environment. A very convenient way to humidify your orchids is to water them frequently. You may purchase a deep saucer or and some pebbles. Pour these pebbles into the saucer then water the pebbles. Make sure that the water never touches the actual orchid pot. This way you will be able to create artificial humid climate for your orchid plant.
Very common mistake that people do is over watering their orchids. Many people wait for the soil of their orchid pot to look dry and when it becomes, they feel that their orchid plants need to be watered now. This is not true especially for orchids. The rule to water your orchid plants is to water once a week. Let the potting bark of your orchid plant dry out completely before you water again.
Orchid plants also need to be fertilized but sparingly as well. Buy best fertilizer for your orchid plants from nearby garden shops. Make sure to maintain for watering and fertilizing your orchids is a guarantee in itself that your orchid plants will grow best and you will have exotic plants for a long time.
Orchids will thrive in your home environment if you succeed to provide them with proper care, for instance right amount of water at right time, proper sunlight and best fertilizer occasionally. Orchid flowers are quite beautiful and can also be temperamental. Once you get to know exact needs of your orchids, it is not so complicated to maintain your orchid flowers healthy conditions.
Water Orchids
Posted on: October 18, 2011
- In: Flower | Flowers | Garden | Garden Decoration | Growing Flowers | Orchid Flowers | Orchids Tips
- 1 Comment
The beauty of Orchid flowers is the main reason for its increasing popularity. In order to make Orchid plants bear more flowers, they need to be provided an adequate amount of sunlight, minerals, and water.
The quantity of water required by the Orchids highly depends on the type of Orchids. Some species do not need plenty of water, whereas others need a lot of water more often. Therefore, it is very important to know what type of Orchids you are growing and how much water they need. You can get complete information about your Orchid type from Orchid stores, through internet, or by consulting a professional Orchid grower. These sources help you in finding out whether the Orchid plant needs more or less water.
Orchids are generally inhabitant of tropic climates where there are heavy rainfalls throughout the year. The humidity level in these regions reaches up to 80% which is quite suitable for the Orchids but not for the indoor home environment. However, you can easily recreate this humidity level around the Orchid plant by putting water in a deep tray or saucer full of pebbles or stones, and after that placing your Orchid pot onto these pebbles. You just need to ensure that the water level is not reaching the bottom of Orchid pot so that the plant roots can be protected from getting soaked. This artificial water Orchid source can provide sufficient amount of humidity to the plant the whole day.
When it comes to watering Orchids, some people give too much water to their plants because they think that a dry potting mix is harmful for the plant growth. This is not true for the Orchid plants. The Orchid potting mix contains bark which preserves water like a sponge. When water from the surface area of the bark is used by the plant then it seems like the bark is dry but actually it still holds much wetness in it. Over watering Orchid leads to the rotting of roots and destroying the whole plant.
Orchids can survive for quite a long time without water in their natural environment. But it does not mean that you start under-watering your Orchids. There are many ways of under-watering. The most common of these is when the Orchids are just sprayed with water and are not given adequate amount of water. Another way is to water the Orchid with enough water, but infrequently. Under-watering results in damaging the root system of the Orchid plant which eventually kills it altogether.
Thus, it is evident that Orchids should not be given over or under water. You should check the dampness just below the surface of the potting mix before watering, which should not be drenching wet or not extremely dry.
It is highly recommended to use lukewarm or room temperature water for watering Orchids. You should always water in the morning or early part of the day so that roots and leaves can get enough time to dry during the day. Also, you need to water the Orchid potting medium thoroughly so that fertilizer salts can be flushed out from around the roots.
Orchids are lovely plants and just need proper care to award you with wonderful Orchid flowers that you can enjoy throughout the year.
Orchid Flowers 