Before rewatering, let the potting mix for your orchid get completely or partly dry. In a temperate environment, your phalaenopsis, or moth orchid, will typically require watering every 1-2 weeks.
Having said that, it’s crucial to realize that a variety of circumstances, which we will cover in the sections that follow, will affect how frequently you need water any indoor orchid.
When exactly do I need to water my moth orchid?
To keep moth orchids healthy, proper watering is essential. The roots may rot if kept too damp, while they may shrivel and die if maintained too dry.
Moth orchids require weekly irrigation during the growing season, but less maintenance during the winter.
Never allow plants to sit in water, and never let the roots entirely dry out. Always allow extra water to drain.
While you can spritz the plant lightly in the summer to improve humidity, be careful not to splash the leaves or get water into the crown when watering.
Once a week or so, lightly water moth orchids. Pour any water that gathers in the saucer out from above. As an alternative, place the container in a bowl of water or, taking careful not to wet the leaves, hold it under a softly running faucet while allowing it to drain completely.
Feeding
Use a particular orchid fertilizer to feed your plants sparingly but frequently during the growing season to promote healthy growth and flowering.
However, frequent feeding at each watering can cause the compost to accumulate potentially hazardous salts. Every fourth watering, water without feeding to get rid of them.
Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully when using fertilizer because overfeeding may cause more harm than good. See our fertilizer usage guide.
Encourage flowering
Move the plant to a cooler location and lower the temperature by about 5C (8F) for about a month if it is large and healthy but hasn’t flowered in a while. A fresh blossom stalk should then emerge from it.
After all of the previous stalk’s blooms have faded, trim it back to just above the second node (joint) below the spent flowers in order to encourage repeat flowering. Frequently, a new flowering side-shoot will develop.
Do I need to mist my moth orchid?
While there are some justifications for misting orchids, there are also many justifications for not doing so. Here are my top six arguments against misting orchids.
Risk Of Fungal Spots On The Flowers
The main benefit of keeping orchids indoors is their lovely blossoms, however fungal patches can make the flowers look unappealing. A key contributor to this are the water droplets from misting.
When it’s cool outside, water on the petals won’t drain as quickly, and a small area of fungal illness may appear there. This is irreversible and will endure for the duration of the flower.
I recently purchased a phalaenopsis orchid from a neighborhood shop that has this issue from the start. The orchid was tightly packed with other orchids and covered in cellophane to protect it. I didn’t see several of the blossoms had unattractive fungus patches on them until I got home.
Although it’s not the end of the world, this does ruin the appearance of my flowers. To obtain the perfect orchid flowers I love, I will have to wait until the following blooming cycle.
Risk Of Crown Rot
You must be cautious of the orchid killer. If you routinely shower your orchids, some water will pool in the crown and other regions between the leaves as well as drip off the leaves. The water that collects here runs the risk of not evaporating rapidly, especially in environments like those found inside of our homes.
Evaporation is lessened in cooler settings and in spaces with less airflow. Long-term contact between the water and the plant’s leaves and crown considerably increases the danger of crown and leaf rot.
This water will enable crown rot to develop quickly, which can cause significant plant harm. When crown rot occurs, the base of the leaves are quickly destroyed, and by the time it is discovered, it is frequently too late to rescue the plant.
If you spritz your orchids or water them from above, be sure to use tissue paper to wipe away any excess moisture from the crown. I have a whole article about watering phalaenopsis orchids.
But why do orchids in the wild not develop crown rot? Domestically grown orchids do not develop in the same way as wild orchids do. In nature, orchids do not grow erect in pots; instead, they are affixed to trees, where their leaves dangle obliquely downward. This reduces the chance of crown rot by causing any water that collects on an orchid’s leaves to flow off away from the orchid’s crown.
There Are Better Ways To Increase Humidity
There are safer alternatives to misting that are more successful in raising the relative humidity levels around your orchids.
Your orchid will be misted with tiny water droplets all around it. These will land on the plant in large quantities and stay there for a long time before evaporating, increasing the possibility of bacterial and fungal illness.
Instead of water droplets that will sit on plant leaves and flowers, you want water vapor, which will raise the air’s humidity level. In the section after this one, I’ll offer some advice on how to raise humidity properly.
Infrequent Misting Can Actually Dehydrate Your Orchid
Most individuals who mist their orchids can only do so occasionally, so the plant receives little benefit and may even experience accelerated dehydration.
The local humidity level will suddenly and briefly rise when you mist your orchids. The stomata on the underside of the orchid leaves open as a result.
Due to its open stomata from the brief increase in local humidity, the plant is at risk of losing more water than it gets as the humidity levels rapidly decrease following misting. As a result, spraying your orchids sometimes can cause them to become dehydrated.
Watering Your Orchid Via The Roots Is More Effective
When water is available, orchids are adapted to quickly absorb it through their roots. Simply said, misting orchids is unnecessary because regular watering will ensure that the plant receives enough water.
It is best to water orchids thoroughly but sparingly, especially phalaenopsis orchids, which are the most common kind in our homes. A phalaenopsis orchid may absorb enough water in just a few minutes to last for 1-2 weeks if exposed to plenty of water.
Risk Of Fungal And Bacterial Disease
This is the major justification for my recommendation against spraying orchids. More orchids die from bacterial and fungal disease than any other condition. This may be brought on by extreme humidity and misting, or by overwatering, which results in root rot.
Generally speaking, err on the side of less water and lower humidity, and the risk of bacterial and fungal disease is greatly reduced.
To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of spraying orchids, see my video below.
How frequently should I water my orchid?
People frequently mistakenly overwater their orchids and hurt them in an effort to do what they believe is best. While every growing environment is different and everyone has different watering preferences, it is generally a good idea to water once every 7 to 10 days when the mix becomes dry. Root rot, crown rot, and other overwatering issues like fungus gnat infestations are caused by excessive watering. If an orchid doesn’t dry out in 7–10 days, it’s either in a pot that’s too big, the media is packed too tightly, the pot doesn’t have enough drainage holes, or there isn’t enough airflow.
Do I wait a while before watering the moth orchid?
PHALAENOPSIS One of the longest flowering indoor orchids is the phalaenopsis, or moth orchid, although proper lighting is essential. “Don O’Connor of the nursery Gellert’s, which specializes in houseplants, says that the more light, the better, but cautions against shining direct light through glass because it could burn the plants. However, a little morning sun is acceptable.”
Their dark green leaves will start to fade if there is too much light. If the plant receives insufficient light, it won’t flower and its leaves will get limp. Ideal windows should face east and be covered by net curtains, while in the summer shading from 10 am to 5 pm will be required.
Moth orchids require routine watering that is sufficient to prevent drying out between treatments. Twice a week throughout the summer, but never let them sit in water, advises Don. “Depending on how warm the house is, every seven to ten days throughout the winter. When fresh buds turn yellow and drop off, it’s a good sign they’re not getting enough water.”
Moth orchids require humidity as well. They lack pseudobulbs, which many other varieties of orchids have as a means of storing water. The leaves do contain some water, though. The water will evaporate and the leaves will wilt if the air is consistently dry. Place plant pots on pebbles in a saucer of water to raise the humidity levels.
How are moth orchids maintained?
Misting is pointless and could harm the flowers. Moth orchids prefer direct, strong light. The plant will become stressed and the leaves will turn pale green or yellowish green in direct sunlight. The upper leaves will be smaller than the lower leaves because of insufficient light (they should be larger).
Are orchids watered from the top or the bottom?
Fir bark is a well-draining potting material that is widely used. Orchids dislike sitting in water more than anything else. Bark stops this issue.
Watering from below and watering from above are at least two techniques to irrigate orchids that are potted in bark-based potting material. No matter how you water—from below or above—if you’re using bark, make sure you water a lot.
One of the most crucial components to cultivating healthy orchids is the correct potting mix. I heartily suggest Bonsai Jack’s anorchid blend.
Recipe for Bonsai Jack’s Orchid Mix:
- 98% of the bark is Douglas fir
- Perlite, 1 percent
- Horticultural charcoal at 1%
Add a few wool rock cubes to the potting mix if you live in a dry region like I do to make the soil more water-retentive.
Keep in mind that the most crucial component of an orchid potting mix is appropriate drainage. The orchid must have effective drainage and must not become moist in the centre. Actually, orchids are planted in tall, thin pots to speed the drying of the pot’s center.
How long do orchids need to be dry?
Your orchids are demonstrating favorable signals that they are responding well to the irrigation conditions you are giving because you have maintained your watering schedule. Because you might be gone for a while, vacations frequently cause snags in the system. Naturally, you’re worried about the survival of your orchids.
The majority of orchids can do without watering for two to three weeks (a usual vacation period), and on rare occasions even up to one month. As long as their medium is kept moist, Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and Phalaenopsis may all survive for up to three weeks without watering. Only a few types may survive for two months or more, but only with irreparable harm.
Dehydration is typically indicated by droopy, wrinkled leaves, no root growth, and leaf veins that are visible. This query typically comes up throughout the summer. Your orchid won’t need watering during a usual two-week trip.
There are some suggestions and techniques so the orchid won’t notice your absence as much if you are traveling on a longer vacation of up to one month.
How frequently do I need to water orchids in bark?
As it most nearly mimics the growing circumstances of the orchids’ natural environment and has an aerated, porous texture that helps to promote drainage and lower the risk of root rot, bark is my personal favorite potting medium for orchids.
Water orchids in bark on average every seven days in the spring and summer and every seven to ten days in the fall and winter. To boost humidity, mist the leaves with water once every two days.
Nevertheless, depending on a number of variables, including the humidity and temperature range of your region, as well as the size of the pot, you might need to water your orchid more frequently or less frequently.
In order for your orchid to stay healthy, it’s critical that you create a watering regimen that takes into consideration the environmental factors in your house.
Accordingly, soak the bark first, then note how long it usually takes for the top inch of bark chippings to feel relatively dry before watering once again.
This can be done by frequently picking up the potted orchid immediately after watering it, and when it feels noticeably lighter, you know the soil has dried and it is time to water. You can also do this by feeling the potting medium with your finger to determine when the top inch feels dry.
Again, it’s crucial to sprinkle the orchid with water at least twice a week in order to mimic the tropical, humid conditions found there, as dry air in the home will deplete the plant’s leaves of moisture and cause it to dry up too rapidly.
How can I tell whether my orchid needs water?
Overwatering orchids is arguably the most common error individuals make when growing them. Despite being tropical and enjoying humidity, orchids don’t actually need a lot of water. Orchids prefer their growing medium to get completely dry in between waterings.
Put a finger in the growth media to verify this. It needs watering if it is dry about an inch (2.5 cm) down. This translates to perhaps once every week for indoor plants. With outside plants, it will happen a little more frequently.
It’s also crucial to understand how to properly water orchids. Don’t merely wet the top of the potting medium when it’s time to water. If your orchid is in a pot, place it in the sink and slowly pour warm water over it until it drains freely. Never use cold water since the roots might be gravely harmed by anything below 50 F (10 C).
Can tap water be used to water orchids?
The Orchidaceae family of flowering plants includes the enormously well-liked orchid. Orchid plants come in different shapes and hues, with over 28,000 species and 300,000 registered cultivars worldwide. Although several species may grow outside in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 10, they are typically grown as indoor houseplants. When grown indoors, orchids do best when placed 12 to 36 inches from a south-facing window and require daytime air temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Softened water shouldn’t be used to water orchid plants. Salts in softened water could harm the plant. Watering orchids with collected rainwater or distilled water from the shop is preferable, although most chlorinated tap water can be used as long as the chlorine isn’t excessive.
While it is blooming, use distilled water to water the orchid with a watering can about once a week until the potting soil is completely moist. Allow the drain holes on the bottom or side of the orchid container to let the distilled water evenly drain through the potting soil and out. Between waterings, let the potting mix somewhat dry out. Watering should be decreased to around every other week once blooming has stopped until new leaves appear.
In the watering can, combine the 30-10-10 water-soluble orchid fertilizer with the distilled water at the recommended rate specified on the fertilizer labeling. While the orchid is in bloom, fertilize it with the water-soluble fertilizer once a month as part of regular watering. When blossoms start to fade, stop fertilizing the orchid until it starts to bloom once more.
Small river rocks should be placed on a saucer that is somewhat larger than the container the orchid is growing in and should be placed underneath it. Fill the saucer with distilled water until it is slightly above the top of the river rocks. The orchid container should be elevated above the distilled water by the pebbles rather than resting in it. Because orchids dislike dry air, this will help to increase the humidity level around the plant. As the distilled water in the saucer evaporates, replace it.