What Type of Water Is Best for Orchid Plants?

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What Type of Water Is Best for Orchid Plants?

Sunday, December 28th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

We should appreciate orchid and other flower growers, in part, for the burgeoning movement to recycle the water that reaches our houses and yards, particularly that which comes down as rain. If you are an orchid grower orchids, this is something you might wish to investigate.

Orchids, similar to other plants, have very particular likes and dislikes as to what is provided them to nourish their roots. Most of them will not thrive in hard water. Unfortunately, the water that comes out of the taps in many areas is too hard for orchids to thrive at their best. Rarely will hard water out-and-out kill them. But it could possibly stunt their growth or prevent them from blooming as gorgeously as they might.

A good thing about orchids is that they have thick, fleshy roots that can stand up to hard water better than many other types of plants. Hardwood plants, for instance, with their fine roots, are too often ruined by water that is too hard. Nontheless, you should avoid putting hard water on your orchids if you can possibly avoid it.

You can buy devices that fit on your water line to soften your water while taking out various types of unwanted impurities. Nothing, though, is better than good old rainwater when it comes to doing right by orchids! After all, this is the kind of water that nature provides to plants the world over.

Many companies produce rain barrels that are great for collecting and holding rainwater until you need it. Many homeowners set the barrels up underneath the rainspouts coming from their roofs. With some planning and work, you could set up a bank of barrels to direct water directly to your orchid plants. Then the watering work, presuming you live in a fairly rainy area, becomes almost hands off.

Whatever type of water you use, don’t put it on your plants if it has a chill on it. For example, I would not use water taken from an outdoor faucet on a cold day, without first allowing it to come to room temperature in my home or in the greenhouse. Chilled water can lead to spotting, rot young growths and harm roots.

Some orchids will benefit from water with a little lime mixed with it. In years gone by, people noticed that imported Cypripedium orchids often came to them covered in chalky lime deposits owing to the plants having grown in limestone rock crevices where water trickled down upon them. So if you have a Cypripedium, you could experiment with adding lime to the water, a little at first and then more if you determine that the plant is thriving on it.

The art of orchid cultivation is a fascinating subject. Orchid growing is not as hard as some people make it out to be, but you need to arm yourself with solid information before plunging in to this rewarding pastime. 

The most complete guide to expert orchid cultivation, many people are finding, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded over the Internet. Mr. Howard’s guide is a comprehensive course of study, immensely practical for beginners and the more experienced devotees alike. In addition, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on a broad range of facets of orchid care.