Is it ok to water orchids at night? The simple answer is, No it is not ok. I don’t recommend watering the orchids at night. You need to stick to that irrespective of the orchid species you grow.
Is it ok to water orchids at night?
You should water the plants in the morning only. If you end up watering the plants in the night, water will stagnate in the growing tips of the orchids. Further chances are that they may stagnate in the flower sheaths as well. Consequently, it would make the plants more attractive towards fungal and bacterial infections. Therefore always try to keep the plants dry at night.
Orchids are accustomed to grow in tropical conditions. When they grow in their natural habitats, they would get constant rain falls which could last for hours and for days as well. However, there are many other orchid species which are used to stay dry where they can gain only a minor rainfall.
Ideally you need to observe the leaves and then decide whether you need to water your orchids or wait for some time and then water. Many people tend to water the orchids at night, and this is one of the commonly spotted issues which many orchids gardeners tend to do.
What time should I water my orchid?
As aforesaid, you need to always water your orchids in the morning. When I say in the morning, best would be early in the morning. Once you water the plants in the morning it would allow the water evaporation to take place efficiently in both foliage and in the crown as well.
If the plants surrounding have warmer and low humidity levels keep in mind that you have to water the plants more frequently. If you end up watering them in the night, you may go through the aforesaid adverse effects on the plants.
What is the best way to water an orchid?
Best way is to water them in the sink. It is a simple task. Besides, it would be the best method to do routine watering of the plants. If your plant’s soil is bone dry, this would be a fine idea to do it. All you have to do is to take your plants to the sink and let lukewarm water go through the pot.
It would soak the potting medium entirely irrespective of the potting medium you have grown them in, be it orchid bark or sphagnum moss. You could do it for 15-30 minutes. Some people believe it could lead to root rot whereas it is not. When you practice this method, ensure that you moisten all the potting medium properly.
Furthermore, it is important that you apply water with the right temperature. Don’t water them with excessively colder water as it could traumatize the plants sometimes. These are accustomed to grow in warmer conditions, and I recommend watering them with tepid water.
Once you complete watering them, ensure that excess water is draining away from the pot draining holes. Besides, you could wet your plants so that you could remove the dust off from the leaves and moisten the aerial roots lightly. If you practice this, you could get rid of the pests as well.
When you complete doing this, I recommend placing the plants upside down so that you could remove the water pools in the crowns of the plants. In addition to the aforementioned method, natural rainfall would also help the orchids to thrive. You could simply take the plants out in the summer and leave them in shade for a few months. That will allow the plants to gain rainwater adequately.
How often should an orchid get water?
I recommend watering the orchids once a week during winter. On the other hand, when it comes to watering in warmer and dry times, best would be to water the plants twice a week. On another note, you need to adjust your watering frequency depending on the container size too.
To elaborate further on this, if you have a 6-inch pot, you need to water them once every week. It is noteworthy if you have a 4-inch pot, you need to water them once every five to six days.
Can you water orchids with ice cubes?
You can use ice cubes to water the orchids, but it is not recommended. So, if you wish to use ice cubes, you could simply add 3 small ice cubes to the container weekly. It is an easy way of watering the orchids. If you wish to water the plants for a few weeks right after the flowers fade away, you may consider using this method.
With that being said, refrain from placing the ice right on the aerial roots. Further, do not let them get in contact with the leaves. Moreover, you need to ensure that you do not allow the colder water moving out from the draining holes as well. Having said that you need to ensure that you do not let any cold water pools build up in the pot as well.
Do you water orchids from the top or bottom?
I encourage watering the orchids from above. Further you need to use fresh and pure water to do this task. If you adhere to this, it is very unlikely that your plants may suffer from lapses in watering. That said, you need to water the plants only if their soil is dry too. If you have potted the orchids in bark, you could use a faucet and water the plants from above.
However, when you practice this method, it would be better if you could use a drain catch so that you could get hold of the escaping wood chips. Furthermore, make sure that you do not soak the plants crown in water as it would bring an unhealthy impact on the plants then.
How much water does an orchid need per week?
This depends on the type of the orchid. In general you can water 1/16th of a cup every week. Make sure there is no water logged area in the pot.
Factors that affect watering of the orchids
Potting medium
As you may already know, different potting mediums retain water in differ amounts. To explain further on this, pine bark nuggets would retain water longer when you compare it with clay pellets. Always keep in mind that you need to water them less if they retain more water.
Orchid species
Keep in mind that you need to adjust watering depending on the orchid species as well. So, ensure that you are well aware of the orchid species as you need to water them depending on the species. Some plants like Paphiopedilum, Miltonia, Odontoglossum and Cymbidium love water and like to be moist all the time.
But plants like Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium and Brassis only like moist conditions in their growing seasons. However orchid species like Ascocenda, Phalaenopsis and vanda love dry conditions, therefore water them once the potting medium is dry.
Temperature and humidity
Keep in mind that if the temperature is high, you will need to water the plants more. On the other hand, if the humidity level is high, you need to water the plants less often. Plant humidity would vary depending on the potting medium you use.
There are people who opt to keep their pots in a tray which you have filled with pebbles so that you can increase the humidity. Besides, orchids prefer to have fresh air too. However, if there is a greater air flow, chances are that you will have to increase watering the plants.
Final thoughts
Now you know Is it Ok To Water Orchids At Night o not. You have all the information you need to maintain a good orchid garden. Read our other articles to learn more.
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