Practical guide to Phalaenopsis orchid watering

Wednesday, 21st of June 2023 [73]

I started drafting this article probably couple months ago. I wrote a lot and added lots of pictures and then somehow I lost the draft and also lost interest in writing it allover again.

I guess enough time has passed and I can now write it again without feeling like I’m repeating myself 😉

The idea for this post was sparked by a Discord (The Terminal) friend of mine @wesphilbin who asked what do I do to make my orchids bloom so beautifully. In truth, having 40+ orchids at home there is a big chance that at least a few of them will be in bloom at any given time. I have many different types of orchids left from the times I was obsessed with them and they all have different blooming times.

Phalaenopsis orchids for example naturally bloom in Winter/Spring. These are the most commonly found in supermarkets. When temperatures drop in Autumn and the difference between day and night temperatures increases, coupled with shorter days, this gives them a ‘signal’ to produce a flower spike, provided the plant has enough nutrients to flower.

Why then we can find Phalaenopsis orchids in bloom in supermarkets all year round? That’s because commercial growers can regulate the temperature and light in their greenhouse and thus ‘force’ them to bloom out of season.

What you will find with your newly purchased orchid is that for a few years after the purchase it will continue to bloom at the same time it bloomed when you purchased it. After a couple of years it will slowly go back to its natural rhythm.

Ok, it’s a little more complicated than that, because there are many various types of Phals and they too have different blooming times, depending on the region they originate from, but those Phals that we can find in the shops are mainly complex hybrids and the Autumn spiking rule applies to majority of them.

Sure, they come in various colour variations and sizes and some will have more quirks than the others, but generally they have very similar growing patterns.

Let’s get down to the care routine for these beauties, cause above all we all love to see them in bloom.

NO ICE CUBS PLEASE!

First of all, let’s debunk this myth circulating around that couple ice cubs a week is enough to keep your orchids happy for life! I think some sellers actually started this weird trend to maybe help people not to overwater their orchids.

Yes, many orchids die from overwatering.

No, 2 cubes a week are not enough to keep them #aliveandthriving

In nature they grow on trees. They attach their strong roots to the tree or its branch and feed off whatever debris rolls down the tree to their roots with rain water. Sometimes it’s a terrential rain, other times no rain for weeks. That’s why they have thick roots - to store the water in them for the dry days. It’s how they roll.

To keep them happy in our houses we need to simulate those patterns the best we can, while also adjusting our routine to the changing seasons.

The way I water my orchids is to completely immerse them in their outside pot with fertiliser mixed in and leave them like this for around half an hour. Any stubborn roots growing outside the pot I try to dip in water too, for a good soak.

Fertilising is not necessary at each watering, but I applied a version of ‘weekly weakly’ to my watering routine, although I don’t water them weekly either 😂 What it means though is that I fertilise my orchids at around 1/4 of the reccomended dose, but more often.

I think next time I’ll do just water, because I’ve been doing this for so long, there must bit quite a big buildup of salts from the fertiliser in those pots, so just water will do them good for a change.

To be honest, the setup I have for my orchids allows me for a bit more play and neglect in my care routine, but I wouldn’t advise this setup if you’re just starting to grow orchids. It’s tricky to get it right at first and you might loose your orchids in the process of conversion.

If you’re not obsessed with orchids like I once was, it is best to keep it simple. Getting your watering routine right is the most important and balance is the key here.

2 best rules to apply to your watering regime are:

1. Observing your orchid roots:

• Dry roots usually have light green to silver colour.

• Newly watered roots are deep green in colour.

• Extreemly dry roots shrink in size and eventually become brown.

• Rotten roots become mushy and also yellow/brown in colour.

But hey, what are the words without pictures? So to illustrate, here are some examples of roots after watering:

Here a few nice captures of before and after. Silver roots before watering and green afterwards.

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2. Checking the weight of the pot.

That rule will take you a few waterings before you’ll be able to judge it. Just pay attention to the weight of your orchid after you removed it from the water you were soaking it for half an hour. When you pick it up a week later you’ll notice how much lighter it feels. After a while you’ll be able to tell whether it needs watering or not, just by lifting the pot.

Truth be told, lifting up your orchids to have a look at it is also a good practice. This way you can spot any alarming things that might be happening to your orchids early enough to prevent deterioration.

This would be a good example. I placed my orchid on a sunny windowsill and it was good there in winter, but as soon as strong spring sun show up, it burned my orchids leaves. Picking it up to inspect let me react in time and move it further away from the window, so it won’t get more burned.

Another general rule I aplly is that I water my orchids more often in Spring and Summer than I do in Autumn and Winter. The same goes for fertilising. In Spring and Summer your Phalaenopsis orchids grow the most, due to longer days and warmer temperatures. That’s the best time boost their growth with regular fertilisation.

Speaking of fertilising… well, I think that’s a topic for another time. Hopefully this will help Wes and other orchid enthusiasts with their Phalaenopsis watering routine and if you guys are curious about fertilising and anything else, drop me a comment and I’ll write some more.

Would you like to know more about:

• fertilising?
• repotting?
• spotting overwatered orchid?
• other types of orchids?

Let me know!

Camera:	iPhone11
Photographer:	@fantagira