It may seem obvious to give orchids plenty of water in hot, sunny weather, but you risk killing this fussy houseplant if you are not watering it properly. The UK is known for its humid summers, which can slow down evaporation, meaning there may be more moisture in the soil than you realise.
Ron McHatton from the American Orchid Society has said that most orchids are killed by overwatering, often because people follow a fixed watering schedule. However, there is a simple gardening technique that can help you tell when your orchid actually needs water.
Orchids need to be watered just as the soil dries out, as watering regularly will add too much moisture to the soil which can encourage mould, rot and even disease.
It is really easy to tell if the soil is too dry as you can simply dip your finger into the soil, but a less messy and more practical solution is to just use a wooden skewer.
Ron explained: “Inserting a skewer, chopstick, sharpened pencil, or your finger will help you determine whether the medium is dry enough to water.
“When many grains of organic matter stick to the skewer, moisture is adequate for an orchid that does well when kept evenly moist. For orchids that require continuous moisture, it is time to water.”
Wood naturally absorbs water and changes colour when wet which makes it a quick way to determine if a orchid needs watered.
Not only is it useful and gentle on the orchid but wooden skewers are cheap, as you can usually buy pack of wooden barbecue skewers at your local supermarket in summer.
All you need to do is carefully stick a skewer into an orchid pot about halfway down, near the plant roots.
Go slowly and do not put push the skewer too much otherwise you can risk stabbing the roots.
Leave the wooden skewer about 10 minutes, then take it out. If the skewer is damp, has soil sticking to it, and the wood has darkened, then the pot has plenty of moisture, so it does not need watering.
However, if the skewer looks exactly the same, feels dry, and the wood is still a light colour, then the soil has dried out and needs to be watered.
Make sure to deeply mix the orchid soil until the water is running freely from the pot drainage holes.
Check your orchid regularly in summer, especially during a heatwave, but it usually needs to be watered around once or twice a month.
If you take the time to water your orchid properly as temperatures rise, the plant will develop much healthier roots and is more likely to bloom regularly, with longer-lasting flowers.