Orchids are an easy way to add an elegant touch to a home, making them a popular plant to keep indoors. While they’re fairly low-maintenance and will bloom annually if properly cared for, there’s one common mistake that could result in them rotting.
Keeping them out of direct sunlight and adding coffee grounds to the soil can help keep them healthy and in bloom, but there’s one essential task that can prove slightly more difficult. Orchids should be watered at least once a week during the warmer months, however many make the mistake of incorrectly watering them, which can leave them suffering from watering stress and do some serious damage to the leaves.
In an article for The Spruce, gardening expert Rebecca Finneran revealed that the most common mistake people make when it comes to caring for orchids is watering them incorrectly, and said they “will rot” as a result.
If you’ve noticed that your plant’s leaves are yellowing, wrinkled or drooping, it’s probably because it’s suffering from root rot, which is often a result of not watering it correctly.
“The most common mistake growers make is not overwatering, but watering incorrectly,” said Rebecca.
While most plants will develop root rot if watered too much, orchids can also suffer if incorrectly watered or not watered enough.
When it comes to watering them correctly, Rebecca warned that you should avoid simply focusing on the newly emerging leaves, also known as the bud.
Overwatering this part of the plant can leave it more susceptible to rotting and fungal or bacterial diseases, as the water collects on the buds instead of draining into the soil. “If you get water into the bud, the orchid will rot,” said Rebecca.
However, underwatering also risks the buds dying and falling off, as the plant becomes stressed from dehydration and drains the moisture from here.
To water orchids correctly, you should aim to direct water onto the plants aerial roots, which are the roots you’ll usually see growing above the surface, as these work to absorb nutrients.
It’s essential to keep orchids in well-draining pots, so the roots don’t suffer from being overwatered, and you should let the water run sowly through the plant and out of the pot’s drainage holes when watering them.
If you think that your orchid might have been underwatered, Rebecca recommends placing the root ball in a bowl of water for an hour or two, allowing roots to absorb water.