When the weather is hot and sunny, it might seem obvious when orchids are thirsty, but the houseplant could become damaged if not watered correctly. Gardeners who stick to a rigid watering timetable may be making a major mistake.
Our muggy summers can reduce evaporation rates, meaning there could be more moisture in the compost than you might expect. Ron McHatton from the American Orchid Society has explained how the majority of orchids perish due to excessive watering. Nevertheless, there is a straightforward method that can help determine when your orchid really needs to be watered.
Orchids require watering precisely as the compost becomes dry. Watering on a schedule may introduce excessive moisture to the growing medium which may promote fungus, decay and potentially disease.
It’s remarkably simple to establish whether the compost is overly dry as you can merely insert your finger into the growing medium, though a cleaner and more convenient approach is to simply employ a wooden skewer.
Ron clarified: “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 soaks up water and changes colour when damp, which makes it a fast method to establish if an orchid requires watering.
Not only are they handy and gentle on the orchid, but wooden skewers are also inexpensive, as you can typically purchase a pack of wooden barbecue skewers from your local supermarket in the summer.
How to check if orchids need watering
All that’s required is to carefully insert a skewer into an orchid pot about halfway down, near the plant roots.
Proceed slowly and avoid pushing the skewer too far as you could risk damaging the roots.
Leave the wooden skewer in place for about 10 minutes, then remove it. If the skewer is moist, has compost stuck to it, and the wood has darkened, then the pot is sufficiently hydrated, so it doesn’t require watering.
However, if the skewer appears unchanged, feels dry, and the wood remains a light colour, then the soil has dried out and needs watering.
Ensure to thoroughly mix the orchid soil until water is freely draining from the pot’s drainage holes.
Regularly check your orchid in the summer, particularly during a heatwave, but it usually needs watering once or twice a month.
If you take the time to properly water your orchid as temperatures increase, the plant will develop healthier roots and is more likely to bloom regularly, with flowers that last longer.