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The Science Of Watering Orchids
We can thank orchid and other flower growers, in part, for the burgeoning movement to make full use of the water that reaches our houses and yards, especially that which comes down as rain. If you are growing orchids, this is a subject you might like to investigate.
Orchids, like most other plants, have specific likes and dislikes as to what is provided them to nourish their roots. Most of them dislike hard water. Unfortunately, the water that comes out of the taps in many locales is too hard for orchids to thrive at their best. For the most part, hard water won’t kill orchids. It might stunt their growth, though, or keep them from ever blooming as beautifully as they might otherwise.
A nice thing about orchid plants is the fact that they have thick, fleshy roots that can stand up to hard water better than many other types of plants. Hardwood plants, for instance, with their fine roots, are too easily destroyed by water that is overly hard. Nevertheless you should take steps to get around using hard water on your orchids.
There are devices that you can get to attach to your water line that will make your water less hard while taking out many impurities that would be bad for humans and plants alike. But absolutely nothing beats rainwater for treating orchids right! After all, this is the type of water that nature provides to plants the world over.
A number of companies make rain barrels that are ideal for collecting and holding rainwater until you need it. Many homeowners set up the barrels below the rainspouts coming from their roofs. With a little planning and work, you could set up several barrels to channel water right to your orchid plants. Then the watering work, presuming you live in a fairly rainy area, becomes nearly hands off.
Whatever kind of water you use, don’t put it on plants if it is chilly. For instance, I would not use water taken from an outdoor tap on a cold winter’s day, without first allowing it to come to room temperature in my home or in the greenhouse. Cold water can cause spots on the plants, rot the new growths and injure the roots.
Some orchids will benefit from water with a little lime mixed in it. In years gone by, people noticed that imported Cypripedium orchids often came to them covered in lime deposits owing to the plants having grown in limestone rock crevices where the water trickled down upon them. So if you have a Cypripedium, you could try adding lime to the water, a little at first and then more if you determine that the plant is thriving on it.
The art and science of orchid cultivation is an intriguing topic. Orchid growing is not as hard as some people make it out to be, but you need to arm yourself with accurate information before plunging in to this rewarding pastime.
The most thorough guide to contemporary orchid growing, in my opinion, is Orchid Care Expert by master orchid grower Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Howard’s wonderful guide constitutes a complete education all by itself. And, it’s appropriate for novices as well as the more experienced orchid growers. As well, spend some time at this Orchid Secrets site, which is publishing an ever-growing library of information on all topics of orchid cultivation.
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