Most orchid lovers grow them in special transparent pots with lots of holes. Recently, another technique has been proposed, called a closed system. Both technologies involve different watering methods. When, how, and what is the best way to watering orchids after repotting depends on many factors. We will talk about them in our article.
watering orchids after repotting into a pot with holes
Most orchid growers choose transparent dishes for their pets with holes for good aeration. This is necessary to provide suitable conditions for special plants – epiphytes. They do not need ordinary soil, because they get their food from moist air, absorbing it with the help of spongy tissue on the roots.
Proper watering is especially important for orchid roots. If their surface is dry, the integumentary tissue cannot absorb gaseous substances. The other extreme is excess moisture, from which the root system rots.
So it turns out that you need to choose the optimal moisture regime for normal growth and abundant flowering.
How often do you water a repotted orchid?
Watering frequency depends on :
- From the age of the orchid after planting (transplanting),
- Vegetative period,
- Time of the year
- Places of growth.
Learn more about each of the conditions.
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When to water an orchid after reporting or transplanting
Before transferring the plant to a large bowl, you need to properly prepare the substrate. Bark, moss, fern roots, or other components must be treated against pathogens and pests.
Method 1.
Ignite the mixture in the oven at +700. At this temperature, the bark will dry out, and its sharp edges can injure the delicate roots of the orchid. To prevent this from happening, the calcined substrate is poured with water and kept for half an hour. When it gets wet, it will be completely ready for planting. An orchid planted in such soil does not need to be watered. The next irrigation session will be needed when the substrate dries up.
Method 2.
For disinfection, the soil mixture for orchids is poured with hot water +700 – +800. And wait until it cools down to room temperature. The procedure is repeated twice.
Thus, they get a double benefit, destroy pests and pathogenic microorganisms and at the same time saturate the substrate with moisture. Therefore, after planting the orchids do not need to be watered, they already get into a humid environment.
Tip # 1. If the substrate is too wet and water protrudes in the pan, the excess must be drained, otherwise, the roots of the orchid may rot without taking root.
Method 3.
When there is complete confidence that the substrate does not contain pests and diseases, planting is carried out dry. After that, the filled pot with the transplanted orchid is placed in a large bowl for a few minutes. The primer should be completely wet. Before putting the plant in its permanent place. You need to wait until all excess water drains from the pot.
Orchids are usually transplanted into special containers with holes. They create good aeration, due to which the soil mixture is well ventilated, moisture does not linger on the roots and the substrate dries evenly. This ensures uniform intervals between watering.
In addition to properly selected dishes, other factors, for example, seasonality, also affect the humidification regime.
Must-read Indoor orchid care for beginners.
What water and nutrients do you need to water orchids to strengthen and better bloom?
After transplanting, orchids are only watered with well-settled warm water +300. During survival, it is better to use rainwater. And then do not use hard water. Limescale destroys the spongy membrane of the roots, they cannot normally absorb nutrients. Due to a lack of elements, orchids weaken, grow poorly, do not bloom, become vulnerable to diseases and pests. So it turns out that the plant may not suffer from a lack of moisture but from the quality of water.
When the orchid takes root, for the first time, you can feed it with special fertilizers dissolved in water.
The fact that the plant has finally taken root will be indicated by the appearance of a new leaf. Even if it does not grow back for a long time, fertilizers cannot be applied earlier than 2 weeks after transplanting.
How do orchids get nutrition?
Topdressing is carried out during a period of active growth, which occurs soon after the end of flowering. Nutrient formulations are applied in liquid form, they replace one of the planned irrigations. For example, in the summer, phalaenopsis are watered, on average, 2 times a week. Every fifth session is replaced with top dressing. With good plant development, nutrient watering can be carried out less often, that is, after three weeks.
Fertilizers for orchids are most often used in liquid form. They replace one of the watering.
The number of dressings is reduced depending on the temperature. In summer, they need to be reduced to once a month in the heat, over at +250. In winter, when the coolness is established in the region of +16 0 and below, top dressing is canceled altogether.
Some growers practice bathing orchids in a nutrient solution. It is not poured from a watering can into a pot, but a larger container is filled and a pot with an orchid is dipped into it for a few minutes. So the fertilizer is evenly distributed over the substrate and covers all roots evenly.
Here is the best answer on What Is The Best Fertilizer For Orchids.
Water treatments also include:
- Sprinkling when water is sprayed on the ground part,
- Foliar dressing, in which a liquid fertilizer is applied to leaves and aerial roots. If the same fertilizers are used as for irrigation under the root, then the concentration of the solution during ground treatment should be 2 times less.
For foliar feeding of orchids, special fertilizers are produced. They not only include nutrients, but also contain a set of beneficial microorganisms that strengthen the integumentary tissues and increase plant immunity. As a result, resistance to infection with diseases and pests increases.
Foliar feeding of orchids is carried out in cloudy weather. Direct sunlight on leaves sprayed with the drug can cause burns.
Features of moisture when grown in a closed system
Many growers, when they first hear the term “closed system”, imagine the florarium as an isolated box. Everything is much simpler. The technique is called this because there is not a single hole in the planting pot. In fact, only the root system is closed, and the terrestrial organs of the orchid are in a room setting. It is quite obvious that such cultivation is different from the more familiar perforated system. This means that irrigation technology is different.
For growing orchids in a closed system, plastic or glass pots without holes are used.
The exact timing of hydration is difficult to determine. They are selected individually and correspond to such features.
- It is too early to water if there are drops of condensation on the inside of the transparent pot.
- Some orchid growers recognize the need for watering by weight. If the substrate is completely dry, then the pot is light and it’s time to irrigate.
- The most reliable guideline is the color of the roots. If there is enough moisture, the root system is green. When a grayish bloom appears, then it’s time to moisturize.
What is the best way to water an orchid in closed system?
Watering an orchid in a closed system is carried out in two ways:
| Method 1 | Immerse the pot in a large container of warm water. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the base of the leaves (or pseudobulb) does not get into the water.· In this position, the orchid is left for 15 – 20 minutes, so that the substrate is not only moistened but also softened.· After removing the pot, the excess water must be drained. If it remains, the roots can rot.· Sphagnum moss, moistened and squeezed in advance, is placed on the surface of the substrate. It is placed so that an empty space forms around the root collar. Then, its decay is excluded, and the moss will reduce moisture evaporation. |
| Method 2 | Regular watering from a watering can with a thin spout. It is important to pour water along the inner walls of the pot so that moisture does not accumulate at the base of the leaves.The watering level should not exceed the upper edge of the expanded clay. When it gets lower, then it’s time to add water. |
The water level in a closed system must be kept within the drainage volume. That is, expanded clay must be in the water.
How to fertilize orchids in a closed system?
Universal orchid nutrient formulations are used. Only the concentration of the solution should be 10 times less than that indicated on the package. The timing of feeding is determined individually, in accordance with the vegetative development of each variety. Usually, fertilizers are applied less frequently, due to the fact that the frequency of watering is reduced.
