Watering Outdoors

[jrfehon]

Now that we’re getting into the spring season and all my orchids are outdoors I thought I would ask about watering outdoors. While inside I make sure I soak each plant well by sitting them in water for ten minutes. How do you water your orchids when they’re summering outside? Do you still soak them? Do you monitor the amount of rain you get and soak only during dry spells? Last summer I pretty much just used a watering can and sprayed my orchids when they seemed dry. I now have over 100 orchids and soaking each one takes a long time, so I’m curious if that’s not necessary now that they’re outside for the summer. What do you think?

-Jason

[Molly Taco]

My orchids grow outside all year and I water them with a hose with a soft rain nozzle. I keep the vandas and bareroots separate so that I can water them more often. When it comes to fertilizing I use a miracle gro attachment. Seems to work.

[JDT]

Jason,
For any orchid in a pot with the normal medai we use the roots of that orchid can only suck up so much water at a time, the best way to water is to use a soft rain nozzle like Cin mentioned and spray each pot until the water starts to come out of the bottom of your pot, then move on to the next pot and do the same. Once you have completed watering all of your orchids then go back and start again after any dripping from the first watering is done and do the same thing. A good way to tell if your orchid has gotten enough water is to first lift and get an idea of how heavy your plant is before the first watering then check the weight once more after the second watering, then if needed do it a third time. I live in South Florida and sometimes it might take me 3-4 times before I reach the pot weight I am looking for. Standing with the water hose on the plant does no good as the roots of the orchid can only take in so much water at a time, it is better to do short periods of water at a time, beside why waste the water if you really don't need too. I don't lift every pot to check cause like you I have over 100 orchids, I normally check only one of the different size pots of the same species that I use to get an idea of the weight. Also like Cin all of my Vandas get watered one or twice a day as I don't use media in the baskets I have them in. The weight of the pot can also give you a good indication of when it is time to water again, you don't want to over water so check weight first.

[Cjcorner]

I would agree with the above....I use a sprayer with a gentle spray and go back over them a time or two.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

I only grow my cymbidium orchids outside during the summer, but I do as suggested by Cindy. I take the garden hose and wet them down and fertilize with the miracle grow attachment.

Cheers,
BD