Spring water to water orchids?

[OrchisAmor]

Sorry people, but I am going to have to disagree with a lot of what has been said here!

Rather than occupying lots of forum space to do so, I'll offer a link to an article published in the January 2014 AOS "Orchids" magazine on the subject, by one of my favorite sources of information: Water Your Orchids

Ray - thanks for the link!! I got my 1st OAS Orchids in February so I missed out on this issue and your article. Much appreciated!! It answers all my questions with regard to water quality.

[Wade's Orchids]

That's a very nice article, Ray. In my eyes, there are 2 steps to finding if your water is good for orchids. The first is to have a sample analyzed. The second is to discuss the results with someone who is knowledgeable in interpreting it. A local university usually has someone qualified to do this and often for a minimal amount. Water quality and fertilizer use is the least understood part of orchid growing and is often the difference between a plant that grows and flowers poorly and one that is a show stopper.

[ksriramkumar]

Sorry people, but I am going to have to disagree with a lot of what has been said here!

Rather than occupying lots of forum space to do so, I'll offer a link to an article published in the January 2014 AOS "Orchids" magazine on the subject, by one of my favorite sources of information: Water Your Orchids

Great article Ray. I firmly believe that growing orchids is more science than an art,I would love to be a scientist than a magician.Thanks for sharing.

[raybark]

Thank you folks.

Wade - to your point, I just wish I was knowledgeable about interpreting water quality reports! That's on the list of stuff to study.

[citywildcat]

Don't do it.... If an orchid calls for distilled water or some form of water without minerals/very PURE water, do not put anything else in there..I learned the hard way. ALSO, WHAT IS IN THE SPRING WATER DEPENDS ON WHAT SPRING IT COMES FROM..oops, sorry for the caps. You have no way of knowing.

[raybark]

Don't do it.... If an orchid calls for distilled water or some form of water without minerals/very PURE water, do not put anything else in there..I learned the hard way. ALSO, WHAT IS IN THE SPRING WATER DEPENDS ON WHAT SPRING IT COMES FROM..oops, sorry for the caps. You have no way of knowing.

All orchids benefit from low-EC water, but I think the "don't put anything in it" is a bit rash. They do need nutrients, after all. The trick is providing them within the correct pH range.

As pure water has no buffering capacity, if you add a more-or-less "standard" fertilizers - Miracle-Grow, Dyna-Gro, Gro-More, etc. - the pH will plummet, and can be damaging to root tissues. You can either adjust the pH back up to the 5.5-6.5 range that seems to be a good general range for pretty much any orchid, or use a fertilizer that gives you that right from the start, like the MSU RO formula or K-Lite.

As to the spring water, yes you are correct that you just don't know what's in it, but in all cases it will have more minerals than will pure water, and likely a lot more, which is why it tastes so good!

[Orquiadicto]

Sorry people, but I am going to have to disagree with a lot of what has been said here!

Rather than occupying lots of forum space to do so, I'll offer a link to an article published in the January 2014 AOS "Orchids" magazine on the subject, by one of my favorite sources of information: Water Your Orchids

Very interesting article, Ray. Thank you por posting this link.