Water your orchids using a spouted watering can of a size that reflects the size of your collection. As this grows, you will want to convert to a garden hose in your greenhouse connected to the mains water supply. Use an adjustable nozzle to make the job easier and more enjoyable.
When you apply water, give enough to flood the surface, allowing the water to run through, then repeat the process. This will ensure a good soaking. Because of the nature of orchid compost (growing medium), the water will quickly disappear, so you need to use much more than is actually retained.
Dry compost will vary in colour, or you may notice other subtle differences that will only come with experience. If you are still not sure, slip a plant out of its pot, without breaking up the compost ball, and take a quick look underneath to see how wet it is. Take a look also at the plant itself. This will tell you what has been happening over the past weeks.
Many orchids flower while they are resting. In the wild, this would probably ensure a ready supply of pollinating insects on the wing, and it would prevent blooms from being damaged by torrential rain and winds. Odontoglossums complete their season’s pseudobulb and produce their flower spikes at the same time. Only after flowering does the new growth appear, which may be at any time from the early winter onwards.
There are other, more expensive methods of converting your water supply, or it may be easier to collect rainwater from outside and use that. If stored water is being used, be sure that it is at room temperature, especially in winter, when icy water will chill the roots. If your water butt (deep sink) is outside, bring in a can-full the day before you need to use it.
Mains tap water is available from several sources. In your area it may have fallen recently as rain and drained into reservoirs. Alternatively, it may be extracted from a river needing treatment before it is suitable for domestic use. It may also be water that has come from deep, underground, natural reservoirs, in subterranean rock formations. This water may be hundreds of years old and contain many minerals.
Your water may be fit for human consumption, but epiphytic plants do not like water that contains lime or calcium. Artificial water softeners are available, which work by adding salts and various ingredients to soften the water. Again, these may be fine for domestic use but not very good for our orchids. In fact, the salts added can be more harmful than the original lime.
Water softeners such as reverse osmosis, however, remove impurities to leave a better-quality water suitable for orchids.
