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Mrs. Ľubka has worked for more than thirty years as a florist and her love of plants has accompanied her throughout her life. Among her favorites are orchids and over the years of growing them she knows how to care for them so they bloom like crazy, are healthy and beautiful. She says that the most important thing is their watering – irrigation, which most growers do not do correctly. If you follow this, you don’t need any fertilizers or chemical stimulants from the nursery. Mrs. Ľubka has been watering them this way for years and her orchids are the most beautiful far and wide!
Never water them in the flowerpot
The best and at the same time the simplest method that you cannot go wrong with. Just simply immerse the orchid with the pot into boiled or rainwater that is at room temperature. Let it soak for 20-30 minutes, then let it drain well and dry the water between the leaves and in the so-called heart (the hollow between the leaves and the stem) with a paper towel – otherwise the water could start to rot and become moldy. That’s all; with this procedure you never have to worry that the orchid will dry out, that the leaves will start to yellow, or that you’ll overwater it.
If you have an orchid that you forgot to water for a long time and you think it can’t be helped, try this lifesaver from Petra.
In a liter of water I dissolved 1 teaspoon of sugar and into this bath I immersed the orchid and let it soak for about 8-9 hours (it is said that it can be left for the whole day). Then I also soaked it for an hour in standing water . That’s all; when I took it out of the water I placed it in its usual spot and immediately noticed that the leaves were fuller and the flowers had lifted. The next day it already looked like it had before going on vacation. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t tried it myself, but it really helped. Don’t hesitate to add a teaspoon of sugar to the water now and then, especially before and during flowering. It’s a perfect pick-me-up!
This is how my orchid looks today, it even put out new flowers!
Other principles of proper watering
- always water in the morning, preferably early morning
- water once a week during winter, twice a week during very dry summers
- Do not rely on whether the substrate feels moist to the touch; that is not a good guide
- After watering, pour out the water from the saucer under the pot; after watering the roots must not remain in water
