How And When To Water Your Orchids To Keep Them Healthy And Blooming

Having flowers around the house is a colorful way to improve your sense of inner peace, especially if you stick to warmer color palettes. Orchids are among the best options for houseplants because there are tens of thousands of different orchid species fitting various unique shapes and numerous colors (though if you're looking for, say, blue ones, you'll need to figure out how to dye your own orchid blooms). They're also sensitive plants, though, and you'll need to take proper care of your orchids to get the biggest, healthiest flowers. Watering is one of the most common ways orchid care goes awry.

Overwatering is one of the easiest ways to kill an orchid, and in fact, these plants may only need to be watered every five to 14 days depending on the environmental conditions where you live. Underwatering can also be an issue, however. There are different considerations to be made based on the kind of orchid you're growing, but broadly speaking they thrive best in shady, humid environments with very loose growing media that promotes good drainage. 

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis), one of the most common kinds you'll find in plant shops, will not grow best from a simple misting. If your orchid is already in a large container with plenty of holes for sharp drainage, you can move the plant into your bathtub or sink for a warm water wash in three or four drenches over about 10 minutes, and then return it to its home resting place after everything is dried. You'll know your orchid has enough water when its roots become pale green. Please remember, though, that this process only needs to be applied about once a week.

Drenching your orchids is not the only way to keep them healthy and blooming. One recommendation is to supplement more casual misting of the leaves (which, again, isn't enough by itself) by setting the potted plant on a tray of pebbles with just a bit of water. Given the more open flower pots that often house orchids, this should allow the roots to directly absorb water throughout the day (so long as you never allow them to completely dry out). This is also an opportunity to try different home remedies: For example, you can use rice water as a natural fertilizer that helps your orchids thrive, thanks to an abundance of washed-out nutrients.

However, not every home remedy is going to be useful. While some individuals will recommend ice irrigation (or leaving a couple of ice cubes around the roots to give them a steady stream of runoff water), orchids are tropical plants originating from Asia and Australia. Using ice may result in cold shock that damages their roots. Attempt this method at your own risk. 

Even keeping these tips in mind, it's easy to underwater or overwater your plants, leading to roots that dry out or rot away. Some orchids may be too far gone, but there are ways to help revive a houseplant orchid that merely looks dead. Try replacing the soil with a different kind of growing media, or placing your orchid in a new spot, and you may be surprised to see it start blooming a healthy color again.