Watering your orchid is not difficult, but it is not like watering any other house plant. Here are general principles for orchid watering. These guidelines pertain to the most popular orchid varieties such as phalaenopsis, also known as phal, moth, and ice orchid, commonly available in home and garden centers, and now even in the flower section of your supermarket. But be careful. If you suddenly find yourself in care of an orchid and you have no idea what the variety is, do some research by going online or consult an orchid expert at your nearest garden center. Some orchids need care completely different from these general guidelines. I wouldn't want you to hurt an orchid!
Be Consistent. For those who water by feeling for dry soil, this won't work for orchids. Watering every 7 to 10 days is the norm. More if you live in a dry and hot climate, or when your orchid is blooming. Let the orchid soil medium completely dry between watering. Whatever you do, water on a regular schedule.
Drench. Place your pot in the sink and let water run over the soil medium for about 15 seconds. Orchids usually come with a plastic liner inside the pot. You can conveniently remove your orchid in this liner.
Drain. The soil medium of most orchids is bark which allows the water to run right over the roots and immediately out the bottom of the pot. This is important. Orchid roots want to absorb water but not be constantly moist. The roots also like air to circulate around them. And the running water flushes away deposits.
Humidity. Your orchid wants a humidity level of 80% like the tropics which is much higher than a normal household or office level. Here is an easy solution. Set your orchid pot on top of a tray or deep dish of pebbles and keep them always wet to just below the bottom of the orchid pot. Be sure roots do not stick out the bottom of the pot and touch the wet pebbles. This common method creates higher humidity just around your orchid. Attractive trays made just for this purpose are available at your local garden center.
Ice Cubes. Your orchid may have come with instructions to water with ice cubes! Go right ahead. It works, but some orchids do not like this method so only use it when instructed to do so. It's controversial because it is not as effective as traditional watering. It's an easier way to water, and orchids with these watering instructions adapt well to it, such as the phalaenopsis, phal, moth, and ice orchids. Interestingly, when phal blooms are done, this particular type of orchid needs a cool spell in order to start flowering again. The ice provides just the right amount of cool sensation on the root system to trigger new flowers. The problem with this method is that harmful deposits in the soil are not flushed away. If you use this technique, water the traditional way as described above, once a month.
