Herself’s Houseplants

If you are having trouble getting the right amount of water to your orchids consider this method.

“People think that they’re thirsty, that ‘I better get that orchid a little drink of water,”‘ said orchid grower Bob Fuchs. “They rot them.”

Whether buying orchids in a grocery store, a big-box retailer or a specialty garden shop like Fuchs’ nursery, it’s important to identify the species. Two popular species - sun-loving vandas and elegant phalaenopsis orchids - have different watering regimes.

“If you have an orchid in your house, a phalaenopsis that’s growing in a mossy mix, put a couple ice cubes a week on top of the moss,” Fuchs said. “Let that melt in there and that’s enough water for a week.”

Vandas can tolerate heavier, daily waterings if they’re allowed to drain and dry thoroughly. [ read more An orchid grower's tips for keeping an orchid in bloom]