Do You Spray Water on Orchids?

Humidity

• Spray orchids with water using a garden hose or misting bottle during dry periods to maintain an approximate 40 to 60 percent humidity level around the roots. Because many orchid plants are grown strictly indoors, you can also increase humidity with a humidifier. A tray filled with gravel and water works well under potted orchids as long as the moisture does not seep into container drainage holes. You want the water to evaporate around the pot rather than be absorbed by the container medium.

Root Health

• Roots actively absorb moisture from the air when they have a healthy appearance -- orchid roots should be white with green growing ends. For epiphytic varieties, the roots are exposed to the elements, allowing you to easily determine if you are overwatering through excessive spraying. Brown roots are a sign of wet conditions and overwatering. Potted orchids typically require bark as a growing medium. To observe these roots and spray them accordingly, pot the orchids in transparent containers. Use only room temperature rainwater or distilled water on orchids. Spraying orchids provides humidity and critical moisture for root uptake -- you effectively recreate the plant's natural habitat of water dripping from overhead tree limbs.

Air Flow

• Preferring bright, indirect sunlight, orchids need consistent air movement across their leaves to avoid heat stress. Crack a window open slightly for indoor plants and maintain an open garden area for outdoor specimens. Holding some moisture in their leaves, orchids lose water to the surrounding air through transpiration. Hot and stagnant air conditions cause water loss and increased heat across the plant. The blossoms may die back with poor air flow, even with consistent water spraying at the root level. Afternoon shade for both indoor and outdoor specimens provides a balanced environment for water absorption and transpiration.

Avoiding Disease

• During spraying, keep the mist directed at the roots to avoid wetting the foliage and flowers; fungal and bacterial diseases flourish in standing water droplets. To avoid disease, spray orchids in the morning to allow all day for absorption and evaporation. In general, orchids need watering once a week. If the leaves appear withered, dehydration has set in. Keep a spray bottle handy for more frequent applications on thin leaf specimens, which cannot store as much moisture as thicker leaf varieties. Insert you finger carefully into potted plants to verify if they truly need watering. A parched surface does not necessarily indicate a dry root habitat.