Orchid Book Excerpt

No other group of flowers captures the imagination like orchids. You can find out more about them in this book, Ultimate Orchid. (Photo courtesy of DK Publishing.)

"Proper watering is by far the most important aspect of orchid culture. It has been stated that more orchids are killed by improper watering than by any other factor. It is impossible to provide a rule pf thumb for how often to water a specific orchid. Temperature, light and relative humidity vary from one location to another, within a given location, and from one part of the year to the next.

Generally, the higher the temperature and light, the more water is required, and the lower the humidity, the more frequently watering needs to be done. The best rule is to water thoroughly; that is, to pour water onto all the medium in the pot until water runs out the bottom. Having watered thoroughly, do not water again until the top1/2-inch of the medium is dry to the touch."

(Courtesy of Garden Bookshelf, distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)