How to Water Orchids in Moss – Beginners Watering Guide

Orchids are one of those iconic plants that indoor plant enthusiasts dream of adding to their collection, but feel intimidated to grow orchids because they can be tricky to care for. It is for this reason that we have made it our mission to publish as many guides for orchid care as possible – including this one How to Water Orchids in Moss.

There are many methods for watering orchids growing in moss. Contrary to the traditional form of watering, we like to water our orchids in moss from the bottom. This way the moss only soaks up what it needs, providing your orchid with the perfect amount of water. We’ll discuss the steps involved with bottom watering your orchid in more detail below.

Welcome to today’s feature article at the Garden Bench Top. In this article we’ll be showing you how to water orchids in sphagnum moss, however these techniques can be applied to any type of orchid plant growing in any type of moss.

So if you’re ready, go grab a hot coffee and let’s get started.

How to Water Orchids in Sphagnum Moss

Using our bottom watering method of watering will ensure your orchid receives just the right amount of water from the moss. This combined with our tips (below) for identifying when your orchid needs water, and you’ll find your journey as a plant parent much less frustrating and leave you more time to enjoy those delightful blooms.

How to Bottom Water Your Orchids in Moss

Find a large waterproof container that is wide enough to fit all your orchids. The container also needs to be tall enough, so water doesn’t overflow when it is displaced when your plants are placed inside. Some people use their bath tub to water all their houseplants at the same time.
Fill the container/bathtub with water. We like to use distilled water. However, if you don’t have access to distilled water, you can fill the container with tap water and leave it to sit for 24 hours. This allows the chlorine to evaporate and will prevent any unwanted chemical build up in your orchids’ soil.
Carefully place your plants into the container / bowl of water. We generally squeeze as many plants into the container as we can to avoid any accidents of a pot falling over.
Set a timer for 15 – 20 minutes.
Check the top layer of your moss with your finger. If it feels damp, lift your orchid out of the water and allow any excess water to drip from the drainage holes.

How to Top Water Your Orchids in Moss

For those of you who prefer the traditional method of watering (top down), here are the steps we recommend:

Gently and slowly drip water onto the surface of your moss. Depending on how dry your moss is, you should begin to see your moss soak up the water.
(for orchids in pots WITH drainage holes) Water until you see the excess water beginning to drip out of the drainage holes. Stop watering and allow water to drain from the pot.
(for orchids in a container WITHOUT drainage holes) Begin by pouring a small amount of water into your moss. After 5 minutes, tip the pot on its side to see if any excess water drips out. If not, continue to top up more water (in small amounts). Repeat the process until you see water beginning to drip out of your orchid. This will indicate your moss has reached its water absorption capacity.

When watering from above, try not to wet the leaves or allow any water to sit on the crown of your orchids. For those unfamiliar with the anatomy of an orchid, the crown is the point at which the leaves attach to the stem. When soaked, these points will be prone to crown rot, which is an entirel