Debate: Should you water orchids from the top or bottom? Here's what happened to me.

I was at my kitchen sink in Denver last Tuesday watering my Phalaenopsis orchid from the top like always. Water got into the crown and within 3 days the leaves started yellowing and rotting at the base. I ended up having to cut off 2 leaves and repot it in fresh bark. Now I'm wondering if bottom watering is the safer move or if I just got clumsy. What do you guys think - top water with caution or switch to bottom watering for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_gibson24d agoMost Upvoted

@noah917 nailed it, same thing happened to my first phal and I switched to bottom watering too. I just fill a container with tepid water, sit the whole pot in there for 20 minutes, and then let it drain completely in the sink - haven't lost an orchid to crown rot since lol.

noah9175d ago

Ngl, my buddy Eric killed his orchid the exact same way a few months back. He was all proud of his grocery store phal and dumped water right into the crown during his morning coffee routine. Within a week that thing was mush from the inside out, leaves just flopping over like wet paper. He tried to save it by cutting off the rotted parts but it was too late, the whole stem had rotted through. Now he only bottom waters, lets the pot sit in a bowl of water for like 15 minutes then drains it completely. Honestly I've switched to bottom watering for all mine after seeing his mess, way less risk of water sitting in those little crevices. Just make sure your bark is chunky enough to drain fast or you'll drown the roots instead.