Essential Equipment for Growing Orchids
There are bits and pieces of this information scattered among hundreds of threads, so I'd like to gather it all in one place. I hope it becomes a sticky.
I'll start the list with 4 items, and these are as essential for windowsill growers as for greenhouse growers.
1. Temperature / humidity meter. I cannot imagine anyone growing regular houseplants, let alone orchids, without one. I have 3 in my house, one on each windowsill where I keep orchids. I will probably get a couple more, as my main windowsill is 9 feet (270 cm) long. Analog meters (with dial indicators) cost less than $10, digital ones are $20 and up in box stores, much less on Amazon.
2. A pump-up sprayer with minimum 1 gallon (4 litre) capacity and nozzle tip wand. I feel so sorry for all the people who shlep their orchids to the kitchen sink once a week. $15 at HD, and not one plant has been near my kitchen sink since. You have a low volume, precisely controlled flow, and if you keep your plants in baskets or in pots in saucers, you may have to bring an empty pail with you to drain off excess water. Makes watering a pleasure rather than a chore.
3 and 4. TDS and pH meters. Each is $15-20 on Amazon, and for our application, the cheap pen-style meters are accurate enough. You need to know your water quality, as it has probably the single greatest effect on your orchids' health. You will also be able to see how your fertilizers affect pH, and just how excessive label recommendations for fertilizers really are.
I hope others add to this list.
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