Definitely don't use softened water on plants... a water softener doesn't actually remove minerals, it replaces the calcium, usually with sodium,so you don't get soap scum but it is toxic to plants. If you use the outside water and adjust the pH down, most orchids will be fine - that's the optimal pH range for absorbing nutrients from fertilizer - and the calcium will be available to the plants. When you're not fertilizing, you probably don't even have to go that far. There are a few groups that are sensitive to high mineral content (like Pleurothallids and other cloud-forest species) but most of the orchids that people grow - Phalaenopsis, Cattleya group, Oncidiums, Cymbidiums, etc., are fine with rather bad city water.
Last edited by Roberta; 06-25-2021 at 10:54 PM..
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