Paphiopedilum watering in SH

[SADE2020]

I have a dilemma, I have a dozen Paphiopedilum in SH that I can't irrigate with RO at the moment...

These are the facts:

• It is so hot (35º-95º) that I have to water twice daily with the hose and then fill the reservoir with normal water, lowering the PH with acid.
• I don't have salt deposits because I water so much that the water runs all the time through the lecca.
• This has been going on for the past 45 days.
• The outdoor collection (Catts, Paphs, Dends, Phals, Neos, etc) seems to enjoy the summer and the excessive heat with the current irrigation.

But, how much damage could this cause to the Paphiopedilums that have been watered with RO most of the time before?

I don't want to test and deal with water chemistry, I just want to understand if this can go on for at least 1 more month or so without killing the Paphiopedilum ...

Thanks all!!

[estación seca]

It won't be a problem at all. I have high mineral content water. I use it on my Paphs.

[WaterWitchin]

They will be fine. I grew for years with pretty crappy tap water before investing in an RO system. I would just run the course, then begin with RO again when feasible.

[Roberta]

Phrags like fairly pure water, but Paphs should do fine with "liquid rocks" . That was the finding of the orchid specialist at a local botanic garden(the Huntington) with a world-class Paph collection. They found that the Paphs actually did better with high-solids, rather alkaline, well water than they did with RO!

[Ray]

ECHO, Echo, echo

It'll be no problem. My plants are dealing with high heat, as well (36°-37°C). Try watering with very diluter fertilizer instead of pH-adjusted tap water.

Divide 1.15 by the %N on your fertilizer label - the result will be in ml/L.

[SADE2020]

I love you guys!!! I mean it....

I could not sleep thinking about this

It makes sense to me that Paph could handle hard water since they grow tucked in the rocks, but again I am the dummies chemistry orchid grower, so I don't know if river rocks and street water have similar minerals or whatever.

[Roberta]

More specifically, Paphs tend to grow on limestone - which is a bit alkaline, water leaches the alkalinity. It's calcium carbonate, the same stuf in "hard water". Other types of rocks have different chemistry... Phrags grow on rocks too, but more likely to be either volcanic or granite, and right next to running water. But in this heat, I think even more sensitive plants are better off with lots of water of any sort than without - minerals take some time to build up, but heat is "right now". Also, Phals, especially hybrid Phals are not very sensitive to water quality. IT is really more of a problem with cloud-forest species.

[SADE2020]

Thank you Roberta. I got !!!!

And as always you're absolutely right; everyone is happy especially the Hybrids Phals, developing such lovely and huge leaves. The ones inside the house are sloppy

Here is a quick view ;-)