hard water residue on orchid leaves

[Judi]

We have very hard well water, so I collect rain water in a barrel. That seems to work quite well for watering and misting my orchids and other houseplants; I use a fine mist early in the day to make sure it dries before evening. I also grow a small hydrophonic lettuce and herb garden in the winter and use rain (or melted snow) water but I always check the PH level to make sure it's not too basic or acidic. So far my levels are within the acceptable range. I use vinegar to remove hard water stains from faucets and other surfaces, but I'm not sure how safe that would be for orchids. In any case, I don't have water spots with rain water.

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[nutgirl]

I am also on well water, hence my problem. I have to run misters all day to cool my little greenhouse. I'm working on a way to deflect the mist from the plants but still benefit from the evaporation and higher humidity.
I'm going to test the effects of vinegar vs lemon juice also.

I like to experiment. (that's why I love orchids!)

maureen

[sunny]

fans, fans, fans, fans etc. try to aim them at each other so you get a cross wind.

also, to make the orchids look better, get some neem oil. add a little bit with detergent to break it up and spray them on your orchids (or any plant). you will think you are the greatest orchid grower ever.

carol

[nutgirl]

Thanks to all for the input.

Sunny, does the neem oil remove the hard water crust or prevent it from sticking to the leaves?

Maureen

[sunny]

maureen, it is marketed in this country as a "polish" because it has not been allowed for anything else. however, other countried believe it is also very good for the orchids. you can get it at a lowe's or wal-mart most of the time. make sure to mix in the detergent or it is sludge. you will find it on almost all of your orchid supply sites. it's very well known and appreciated. it's also not expensive. a little bottle goes a long way. i have very salt water and it clears it up.

carol

[Ray]

Originally Posted by nutgirl

Thanks to all for the input.

Sunny, does the neem oil remove the hard water crust or prevent it from sticking to the leaves?

Maureen

It is not an extremely good cleaner, but as an oil, would likely help future buildup be easier to remove.

HOWEVER: Use of Oils on Orchids