How to Convert Orchids to Water Culture: 3 Easy Steps

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If you’ve had it with trying to figure out when your orchids need water and have failed at growing them, here is how you can convert orchids to water culture. In this post, I will take a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) that was previously growing in sphagnum moss, and show you how to convert it to water culture.

I prefer growing my orchids in a medium such as bark mix or sphagnum moss, but I love experimenting with different ways of growing orchids, so here we are! You can successfully grow and rebloom your orchids with water culture.

And if it gives you the confidence to keep going with your orchids, it may just be what you need! Here are 3 simple steps.

3 Steps to Convert Orchids to Water Culture

Growing orchids in water is not as simple as plopping your plant in water and leaving it. There are multiple ways to do it, but here are 3 simple steps that you can follow.

1. Soak Your Orchid & Remove the Medium

Whether you have your moth orchid growing in bark or moss, give it a good soaking with room temperature or warm water. In this specific example, I have an orchid growing in sphagnum moss that I rescued. It didn’t even have a pot when it was give to me, so I placed it in a bowl of water and let it soak for at least half an hour.

If you already have your orchid in a pot, slip it inside of another pot that has no drainage holes, and add water and allow it to soak for at least half an hour.

Soaking your orchid allows the bark or moss to come off much more easily than trying to take the medium off while it is dry. Don’t skip this step!

My plant was in a 6 inch pot. After soaking for a while, I peeled away the outer layers of moss, and I still had some work to do. You can see in the photo below that this was probably what the plant looked like in its original 4 inch pot before it was placed in a larger pot.

If your orchid is in moss too, and the center of the moss is still dry after you’ve peeled away the outer layers of moss, place the roots back in water to moisten whatever moss is left.

After carefully removing all the moss, here is what my Phalaenopsis orchid looks like at this point.

You can see that some of the roots are yellow and some are green. As long as the roots are plump and firm, they are fine. I didn’t have any dead or rotten roots, but if you do have them, carefully trim them off with a pair of sterilized pruners.

At this point, rinse the orchid roots to remove any residual bark or moss, and you are ready to move onto the next step.

2. Place Your Orchid in a Clear Glass Vase and Add Water

This is the fun part. Choose a clear glass vase to place your orchid in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be clear, but I highly recommend it because you can easily inspect the orchid roots and you can also monitor the water level, which is important.

Choose a glass container or vase where the leaves can rest on the rim and the plant itself isn’t completely encased by the vase.

And finally, add a little water at the bottom. Depending on your vase, the amount of water will vary. In my case below, I have less than an inch of water. Simply add enough water so that the tips of some of the roots are touching the water. I recommend using a very dilute fertilizer solution. More details on this in the next section.

3. Perform Routine Maintenance

At this point, all there is left to do is regular maintenance. I will update this post to show more progress as the plants grow and flower, but here is what I recommend:

• Place your plant in front of a window or under grow lights. Moth orchids don’t want to be in direct sun all day, but some morning sun works wonders for these plants. Eastern facing windows are great. Western facing windows can be good too, but you’ll want to avoid placing your orchids in too much direct sun, especially if you live in a climate with very strong sun. Refer to my post on orchid sun scald to learn more about light for orchids.
• The evaporating water at the bottom of the vase will provide a nice humid microclimate for your orchid. When the water level is almost down to nothing, replenish with fresh water. I like to use a very weak solution of fertilizer to water. For example, if your fertilizers says to use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water to use with every watering, I will use 1/4 teaspoon per gallons of water. You can mix up the solution in a gallon jug and use it as needed. Orchids are not heavy feeders, but using fertilizer regularly willl go a long way in maintaining beautiful plants!
• Over time, your glass will grow algae. Simply take your orchid out of the base and scrub it down with a soap solution in your sink, and place the orchid back in.
• You may find that some of the old roots will not like the transition to water culture, but you should see brand new roots growing at the base of the plant and these will be well adapted to the new growing environment. If at any point you see any dead roots, simply prune them off.

I LOVE experimenting with growing orchids in different ways. I have over 100 orchids in my collection at the time of writing this post, and the number is growing. I grow in a variety of mediums including bark mixes, sphagnum moss, water culture, and I also have mounted them and have many of those configurations in my home and in my greenhouse.

If you want to learn all about how to get your orchid to rebloom reliably and have healthy, thriving moth orchid plants, don’t miss my signature, online orchid care course, Become an Orchid Master. It also includes bonuses with support from me, personally, to guide you in your orchid journey!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on converting orchids to water culture. Have you tried it yet? Comment below and let me know!

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