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Mar 24, 2016 4:16 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
To clarify on the tap water issue, it won't hurt your orchids at all as long as you don't use it on them too often. If you start seeing the white crusty stuff again, ease back on using it. Plenty of calcium - so much that the plant couldn't absorb it and it crusted on the leaves.

My orchids all get watered automatically with my untreated well water, pH 8.2, that has run through miles of limestone caves so it's full of calcium. The Vandas and mounted orchids get it every day. But I also have a large supply of rain water that I rinse my orchids with, and of course they get rained on from the sky periodically, even in this, our "dry" season.

So I don't have any problems with hard water deposits on the leaves. I've bought orchids from well respected growers that have had those deposits on the leaves. The danger is that the stuff will clog the stomata and eventually the leaf will not be able to absorb water and nutrients very well. That takes a long time, and a lot of deposits.

The other problem with high pH water is it often also has too much phosphorus in it as well. Phosphorus blocks the uptake of a bunch of nutrients if there is too much in the water. When I fertilize my orchids I use rain water so there's no phosphorus in it, and the pH is close to neutral. Just like your distilled water.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill

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