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Pings and Orchids (and Water)

So... question. I know there are 2 types of Pings that were specifically bred to grown near Orchids to keep bugs off the finicky flowers.

My question is this: Are pings more tolerant of "impure" water than I realized, or do you still need to worry about RO/Distilled water with them? It would seem to me that most average Orchid growers wouldn't take the time to water the Pings with different water than the Orchids....

I ask because my mother loves her Orchids and I'd love to send her a ping or 3. She's enjoyed the idea of growing carnivorous plants but never quite grasped the specifics. Anyway, I'd love to send her a ping, especially if they'd help her get rid of those bugs in her Orchids... but I'd hate to do so if she's just going to kill them with tap water. ???
 
To my knowledge, you can give Mexican pings regular tap water because they grow in richer soils. But the American and European Pings you would want to give distilled water.
 
Mexican Pings should be ok with mineral and nutrient levels in tap water but beware other possible additives such as chlorine etc. Might be best to let it stand for a day or so before using.

I really am not an orchid grower but have a couple and I use rainwater for these, too, as well as other house plants when I can.
 
I have a friend who grows hundreds of orchids, and his Pings look good! They get a weak fertilizer everytime they're watered he never bothers flushing them or anything (and I think its tap too)
 
That's... absolutely amazing. I know what I'm getting her for her birthday now! :)

Edit: Think if I tell her "Just treat it like a particularly sticky Orchid" it'd live?
 
I think. she should probably hold off on the fert if she can. My friend's fertilizer is REALLy dillute.
They want more water than orchids. I think the easiest way to get watering right is with the tray method. LFSM might work as long as it doesn't stay wet all the time.
 
There are some orchids that are picky about mineral in the water. The leaves will suffer on the delicate ones like gongora and paphs. I use tap water and starting to notice the effects on several plants. The plants will be ok with tap and may thrive with you, but the water in every where is different. Even co to co in the same area. For the best results RO would be advisable but I grew wings with tap and they did great till I traded them off. If you really want bug control go with some dews. They do a better job at catching bugs.
 
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