Water
Water
The most important aspect of Disa culture is the water.
With Disas as well as a number of other orchids, good water is an absolute necessity. By good water, I mean water that has a very low salt content. While some city water systems meet this requirement, it is not something that can be taken for granted. Disas are very susceptible to salts in the water. You must make sure that the TDS ( Total Dissolved Salts ) of the water plus fertilizer mix does not exceed 300 ppm. In fact, I have lately begun to wonder if even that is too much. The best grown Disas that I have seen were raised in New Zealand where the fertilizer concentration never exceeded 200 ppm. The rest of the time they were just bottom watered with rain water. Best results are obtained when your water is 60 ppm or less and the pH is 5.0 to 6.5. Chlorine and Fluoride in the water may effect growth but can be overcome with misters and an acidic potting medium. If you are not fortunate enough to have suitable tap water, you may use rain water or RO water.
Random Pictures
