It sounds simple — water the plant — yet with orchids, this single task is where most people go wrong. Too much water, and the roots suffocate and rot. Too little, and the plant weakens, dropping buds or stalling before it ever considers blooming. Somewhere between those extremes is a rhythm, and once you learn it, watering orchids becomes less of a chore and more of a quiet ritual. Most beginner-friendly orchids like Phalaenopsis grow in bark or airy substrates, not soil.