How to grow dancing lady orchids at home: shade in summer, cold protection in winter
SummaryEnvironment: 18-25°C is the suitable temperature for its growth; below 12°C, cold protection measures are needed; suitable for cultivation in South China. Light: moderate shading is required, 50-60% shade in summer and 20-30% shade in winter. Repotting: dancing lady orchids grown for 2-3 years have an overfull root system and need timely repotting. Management: water regularly, keep the soil moist, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer as a base fertilizer, etc. Pests and diseases: prevent and control pests and diseases such as scale insects, soft rot and leaf spot.
1. Environmental requirements
Different varieties of dancing lady orchids have different environmental requirements. Thick-leaved dancing lady orchids like to live in a warm environment, and 18-25°C is the optimum temperature for their growth. If the temperature is below 12°C, cold protection measures must be taken. They are suitable for cultivation in South China. Thin-leaved dancing lady orchids like to live in a cool environment and cannot tolerate high temperatures; 10-22°C is the optimum temperature for their growth. They are not suitable for planting on flat land and are best cultivated in cool areas at mid-altitude, but when winter temperatures are low, they must also be moved into a greenhouse to overwinter.
2. Light
When planting dancing lady orchids, moderate shading is required. Generally, 50-60% of sunlight should be blocked in summer and 20-30% in winter. If the sunlight is too strong, it will slow the growth rate of dancing lady orchids, make the plants short and small, and cause sunscald, leading to dry, dead leaves. If there is too much shade, insufficient light will cause poor leaf growth, affect flower bud differentiation, reduce the number of flowers, and may even prevent flowering altogether.
3. Growing medium
Most varieties of dancing lady orchids are grown in pots, and sphagnum moss, wood shavings, charcoal, perlite, peat soil and the like can all be used as potting media. Mix 40% fine fern roots, 10% peat soil, 220% charcoal, 20% perlite or vermiculite, and 10% crushed stone and crushed brick pieces. When planting, line about 1/3 of the bottom of the pot with crushed stone or crushed brick to allow air movement and drainage; the flowerpot can be a plastic pot, unglazed clay pot, porcelain pot, etc. When planting, expose the pseudobulbs of the dancing lady orchid, because it has aerial roots; if the pseudobulbs are buried underneath, it is difficult for them to grow vigorously, and the production of small shoots will also be affected.
4. Repotting
Dancing lady orchids grown for 2-3 years will gradually grow larger and produce small plants, and their root systems become overfull, affecting growth, so they must be repotted in time. Generally, repotting is done after flowering; plants that have not flowered can be repotted before the growth period, for example in early spring or after the weather turns cool in autumn. When repotting, replace the growing medium along with the pot, and this can also be combined with division.
5. Daily management
Water regularly and keep the soil moist; as soon as the growing medium dries out, replenish the water immediately. In winter, watering can be reduced to encourage flowering; when the temperature is below 10°C, stop watering. When summer temperatures are hot, spray water on the surrounding ground, around the flowerpot and on the plants to increase air humidity so as not to affect their growth, and also place the dancing lady orchids in a ventilated, airy spot to prevent rot disease. At planting time, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer as a base fertilizer, then once a month spread decomposed soybean cake water, oil cake, bone meal, etc. During the growing season of dancing lady orchids, in spring, summer and early autumn, apply a 1500-2000 times diluted liquid water-soluble quick-acting fertilizer once every 2-3 weeks; when not flowering, apply a compound fertilizer with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
6. Pest and disease control
When planting, prevent dancing lady orchids from being harmed by scale insects, which parasitize the edges of the plant's leaves and suck sap, causing the plant to wither, and in severe cases the entire plant will turn yellow and die; they can be sprayed and killed with a 1000 times dilution of 10% omethoate emulsion or a 200 times dilution of 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate. The main diseases of dancing lady orchids are soft rot and leaf spot. Leaf spot harms the leaves of dancing lady orchids, and soft rot causes the entire plant to die. If diseased plants are found, a 1000 times dilution of 50% carbendazim or an 800 times dilution of 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder can be used for control.