Orchid Care Methods and Precautions in Early Spring

Orchid (scientific name: Cymbidium ssp.): epiphytic or terrestrial herb, with several to many leaves, usually borne at the base of the pseudobulb or on the lower nodes, distichous, band-shaped or rarely oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, with a broad sheath at the base that usually wraps around the pseudobulb, and articulated. The raceme bears several to many flowers, in colors including white, pure white, white-green, yellow-green, pale yellow, pale yellow-brown, yellow, red, cyan and purple. Among the traditional famous Chinese flowers, "orchid" refers only to certain terrestrial species among the orchids distributed in China, such as Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii), Huilan (Cymbidium faberi), Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium), Molan (Cymbidium sinense) and Hanlan (Cymbidium kanran), which is what is usually meant by "Chinese orchid". This type of orchid is very different from tropical orchids with large, brightly colored flowers. It has no eye-catching flamboyance and no huge flowers or leaves, yet it has a simple, quiet, elegant and noble temperament, which fits well with Eastern aesthetic standards. It has a cultivation history of more than one thousand years in China.

Early spring is the full bloom period of Baosuilan (Cymbidium sinense) and Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii), and also the budding period of Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium), Hanlan (Cymbidium kanran) and others. Early spring is often rainy, temperatures vary greatly, and cold waves tend to recur, which is extremely unfavorable to orchid growth. If poorly managed at this time, orchids may suffer root rot and bud rot, and even the Baosuilan and Chunlan in full bloom may have their flowers rot. Therefore, orchid care in early spring is very important.

In view of the unpredictable, cold and rainy weather of early spring, Baosuilan and Chunlan in full bloom must be kept indoors to protect the flower scapes and flowers, because rainy and cold, changeable weather will shorten the full bloom period, and watering orchids with cold rain can cause the flowers to rot. For orchid types such as Jianlan and Hanlan, they can be placed outdoors, but attention must be paid to draining the pots and preventing waterlogging, and it is best to set up plastic film above the orchid pots to shield them from rain.

In early spring, all fertilizer should be avoided for orchids. At this time the potting soil should be kept slightly moist; otherwise the new buds of Jianlan and Hanlan will rot and die, commonly known as “black death”, where the tips of the orchid buds rot and turn dark brown, extending until the whole bud withers and dies. If spring buds rot and die, it will seriously affect the growth, propagation and flowering of the whole pot of orchids that year. As the saying goes: spring buds strong, summer buds weak, autumn buds do not count. If spring buds rot and die, vigorous new seedlings will not be obtained that year.

Rainy spring weather is a period when various pests and diseases occur frequently. Snails, aphids, scale insects, cutworms, mole crickets and other pests begin to harm orchid plants and new buds; rainy and humid weather will aggravate the occurrence of brown spot disease. Therefore, spray regularly with 65% thiophanate or 50% carbendazim at 1000 times dilution, keep the area around the orchid pots clean, and scatter quicklime to prevent pests from entering the pots through the pot walls and drainage holes at the bottom to cause damage, and frequently check the orchid pots for pests and diseases. For Baosuilan and Chunlan whose flowering period has passed, fertilizer should be supplemented in time, but strong fertilizer should be avoided.