What Kind of Bark Is Best for Planting Dendrobium

There are many methods for planting Dendrobium. Below we introduce what kind of bark to use for planting Dendrobium. Dendrobium can be propagated by division, cuttings, sterile sowing, and tissue culture. Among these, division and cuttings propagate slowly, but the methods are simple and suitable for home use. Tissue culture propagates quickly and has high technical requirements, making it suitable for factory production.

Bark brought down from the mountain is rather dirty, with insects and insect eggs, so it should be put in a pot and boiled for 20 minutes. This kills insects and insect eggs and also removes fat. Take it out, let it cool, and cut it into suitable sizes. Put it in a basin and wash off the mud and sand, dry it in the shade, put it in a bucket, add fungicide, and soak it in water for a week. Finally, dry it in the shade and it is ready to use.

Thicker bark is better, and the longer you grow with it, the better it gets, because the new bark gradually ferments and the microbial community gradually forms, and the Dendrobium also adapts to the environment. Generally, after growing for more than a year, it can grow very well.

New bark absorbs water rather poorly, so at first you must pay proper attention to watering and check whether it has been watered through. Do not wait until it is completely dry before watering. It is best to grow it in the open air, so that rain and sun will cause the bark to ferment, and its water absorption will gradually improve. Much of the bark bought online has not been fermented, and it is also rather small. It is recommended to go up the mountain and collect some yourself. For growing Dendrobium, larger bark is still better.

Mounting method

Mounting is actually just finding a piece of tree fern board, bark, or Chinese fir board, or you can even directly find a section of tree stump with bark still on it, which is also quite good.

Tree fern board is Cyathea board (Alsophila spinulosa (Hook.) Tryon), the only extant woody fern plant, extremely precious and worthy of being called a national treasure, listed by many countries as a first-class protected endangered plant.

As for bark or tree stumps, softwoods such as oak are best; Chinese fir and pine are both fine, and longan tree is also fine. In short, thicker and rougher bark is better. (Some friends like to tie it onto rocks, which is also fine, with the same method.) Fresh Cyathea boards, bark, and tree stumps should be boiled if possible, or exposed to strong sun for several days, which can both kill insects and sterilize.

Use a utility knife to cut the Cyathea board or bark into suitable sizes, then add a hook. Hooks are generally made from the core of copper wire or aluminum wire, or stainless copper wire, which does not rust easily.

Dendrobium collected from the mountain basically has dry roots, and dry roots are not good for the growth of Dendrobium. Generally speaking, these roots will not grow again. Whether mounting on a board or planting in a pot, apart from leaving a small number of roots (retaining new roots and living roots) for fixing, before mounting or potting you should cut off the excess roots, then soak them in clean water for a while, and use a toothbrush to wash clean the decayed bark, mountain soil, and other impurities sticking to the head and roots. Then mount or pot them, which helps stimulate the sprouting of new roots.

Spread the Dendrobium on the Cyathea board or bark, then cover with a layer of sphagnum moss (first soak the sphagnum moss until thoroughly wet), and finally tie it up. If you are worried about poor water retention, you can also first spread a thin layer of sphagnum moss, then place the Dendrobium, and then cover with another layer of sphagnum moss. There is generally no great requirement for how much sphagnum moss to use. If it is small things like wind orchids and Holcoglossum, the sphagnum moss can be as little as possible, or even none at all, while for Dendrobium aggregatum, you should first put sphagnum moss, then spread the Dendrobium aggregatum, and then just tie it well, without covering more sphagnum moss on top. Use good-quality sphagnum moss; the white kind is quite good. Ordinary wild-collected moss can also be used, but it is best to wash away impurities. For tying Dendrobium, ordinary packing tape or wool thread is fine; it is best to find some durable thick fishing line.

After mounting, first hang it in a semi-shaded, ventilated place for one to two weeks, and then it can be managed normally.

Three substrates suitable for the growth of Dendrobium officinale

Why do some growers' Dendrobium officinale look as if it has not grown or has become sick? One of the main reasons is that they planted Dendrobium officinale in soil. In fact, planting Dendrobium officinale in soil is very wrong. The roots of Dendrobium officinale need a relatively good ventilation environment in order to better absorb water and nutrients, helping the stems, leaves, and flowers of Dendrobium officinale grow and resist pests and diseases. Soil, however, has extremely poor ventilation and is not suitable for planting Dendrobium officinale. So where should Dendrobium officinale grow, or what kind of material is better to use? The answer is substrate. Wild Dendrobium officinale mostly grows in rock crevices or on tree bark, and rarely or never grows in soil. So when artificially cultivating Dendrobium officinale, which substrates are relatively suitable for its growth?

Moss

Moss is the lowest of the higher plants, with no flowers and no fruit, reproducing by spores, liking dark and damp environments, and is one of the plants used to monitor air pollution levels. Harvested and sun-dried moss has a very good ventilation effect and can absorb water well, making it a relatively good substrate.

Using moss as the growth substrate for Dendrobium officinale can not only ensure that the roots have good ventilation, but also help detect when to water Dendrobium officinale and replenish the water it needs in time. Moreover, moss can protect well the nutrients needed for the growth of Dendrobium officinale and prevent them from being lost.

Sawdust

Sawdust refers to the sawdust, shavings, and other powder left behind when wood is processed. In modern times it is mainly used as fuel or as a lightweight aggregate filler, or made into artificial boards and the like using advanced technology.

Likewise, sawdust can be used as a growth medium for many plants, such as shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, and wood ear fungi. Sawdust is soft and loose, can protect plant roots well from damage, and at the same time has good ventilation, can satisfy plants' demand for air well, and also has good water retention and fertilizer retention.

Therefore, sawdust is also a substrate relatively suitable for planting Dendrobium officinale.

Bark

Bark refers to the outermost protective structure of a tree and is also an important part for the tree to transport nutrients. For felled trees, the outer bark has little use value, so timber workers usually remove the bark. The removed bark usually has two uses: fuel and substrate. Bark also has good ventilation and water retention and fertilizer retention, and is very suitable for the growth needs of Dendrobium officinale. Most Dendrobium officinale planting beds use bark as the substrate.

In addition to the above three substrates, small stones and rubble can also be used as planting substrates for Dendrobium. They all have relatively good ventilation. The reason wild Dendrobium officinale grows in rock crevices is that there is a lot of moss, broken twigs, fallen leaves, and so on there, which can meet the water and fertilizer needs of Dendrobium officinale. At present, many enterprises or growers, in order to better meet the growth needs of Dendrobium officinale, usually mix multiple substrates together, and at the same time carry out special treatment of the substrate. Before planting Dendrobium officinale, the substrate must also be disinfected to reduce bacteria and viruses that may exist in the substrate.

No matter what is used as the substrate, first it must be granular, with a particle size of about 0.5 cm; second, when using bark, shavings, pine cones, and Chinese fir branch segments as the substrate, they must be soaked in water for 7 days and used after disinfection; third, the substrate should preferably use rot-resistant materials such as alder bark, pine bark, pine cones, fine Chinese fir trunk segments, and fine shavings, and can also be mixed with a portion of crushed brick and tile, charcoal, and fern leaf ash charcoal.

According to the experience of Zhejiang people growing Dendrobium officinale in Xishuangbanna, pine bark and pine cone granules are the best materials for substrate. They have the following advantages: first, they resist rot; second, they drain water; third, they have good air permeability; fourth, they have good water retention. Put the disinfected substrate in the cultivation bed and rake it level, to a thickness of about 3 cm. When putting in the substrate, place the larger granules at the bottom and the finer ones on top. Please note that the substrate must absolutely not be mixed with various organic fertilizers.

There are several methods for planting Dendrobium. Growers should choose a planting method that suits them according to their own conditions. Mastering scientific planting techniques is the key.