How to Grow Chunyu Flower? Detailed Growing Methods and Precautions

Chunyu flower is a type of Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii), with an elegant plant form and exceptionally beautiful appearance, making it quite suitable for indoor greenery. So how do you grow Chunyu flower?

1. Basic Introduction to Chunyu Flower

Chunyu flower is a type of Chunlan (Cymbidium goeringii). It is a famous narcissus-petal-type Chunlan cultivar selected by Shen Yuanru in Wuxi in 1948, with a narcissus petal type. The basic characteristics of Chunyu flower are: the three outer petals have tight edges, contracted bases, and rounded tips; soft pistil column; small liu hai tongue. It grows semi-upright and is a vigorous bloomer.

Among narcissus-petal-type Chunlan flowers, besides Chunyu flower, Longzi, Cui Yipin and Wangzi are all relatively famous cultivars.

2. How to Grow Chunyu Flower?

1. Choose a flower pot with good drainage, preferably a clay pot; if using a plastic pot or purple clay pot, drainage must be ensured;

2. Choose suitable growing soil, preferably orchid soil;

3. In summer when temperatures are high, water can be given daily; when temperatures are low, water once every 2-3 days;

4. Fertilize according to the growth of the Chunyu flower; do not apply concentrated fertilizer.

To plant Chunyu flower, besides orchid soil, you can also use a mixture of half humus soil and half sandy loam, mixed evenly. Never use alkaline soil.

After preparing the soil and flower pot, first place a tile over the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, then add crushed stones, furnace slag and similar materials, making up about 1/5 of the pot, cover with a layer of coarse sand, and then add the growing soil. Best to place the orchid seedling into the pot, straighten the roots, and let them spread naturally; when the soil is filled to half, gently lift the orchid seedling while shaking the pot so that the orchid roots and pot soil combine tightly, continue filling soil to the pot rim, and press firm. Leave about 3 cm of rim space for fertilizing and watering.

After potting, water thoroughly and place in a shaded spot. In early spring and winter, keep indoors for care; at other times, place under a shade shed. In summer, shade from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; in summer the shading degree should reach about 90%. In spring and autumn, about 70-80% is sufficient.

3. What Types of Chunlan Flowers Are There?

1. Plum-petal type

The sepals are short and round, slightly curved inward, shaped like plum blossom petals. The petals are short, with tight edges, forming a pouch inward; the lip is short and hard, not recurved. There are more than 100 cultivars. Main cultivars include: Songmei, Wanzi, Xishenmei, etc.;

2. Lotus-petal type

The sepals are broad and large, short and thick, with a narrower base and broad tip, shaped like lotus petals. The petals curve slightly inward but do not form a pouch, shaped like a mussel shell; the lip is broad and long, recurved. There are not many lotus-petal cultivars. Main ones include: Zhengtonghe, Cuigaihe, Lüyun, etc.;

3. Narcissus-petal type

The sepals are slightly long, broad in the middle, slightly pointed at the tip, and narrow at the base, shaped like narcissus petals. The petals have a pouch, and the lip is large and extends downward or recurves. There are more than 10 cultivars. Main cultivars include: Longzi, Cui Yipin, Chunyu flower, etc.;

4. Bamboo-leaf-petal type

Generally wild orchids, with sepals and petals narrow and long, narrow at both ends, shaped like bamboo leaves, and the lip long and recurved. There are also many excellent cultivars.

5. Abnormal-petal type

All Chunlan variations belong to this type. A common example is the “butterfly petal”, which is an abnormal mutation, but the traits are unstable; some also have fixed forms. There are not many butterfly-petal Chunlan cultivars, such as: Sixi Die, Jinxue Huang, etc.