Dendrobium officinale flowering period, how many times it blooms a year, and planting methods to promote flowering

Dendrobium officinale, also known as Dendrobium orchid, black-node grass, Yunnan ironbark, and ironbark dou, is a relatively common precious Chinese medicinal herb in daily life, with laudatory names such as “life-saving immortal grass”, “gold among medicines”, and “Chinese immortal grass”, so it is planted in many places. So when does Dendrobium officinale bloom? How many times does it bloom a year? How should it be planted to bloom?

Dendrobium officinale blooms once a year, and blooms every year from April to June, with yellow-green petals, and the flowering period is from March to June. The raceme usually emerges from the upper part of the old stem that has lost its leaves, with 2~3 flowers; the peduncle is 5~10 mm long, with 2~3 short sheaths at the base; the rachis is zigzag-curved, 2-4 cm long; the floral bracts are dry and membranous, pale white, ovate, 5~7 mm long, with a slightly blunt tip; the pedicel and ovary are 2~2.5 cm long. After the plant blooms and sheds its leaves, it generally does not sprout new leaves, but in the following spring new shoots sprout from the base of the stem, while the old stem gradually shrivels and no longer blooms.

Because the flowering time of Dendrobium officinale is very short, the timing of harvesting is very important, and it must be harvested at the right time. If too early, the medicinal power is insufficient; if too late, it is prone to rot. It can be said that the flower of Dendrobium officinale is also the most precious part of Dendrobium officinale, and its price is also higher than that of Dendrobium officinale fengdou. It is understood that currently Dendrobium officinale fengdou on the market is about 30 yuan per gram, while Dendrobium officinale flowers are 0.5 grams per pack and sell for 20.8 yuan. Compared with Dendrobium officinale, its flowers are more suitable for daily tea brewing and health care.

How to plant?

1. For the planting medium of potted Dendrobium officinale, the bottom one-third of the pot should use stones with a particle size of 2-3 cm, and the upper two-thirds should be covered with finely crushed bark and small crushed stones.

2. The best season for dividing and transplanting Dendrobium officinale for propagation is from the Spring Equinox to Qingming. This period is also the sprouting season, and new buds will grow immediately after planting. Pay attention to the depth: if too deep, the sprouting points will be buried below the planting medium, which will affect the sprouting rate; if too shallow, the roots are difficult to keep moist, which affects growth. Season and cultivation techniques must be carefully observed.

3. Maintenance and management: In potted planting methods for Dendrobium officinale, home cultivation of Dendrobium differs with different environments, and the methods also differ. On balconies or window racks where rain cannot fall directly, during the spring period, because Dendrobium is a herbaceous plant that likes sunlight, direct sunlight is suitable; open-air balcony cultivation should beware of heavy rain or excessive rainfall, which can easily cause root rot and seedling collapse, so cover the top as protection. Specifically according to actual conditions, watering is generally once every 5-7 days, but it must not be too wet or too dry.

4. Summer and autumn seasons: On balconies or window racks not hit by rain, spray water once at 6 a.m. every day. For open-air balconies, to prevent rain or strong direct sunlight, cover with a shade shed and strengthen ventilation.

5. In winter, on balconies or window racks, spray water once every 7-10 days, and direct sunlight is suitable. Below 5 degrees C, do not spray water or fertilize; just crush longan shells, lychee shells, etc. and place them on the pot surface. Be careful to prevent snails.

Harvesting: Harvest at the time of sprouting in late spring each year. When harvesting, cut off stems and branches that are more than three years old, leaving the tender buds so that they can continue to grow.

Precautions:

In the high-temperature seasons of summer and autumn, water should be controlled as much as possible, and the moisture content of the substrate should preferably be 40%~50%; after entering winter after November, the temperature gradually decreases. When the temperature is below 10 degrees C, Dendrobium officinale basically stops growing and enters a dormant state. At this time, the water requirement is very low, and the moisture content of the substrate should be controlled within 30%.

In potted planting methods for Dendrobium officinale, it is better to plant Dendrobium officinale in spring (March to April) and autumn (August to September), and planting in spring is especially more suitable than planting in autumn. This is mainly to make full use of the golden season of March, when the climate warms again, the wind is gentle and the sun is warm, spring rain is as precious as oil, and all things revive. Suitable conditions of temperature and humidity, sunlight, and rainfall are conducive to stimulating the axillary buds at the base of the Dendrobium stem to sprout rapidly, while growing aerial roots for the young buds to absorb nutrients and water, achieving the growth goal of roots first and buds afterward. After all preparatory work before planting is done, the best planting season can be selected to vigorously develop Dendrobium production.