What to Do If Your Orchid Has No Fragrance? Try These Five Fragrance-Boosting Measures

First, the growing medium should be rich in nutrients; it is best to grow orchids with improved orchid soil

With the widespread use of artificial granular growing media, chemical fertilizers and modern greenhouses, the propagation rate of orchids has increased markedly, which is encouraging. Yet amid the rejoicing, orchid enthusiasts have found that the alluring subtle fragrance of orchids is becoming rarer and rarer. Looking into the cause, the growing medium is an important factor. For thousands of years people have used orchid soil to grow orchids and cultivate thoroughwort orchids; as long as they are planted and cared for properly, they naturally hold their fragrance year after year. To better solve the problem of air permeability and drainage in growing media, modern people have kept pace with the times and produced various granular growing media, which is a great step forward in history. Since artificial granular growing media generally lack nutrients, people have also used modern technology to produce various orchid fertilizers to make up for the insufficient nutrients, and good results have been achieved. But artificial chemical fertilizers cannot fundamentally supply the large amounts of trace elements and minerals that orchids need for growth. Therefore, growing orchids with artificial granular media and chemical fertilizers alone affects the flower quality, and especially the subtle fragrance, of orchids to varying degrees. Practice has proven that it is best to combine modern and traditional methods: mix sieved orchid soil with artificial granular growing media to plant orchids. The orchids and thoroughwort orchids will then grow strong, the flower colors will be beautiful, and the subtle fragrance will flow all around - the best result.

Second, appropriately increase light and let orchids bask in the sun more

All things grow by the sun, and orchids are no exception. The nutrients needed for flower bud differentiation and blooming are produced through photosynthesis. The longer the light exposure, the more nutrients photosynthesis produces, and the stronger the floral fragrance. If light is insufficient, the plant may grow lushly, but because fewer nutrients are produced, the orchid rarely blooms; even if it does bloom, the flowers are poor and the fragrance is plain. The fact that orchids in places with ample light in natural mountain forests have more flowers and stronger fragrance also proves this point. Therefore, appropriately increasing light and letting orchids bask in the sun more in spring, autumn and winter is a necessary condition for orchids to bloom and release fragrance on schedule.

Third, work hard to create a suitable temperature difference

Most orchids in nature grow in dense forests and secluded valleys. Because there are many trees, good ventilation and higher altitude, even in the hot summer the nights are relatively cool, and the day-night temperature difference is generally around 12 degrees, which is very favorable for storing nutrients. Orchid growth is a unity of photosynthesis and respiration. On the one hand, during the day the orchid plant continuously produces nutrients through photosynthesis; on the other hand, the orchid plant also carries out respiration day and night, consuming nutrients. The higher the temperature, the more nutrients are consumed; the lower the temperature, the fewer nutrients are consumed. Only when the nutrients produced by photosynthesis exceed the nutrients consumed by respiration can the orchid possibly bloom and release fragrance. It can be seen that a necessary temperature difference is an indispensable condition for orchids to naturally hold their fragrance.

Fourth, orchids and thoroughwort orchids need sufficient vernalization

The reproductive growth of orchids has its own special rules, and we cannot go against them. In winter, wild orchids and thoroughwort orchids generally experience temperatures between 0-15 degrees. Although the orchid seedlings do not grow, the flower buds continuously grow and fill out, accumulating nutrients in preparation for blooming. This is an unavoidable stage that orchids and thoroughwort orchids must pass through to bloom. If the winter temperature is on the high side and vernalization is insufficient, orchids and thoroughwort orchids will show bud stagnation; even if they bloom, the flower quality is poor and the fragrance is weak. I have deep experience of this. Last year I had five pots of famous thoroughwort orchid varieties produce buds, and I was overjoyed. To protect them from freezing, I placed them on the windowsill of a heated living room with ample sunlight, where the room temperature was generally around 18 degrees all day. The result was contrary to my wishes: not one pot bloomed, while the seedlings grew well. The reason was precisely that they had not undergone sufficient vernalization.

Fifth, when blooming, the potting soil should be moist with a touch of dryness

Practice has proven that the moisture level of the potting soil when orchids bloom is also one of the factors affecting orchid flower quality and floral fragrance. Generally speaking, letting orchids bloom on the dry side moderately makes the orchid fragrance stronger; conversely, the fragrance is plain.