When is the best time to divide orchids

    Once orchids are grown well and there are more orchid seedlings, dividing them naturally becomes necessary. When you are not forced to divide them because of disease, your mood is naturally happy. Books say a lot about the timing of division: the Spring Equinox or the Autumn Equinox (around the Autumn Equinox is best), while summer and winter are not suitable for repotting and dividing.

    The direction of choosing divisions is to bloom this year, to grow strong seedlings, to produce new shoots... there are many different views. Generally speaking, if you want them to bloom that year, you should detach the forward-growing seedlings, preferably with an old seedling from three generations back. In this way, the probability of blooming that year is higher. Under normal management, the forward-growing seedlings that are divided off will also develop into strong growth generation after generation.

    To produce new shoots, then you must cherish every single seedling.

    Here is a method: the single-strong-seedling division method, selecting one-year-old strong seedlings. Taking Cymbidium goeringii as the standard, with a robust pseudobulb and more than 4 leaves, after doing the preparation work, once potted, this kind of strong single seedling needs more stimulation or nourishment from sunlight and rain: for ordinary varieties, one producing two or even three is very normal. In my garden, several have reached one producing four. Unlike the slow rejuvenation of old and weak seedlings that are divided off, the seedlings produced by dividing these strong seedlings can be rejuvenated within two years with proper management. Naturally, within two years one strong seedling becomes more than six or seven strong seedlings. Sunlight and rain are the best hormones. There is another timing for division that requires full familiarity with your own orchid-growing environment and a method after management becomes effortless: summer division from May to July over 60 days.

    Summer is hot, and if not handled properly there is a risk of losing everything. Generally, orchid shoots are spring shoots and autumn shoots. Spring shoots cannot become seedlings before midsummer, and during the summer dormancy period their growth will stall. After autumn they continue to grow, which directly affects the production of autumn shoots and the nutrients shared with flower buds. Autumn shoots are the same. I remember in 2005, when I first came into contact with orchids, I often heard the experts at the time say: "Orchids are lazy flowers, divide them and they will not bloom, divide them and they will not produce shoots." Over the past few years, through a series of verifications, no matter spring, summer, autumn or winter, after orchids are divided, as long as they are healthy mature seedlings within three generations, they will produce shoot points at the first opportunity. Summer division is meant to grow summer shoots, so that before the orchids' winter dormancy period the summer shoots can basically become seedlings, and in the coming spring, together with the mother seedlings, they grow spring shoots. However, with summer division you should also try not to leave too large a wound on the orchid plant. Choose the potting medium you are most skilled with, and in the early stage it must be cool and ventilated. Easier said than done. Interested orchid friends can give it a small try.