The new variety Xianmei was dug up in January 2007 by Yu Xiaoxian of Cangyan, Shengzhou, from the Siming Mountains at the border of Shengzhou and Zhuji. At the time there were 6 damaged plants collected from the mountain, 3 of which even bore a flower bud that opened early at the end of February. It was entered in that year's provincial spring Cymbidium exhibition in Tiantai County and drew much attention and praise from many orchid enthusiasts. This year it bloomed again and was entered in the provincial Cymbidium faberi exhibitions in Huangyan and Tonglu, Zhejiang, ...
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Generally, plants within 2 years are all called raw orchids, meaning that after being bought and brought home they must go through 2 winters and summers, gradually adapting to your growing environment, becoming accustomed to your potting medium and watering, and settling in - only then can they be called mature orchids. We often find that bought orchids tend to grow poorly in the first year, with a low rate of new shoot production and slow growth, especially some re-exported orchids, and also some wild-collected orchids from high-altitude regions brought to the north. At such times the orchid needs a gradual adaptation process. What we should do is try to introduce and pot them in spring and autumn, because the temperature at these times suits the orchid's growing period, and after potting they readily send out roots; in summer the high heat makes them prone to rot, and in winter dormancy they are prone to root rot. For raw orchids it is best to use granular potting medium. After trimming the roots, disinfecting and drying them in the air, pot them using pre-soaked medium. Depending on the temperature, on sunny days generally water thoroughly to settle the roots after 3 days. The purpose of this is to let the root wounds heal fully. If during these three days the temperature is high and the medium dries quickly, you can use a spray bottle to mist around the pseudobulb every day, and misting the leaf surfaces is sufficient. After 7 days they can be put on the shelf for normal management. If potting in winter, by no means use too much water, and do not use potting media with strong water retention such as peat or coconut husk, because winter is the dormant period and the plant basically does not take up much water; also, it has not yet settled in and adapted to your environment, so with slightly too much water the roots rot and the leaf tips burn immediately. Therefore, when watering raw orchids in winter, use as little as possible. A simple method is to push aside the medium about 2 cm around the pseudobulb, and if the roots below the pseudobulb look white you can water; if they are damp, do not water. In this way, after 1--2 years the orchid becomes a mature plant, and only the new roots and new shoots it grows truly count as yours. Such new shoots have already adapted to your environment and potting medium, so whether the water is a bit more or less, whether summer is a bit hotter or winter a bit colder, it no longer matters.
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