A few bad habits beginners easily fall into when growing orchids
Feicui Yu, also known as Sigang Shui. A traditional old variety of striped-leaf orchid -- the evolving translucent variegation of Sigang Shui
1. The habit of loving to buy weak seedlings. Some orchid enthusiasts, tempted by bargains, always love to buy sickly and weak seedlings, and end up buying a big pile of them, with not a single decent one among them, and the seedlings never grow strong. (Cheap weak seedlings are not necessarily unsellable; buying weak seedlings is only unsuitable relative to beginner orchid growers.)
2. The habit of loving to water too much. Even knowing that too much watering will rot the roots, they still cannot control themselves, their hands itch, regardless of timing, always wanting to water a bit more, and in the end watering the orchid to death.
3. The habit of loving to fertilize too much. Fearing the orchid grows too slowly, today they use this fertilizer, tomorrow that fertilizer, with short intervals and increased proportions, and in the end burn the plant to death.
4. The habit of loving to repot. Regardless of season, regardless of circumstances, they repot at the slightest impulse. Today someone says this potting medium is good, so they use it; tomorrow someone says that medium is good, so they switch again, and as a result the orchid never grows vigorously, and in the end repotting kills it.
5. The habit of loving to dig into the potting medium. Always wanting to see whether the shoots have grown, whether the shoots have grown bigger, digging today and looking tomorrow, and as a result affecting the orchid's sprouting and growth, and sometimes carelessly breaking off the shoots.
Do not use a large pot to grow a small plant: the drawback of using too large a pot is that the larger the pot, the more potting medium inside. If you water too little, the outside is wet but the inside is not, and the roots cannot get water. If you water too much, the outside dries but the inside does not, so the potting medium easily decays and becomes acidic, and the roots rot along with it. You think that more potting medium means more nutrients -- wrong!
Do not use fertilizer in excess: fertilizer can promote the orchid's growth, make it stronger, and bring it to bloom, but do not assume that applying fertilizer will produce the effect you intend. The effect of fertilizer depends on coordination with other conditions, and it must also be used in appropriate amounts. In short, fertilizer should be kept light; otherwise, please seek guidance from someone experienced. Many beginners apply excessive fertilizer, resulting in fertilizer burn and death.
Do not love watering too much: beginners are eager for their plants to grow, and water whenever they see the plant, afraid that insufficient water will make the orchid suffer. Know that this is love, but it is wrong; it only needs a moderate amount of water, and sometimes it also needs to dry out for a while. If you think you have given enough water but the leaves show signs of dehydration, that means: the roots are damaged, or it has been exposed to excessive wind (wind-drying), which is also to say the air humidity is insufficient. Many beginners cause death through water damage.
Do not plant too deep: planting the orchid too deep is also a common problem for beginners. They think that only by burying the crown in the potting medium can it absorb nutrients -- wrong. The crown of the orchid should all be exposed at the pot surface, to avoid stuffiness and rot as well as new shoots rotting from dampness.
For the above situations, beginner orchid growers should, through continuous learning and frequent exchanges with fellow orchid enthusiasts, and through constant adjustment and maturing of their mindset, gradually change these bad habits, ultimately making the orchids they grow stronger and better and better.