An Introduction to Yixiang Soil and a Detailed Guide to Its Use

        I suppose many orchid enthusiasts have gone up into the mountains to dig or gather orchids, right? So have you noticed where the most luxuriant orchids grow? If you observe carefully, you will find that they grow in places where the vegetation is thickest, loosest and most fertile. So what is vegetation? Vegetation is the thick layer formed by fallen leaves piling up year after year, rotted and fermented through the rain and wind of nature. This kind of soil layer is loose and fertile, rich in organic matter, and has good aeration and drainage, so orchids on the mountain can grow very luxuriantly even without artificial fertilization and maintenance.

       "Yixiang" soil is made from the essence of natural vegetation, with imported peat as the main raw material, plus a variety of organic nutrients needed by orchids, scientifically refined, high-temperature sterilized and carefully made. It is looser and more breathable than mountain vegetation, with more comprehensive nutrition, greatly improving the rooting and sprouting rates, making the flowers bloom more charmingly and more vividly, with a richer fragrance!

         I sincerely hope that orchid enthusiasts everywhere can easily grow orchids well, cultivate their character, refine their minds and nature, and prolong their lives.

The Ten Major Advantages of Using "Yixiang" Soil

One,    Wide adaptability: Since it was introduced to the market in 05, it has received high praise and favor from orchid enthusiasts everywhere. "Yixiang" soil can be used all over the country, in the east, west, south and north, with remarkable

results.

Two,    Convenient management: Watering is generally 1-2 times a week, and in winter a thorough watering once every 1-2 weeks, greatly reducing the workload and labor; there is no need to change the growing medium frequently. After the plant settles in, you can change thesoil about once every 1-2 years, reducing the cost and trouble of frequent soil changes.

Three,    No need for additional fertilizer: Too much fertilizer harms the plant, too little has no effect, and this spares beginners the distress of the difficulty of fertilizing. It reduces salt accumulation in the pot, and the PH value remains stable.

Four,    High sprouting rate, large sprouts and strong plants, strong plants easily produce flowers, the flowers are large in form, thick in petals, and good in presentation. Whether you are a hobbyist or a commercial grower, you will benefit greatly.

Five,    It has an obvious effect on preserving the variegation and color and on the evolution of variegated-leaf orchids and colored-flower orchids.

Six,    Prolongs the life of the plant: This soil is entirely natural organic nutrition, with no chemical hormones whatsoever, and is more suitable for the cultivation and propagation of rare varieties.

Seven,    Heat insulation and warmth retention: In summer the temperature inside the pot is 2-3 degrees lower than outside the pot, and in winter it is about 3-5 degrees higher than outside the pot, which is more conducive to orchids overwintering safely.

Eight,    Strong disease resistance: When the roots are good the plant is strong, when the plant is strong its constitution is good, and when the constitution is good its disease resistance is strong.

Nine,    Balanced trace elements: Users of "Yixiang" soil have not yet shown symptoms of nutritional deficiency such as streaking or mosaic disease. (Note: This excludes BLS symptoms that were discovered or latent before introduction.)

Ten,    Contains natural bactericides: It can kill and adsorb some fungi and bacteria in the soil, and is harmless to orchids!

 

Explanation of the Composition of "Yixiang" Soil

  Total nitrogen g/kg    Total phosphorus mg/kg    Total potassium mg/kg    Iron Fe (mg/kg)  Manganese Mn (mg/kg)  Copper Cu (mg/kg)  Zinc Zn (mg/kg) 

   6.2105   421.5426   1356.01       334.3       20.85       7.7867      326.45

 

      Main raw materials: refined pine bark (natural pine bark with added trace elements, fully fermented at high temperature), imported peat, refined walnut shells, high-quality vermiculite, bamboo charcoal, a comprehensive microbial flora (YXF auxiliary raw materials, etc., carefully made from more than a dozen raw materials).

 

      Effects: Rapid rooting and sprouting, moisture retention and drainage, anti-corrosion and disease resistance, strong and healthy plants

 

      Characteristics: ① Decomposes organic matter and removes toxins ② Rapid rooting, with roots white and thick, fast growth, promoting more leaf differentiation and greatly raising the rate of sprouting and flowering ③ Prevents and controls diseases ④ The effect of keeping warmth in winter and lowering temperature in summer ⑤ Reduces salt accumulation in the pot, and the PH value remains stable.Developed and researched by Shanghai Yixiang Orchid Garden Greening Engineering Co., Ltd.

 

Key Point One of How to Correctly Use "Yixiang" Soil

      Please choose the best time to repot and change the soil, from September to October on the lunar calendar each year. During this period most regions of our country have gradually turned cooler, summer has gone and autumn has come, and orchids once again enter a stage of rapid growth. If during this period you repot and divide the varieties that need repotting and dividing, and manage them carefully, I believe you will soon see new roots and large sprouts, but these large sprouts are hidden deep in the soil, and they will also lay a solid foundation for strong plants the following year. After the plant settles in, new roots fill the pot, growing in the soft growing medium, adding another safeguard for the orchids' overwintering.

Second, from November to March of the following spring, this period is also a relatively ideal repotting season, though the effect is slightly poorer than September to October. This is explained by our garden based on our own actual repotting results in recent years, and we very much welcome orchid enthusiasts to offer valuable suggestions, discuss together, and sum up experience to master the best repotting time for this miraculous soil.

 

Key Point Two of How to Correctly Use "Yixiang" Soil

      There is a saying in orchid growing, "watering takes three years of skill." Like most orchid enthusiasts who have just started growing orchids, I felt it seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill. Is growing orchids really that hard? Only after many years of growing did I truly feel the real meaning and truth of this saying!

     "Yixiang" soil is made from raw materials with relatively strong water absorption, such as peat and bark, so when the raw material itself is moist it is easy to water through. If it is relatively dry, you need to water it once more or water it slowly until it is thoroughly soaked, and then next time it will be easy to water through. Beginners and new customers should roughly pay attention to the following points:

1. According to different pots, different environments and different weather, adjust the interval between waterings appropriately. For example, with plastic pots and in an environment that is not very well ventilated, generally water once every 7-15 days. 

    If using clay pots or in a well-ventilated environment and weather, water thoroughly 1-2 times a week. Yixiang soil has good moisture retention, but it also drains very quickly, and overly dry growing medium directly affects rooting, sprouting and growth speed.

2. Watering should also change according to the seasons. For example, in spring you can water at 6-8 am when the temperature is below 20 degrees, or at around 3-5 pm; in summer when the high temperature is above 30 degrees, it should be at night

     after ten o'clock once the temperature has dropped; in winter it is best to water at noon when the temperature is high.

3. With appropriate watering and precise control of humidity and light, after one month you can see a layer of green moss growing on the pot and on the surface of the Yixiang soil in the pot. Do not underestimate this moss; as long as it is present in all fourseasons, your orchids will be healthier, less prone to disease, and grow vigorously.        

 

 How to Use "Yixiang" Soil and Precautions

1. Choosing pots: Please choose relatively breathable clay tile pots or sweating clay pots. It is recommended to use fewer plastic pots and purple clay pots (these 2 types of pots have low breathability and release moisture slowly).

2. Choosing materials: If planting a single plant or old, weak plants, you can add 20%-30% unused Kanuma soil or Sentonite soil and mix evenly, or you can use it directly. After opening the bag, first mix the soil evenly. When planting, place the coarse fibrousclumps at the bottom of the pot, and use slightly finer soil at the mouth of the pot.

3. Positioning and firmness: Place the orchid to be planted in the pot that has already been lined with tiles or a drainage cover, with the pseudobulb level with the mouth of the pot. Spread the orchid roots evenly, then slowly fill in Yixiang soil,until it reaches the base of the pseudobulb or just covers the pseudobulb. Gently shake the pot body and tap the pot wall so that the orchid roots fit closely with the growing medium without leaving gaps. Do not press and squeeze thissoil with your hands; keep the growing medium in the pot loose and breathable.

4. Watering: After planting, immediately water thoroughly once (first use a small stream of water to slowly moisten the pot surface to prevent the soil from overflowing when the water is strong). On the second day, water 1-2 more times, or you can soak the pot for about 10 minutes. After that youcan manage it normally. For clay tile pots and other pots with good breathability, water thoroughly 1-2 times a week; for plastic pots and other pots with poor breathability, water thoroughly once every 7-15 days. In winter and on cloudy and rainy daysyou can extend it a few more days, depending on the situation!In the high-temperature summer season, please water after the temperature has dropped, and do not water in the morning. The purpose is to allow the water in the leaf core sufficient time to evaporate; in winter, water at noon when there is sun, to prevent freezing and frostbite of the orchid roots.

5. Attention must be paid to ventilation all year round. The growth of all things depends on sunlight. In spring, autumn and winter, provide as much full light as possible; in summer, shade according to different orchid varieties. Only with good light can the fertilizer effect in the soil be fully absorbed by the orchids,and only then will the sprouting rate of the orchids rise, with healthy plants and strong disease resistance.

6. Fertilizing: The nutritional composition of Yixiang soil is relatively balanced and can already meet the growth needs of ordinary orchids. For almost a year there is no need to fertilize. In the second year, you can appropriately apply some organicfertilizer according to the condition of the plants. The maximum service life of Yixiang soil is 2 years.

    The specific management must also be flexibly mastered and scientifically managed according to the ventilation of the environment, changes in climate, and the use of light, so that the effect of growing orchids with Yixiang soil can be brought to the best level.