The correct method for separating and dividing orchids in the original pot
According to the records in "Linghai Lanyan": "Shuixiansu", the flower color is pale green, the petals are short and broad, the height can reach the rack, the quality is precious, the leaf appearance is clear and lustrous, the tip droops and the base is slender. Can you picture the fairy walking on waves, startled like a swan looking at its reflection? Li Biwu Sima's family had more than ten shoots. He often said: "External things can all be shared with others. What cannot be shared and given away are only my wife and this orchid!"...
Ancient orchid growers believed: at the spring equinox, divide Molan and Jianlan; at the autumn equinox, divide Chunlan and Huilan. This is a historical summary. Under generally normal conditions, repotting at the autumn equinox can enable orchids and huilan to grow better according to the rules, the so-called orderly division and growth, obtaining in accordance with the season. The first ten days and the last ten days of the autumn equinox are the best time for dividing pots. In view of this year's global heat effect and the raging autumn tiger, dividing pots within twenty days after the autumn equinox is also reasonable.
I. Scientific pot division. The quality of pot division directly affects the survival and growth of orchids and huilan, and must not be taken lightly. Five to seven days before dividing the pot, apply a fertilizer for separating from the mother plant once, so as to benefit the orchids and huilan after division with sufficient vitality and speed up recovery and growth. When dividing the pot, the inside of the pot should be slightly dry, to prevent damage to new roots, orchid buds, and flower buds. During the operation, absolutely avoid pulling hard; tap both sides of the pot wall lightly with the palm of the hand, so that the pot soil (orchid stone) can come loose.
II. Cleaning and disinfection. After the orchids and huilan are removed from the pot, slowly shake off the planting material around the orchid roots; use sterilized orchid scissors to clean up residual roots and withered leaves; divide the orchids and huilan into clumps of three to five shoots; rinse clean under tap water. Place in a 1:800 dilution of carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl and other disinfectant solutions and soak for half an hour. Rinse briefly in clean water. Place in a cool, ventilated place to dry for one to two hours. After the orchid roots are slightly white, apply charcoal ash or sulfur powder to the cut surfaces of the orchids and huilan to prevent infection.
III. Potting techniques. Orchids in a pot are like people living in a room; comfort and suitability for the orchid are important. According to the number of shoots, choose the size and style of the pot; there should not be large shoots in a small pot, and especially avoid small shoots in a large pot; for a straight-barrel pot, the orchids and huilan can be placed in the middle of the pot, with the grandfather-generation grass slightly toward the edge, and the orchid roots going straight down into the pot; for a wide-mouth pot, turn the long orchid roots around the pot wall, so that the orchid shoots stabilize their foundation. After the planting material is placed, gently shake the orchid pot, so that the orchid roots and planting material have a slight degree of contact.
IV. Post-division management. As for when it is best to water the orchids and huilan after dividing the pot, opinions have always differed. I think it should be determined according to the actual situation. If the planting material has some moisture, then let the seedlings recover for three or four days, and then water for the first time, which is more conducive to the recovery of the cut surfaces of the orchids and huilan and avoids the worry of rotten buds. Newly planted orchids and huilan likewise do not need misting, so as to ensure a smooth transition. In a cool and ventilated environment, a seven-to-ten-day period of rest and recuperation is needed, and then they can be put on the orchid rack and transferred to normal management.
Especially for high-grade shoots, in order to reduce risk and improve the survival rate and shoot production rate, adopting the original-pot separation operation is a good method. The premise is: the old shoots must have roots.
I . Cut with a sharp small knife. The method is: brush aside the covering soil on the pseudobulbs, find the joining point between the two pseudobulbs, and cut accurately.
II . Separate directly with both hands. This method is used for old grass with a relatively wide road. During operation, control the degree of force well, and absolutely avoid breaking the pseudobulbs by bending.
III . After carrying out the operation, apply thiophanate-methyl, carbendazim, and other fungicides to the separated area. Specialized plant wound ointment, as well as thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil, miconazole, streptomycin, carbendazim, and other powders, will all do.
IV . After the operation, the old grass does not need separate management, and new buds can grow in about 20 days to 1 month.