Crop Root Care Methods and Technical Key Points
Hua Hudie is a new flower, a ruidie (staminal-petal butterfly) type that people rather like. But from my observation: many novices like it, while few experienced orchid growers do. Why? Because novices look at the showiness, and Hua Hudie is quite brightly colored, just as people around the world tend to prefer Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis orchids. Experienced growers, however, feel that Hua Hudie has a low degree of butterfly transformation, heavy green moss,...
The root is the foundation. The root is a great organ on a plant, working quietly inside the pot; it is responsible for absorbing water, transporting nutrients, and respiration. Only with good roots can a plant grow robustly, continue its life and reproduce; only with good roots can it produce beautiful flowers, and only then can the leaves develop beautiful leaf variegation. Generally speaking, one orchid plant (one growth) can grow about 3~6 roots, and under normal conditions the root growth period occurs twice: one before the new shoot opens its leaves, and one at the stage when the new shoot forms its head. Around these two periods, 2~3 new roots will grow. The key points to note during the new root stage are: fertilizing and watering; the key points to note during the growth stage are: the harm of nematodes and problems with the potting medium!
Only with healthy roots can the plant's leaf variegation continue to evolve and thrive; only with healthy roots can it bring you wealth. If the roots are not grown well, no matter how much money you spend or how high-grade a flower you plant, in the end you will still get nothing and be unable to obtain the benefits you should get. Therefore, in [root maintenance] you must put in special effort to cultivate them, and pay attention to the following points:
1. A good growing environment.
2. Regular insecticide and fungicide treatment.
3. Regular replacement of the potting medium.
4. Pay attention to the timing of watering and stopping watering.
5. Buy healthy plants.
Only when the above conditions are met can you grow robust orchid plants!
In root care, you must also pay special attention to the thickness of the roots of that orchid genus. Usually, highly variegated plants have thinner and shorter roots, so special effort is needed in care, otherwise they easily become orchids that have lost their roots. In addition, for highly variegated plants, do not divide the plant into too few parts; it is best to keep 1~2 connected growths as the basic unit for cultivation, so that the roots can normally transport the necessary water and nutrients and the plant can remain normal, with beautiful leaves and delicate flowers. Otherwise, the plant will become smaller and smaller, and the variegation will also regress more and more!
In many cases, when the root tips have just grown out and are still fragile, improper use of fertilizer and chemicals causes the root tips to turn black or rot, and this is also one of the reasons for stagnation of new shoot growth (yixiku). Therefore, during the growth period of new roots, there should be sufficient light, good ventilation, and moderate watering and fertilizing. In the process of cultivating orchids, the care of the "root" requires a great deal of attention, so as to achieve the goal of root system care!