Introduction to the Qijian Black Ink Orchid variety, also known as Qijian Black Ink
Qijian Black Ink, abbreviated as Qi Black, is an important horticultural variety of the Black Orchid (Cymbidium sinense). This variety has a tall and majestic plant form, with stiff, upright, glossy green leaves, possessing a rugged beauty that spans mountains and rivers; in Korea it is called "Sancheon Bosae" (Mountain River New Year's Greeting). Shunde exports more than two million spikes to Korea each year, and most orchid farms in Shunde grow Qi Black as their flagship variety. We need to understand the growth and development of Qi Black...
Qijian Black Ink, abbreviated as Qi Black, is an important horticultural variety of the Black Orchid. This variety has a tall and majestic plant form, with stiff, upright, glossy green leaves, possessing a rugged beauty that spans mountains and rivers; in Korea it is called "Sancheon Bosae" (Mountain River New Year's Greeting). Shunde exports more than two million spikes to Korea each year, and most orchid farms in Shunde grow Qi Black as their flagship variety. We need to understand the growth and development patterns of Qi Black and use this as a basis for scientific management. Based on the author's years of observation records and experience, a summary is given below for reference only. About 5 yuan per seedling.
I. Vegetative growth stage of Qijian Black Ink
The Qijian Black Ink plant is mainly composed of pseudobulbs, sheath leaves, leaves and roots. Usually in February of spring, vegetative buds differentiate from the axillary buds at the nodes of the pseudobulb (rhizome head); in March new shoots emerge from the soil; in April they begin to elongate; in May they grow 8.8 cm taller; in June they grow 9.4 cm taller; in July they grow 7.8 cm taller; in August they grow 5 cm taller; in September they reach the maximum height of 45.9 cm (average value from 2002-2005).
II. Reproductive growth stage of Qijian Black Ink
When the leaves are about to reach their maximum elongation, the basal nodes, i.e., the pseudobulb (rhizome head), then rapidly thicken, and in early August (around the Start of Autumn) the pseudobulb nodes begin to differentiate flower buds.
The Black Orchid typically blooms reliably in January, around the time of the Spring Festival, hence it is called the "New Year Greeting Orchid." From this it can be judged that the Black Orchid is a short-day plant; after autumn when daylight gradually shortens, it enters flower bud differentiation. Flower bud differentiation takes about one month (mid-August to early September), flower bud development takes about one month (early September to early October), and flower bud (alabastrum) development takes about two months (early October to late November). The flower stem begins to bolt and emerge from the sheath (sheath leaves) by 10 cm (meeting the requirements for export orchid spikes) in about 25 days (mid-November to early December); from emerging 10 cm from the sheath to full elongation takes about 25 days (mid-December to mid-January).
We summarize the developmental periods of Qijian Black Ink as: differentiation at the Start of Autumn, pistil initiation at the End of Heat, first emergence at White Dew, sheath leveling at Cold Dew, emergence from sheath at Minor Snow, and full alignment at the Start of Spring.
III. Preliminary division of the reproductive stages of Qijian Black Ink
Sprouting stage February-March
New seedling elongation stage April-September
Flower bud differentiation stage August
Flower bud development stage September-October
Budding stage October-mid December
Spike emergence stage mid December-mid January