How to Propagate Dendrobium Orchids by Cuttings? Latest Technique Tutorial
Dendrobium is a very precious traditional Chinese medicinal herb in China, and it is grown on a very large scale in China. Dendrobium has effects such as promoting fluid production and nourishing the stomach, moistening the lungs and benefiting the kidneys; it can improve the human body's immunity, enhance human memory, and has a very good restorative effect on all the organs of the human body. Nowadays, one of the more important tasks in growing Dendrobium is how to propagate it. Today, the editor brings you the cutting propagation technique for Dendrobium. Let's take a look!
1. Seedbed Selection
For the Dendrobium cutting seedbed, choose a plot with strong permeability, sufficient light, flat terrain, and normal drainage and irrigation. Then use materials such as sawdust powder as the cutting substrate, because sawdust powder has good ventilation and air permeability and is soft enough, making it suitable for the growth of Dendrobium cuttings. Avoid using a cutting substrate that contains disease and insect bacteria, diseased seedlings, or unfermented organic matter and other things harmful to the growth of Dendrobium; use agents such as potassium permanganate to disinfect the substrate. Then control the seedbed area according to the number of cuttings and later management, press the substrate firmly, and lay out humus to ensure sufficient nutrients.
2. Cutting Treatment
Select healthy-growing Dendrobium plants free of pests and diseases as the mother plants for cuttings, then choose branches that have grown within two years on the plants; the branches should be thick and strong with plump buds. Do not choose branches that have already flowered or immature branches. When cutting them off, make the lower cut at about 0.3 cm below the leaf petiole, retain about 2 bud nodes, and ensure the cut is smooth and not too large. Do this as much as possible in the morning or on cloudy days, when the cuttings have sufficient water content, strong healing ability, and a high rooting rate. After cutting, place the cuttings in a potassium permanganate solution for disinfection, soak for about a quarter of an hour, wash them clean, and then dip them in rooting agent for 2 seconds; do not touch the axillary buds and concentration, to prevent sprouting from being blocked.
3. Timely Cutting
The cutting time is also very important for the subsequent growth of Dendrobium, generally around April to September each year; the temperature during this period is very suitable for the growth of cuttings. Then insert the treated cuttings into the previously prepared substrate, paying attention to keep the cutting buds facing upward, and insert them into the substrate at a slight angle. The cutting depth should not exceed half of the cutting, to prevent the aboveground part from being unable to grow and making it difficult to form an independent plant. Also pay attention to the cutting density; do not insert them too densely, to avoid affecting each other's light absorption, consuming too many nutrients, and affecting the growth of the cuttings.
4. Post-Cutting Management
After cutting, control the water content of the seedbed at about 60%, then keep the air humidity at about 85%, and water promptly when signs of water shortage are found. When the wounds gradually heal after about half a month, the amount of watering can be appropriately reduced, and good ventilation should be done to improve the rooting rate of the cuttings. Water immediately after cutting; the air temperature must not be higher than the soil temperature, and provide appropriate shading to do a good job of cooling and moisturizing. The temperature for cutting rooting is about 22-24 degrees; if it is too high, ventilate promptly and water appropriately to lower the temperature. Then appropriately spray agents such as mancozeb, about once every 5 days, reduce as appropriate after rooting, and appropriately spray foliar fertilizer after healing. When the cuttings have grown for half a year and reached a length of about 18 cm, they can be transplanted in spring and autumn.
The above is a brief introduction to the cutting propagation technique for Dendrobium. Cutting propagation of Dendrobium is the main propagation method and also the most widely used. It is more suitable for large-scale planting, but everyone needs to master a certain level of skill to ensure successful propagation. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!