Lianpan Orchid Winter Management Methods and Care Tips

In the great family of Chinese orchids, there is a species-scarce, multi-leafed, multi-flowered variety of Cymbidium goeringii known as the Lianpan Orchid (Cymbidium lianpan). The Lianpan Orchid grows in the northwestern Yunnan region, in the Three Parallel Rivers area, and is a type of Cymbidium goeringii that falls between orchids and Hui orchids. It produces 2-5 flowers on a single stem, and its fragrance is clear, distant and delightfully pleasant, making it worthy of being called national beauty and heavenly fragrance. It has its own unique characteristics: taller plants than Cymbidium goeringii, more leaves, and an elegant, graceful appearance. It is more cold-tolerant than Cymbidium goeringii because it grows in high mountain valleys at altitudes of 1600-2800 m. On the other hand, it has extremely high ornamental and economic value. Through development in recent years, many highly artistic fine Lianpan Orchids have been discovered, some of which are rare masterpieces in the world. They are deeply admired by people, sought after and loved by orchid growers and enthusiasts, and collected and cultivated as rare treasures. Therefore, based on my 30 years of experience growing Lianpan Orchids, especially winter cultivation experience, I would like to share it with orchid lovers as a modest contribution to stimulate further discussion. 

I. The most suitable temperature for Lianpan Orchids, 

We know that Lianpan Orchids grow in the lofty mountains of northwestern Yunnan and the Three Parallel Rivers area, in high mountain zones at altitudes of 1600-2800 m. After winter arrives at these high altitudes, most areas have accumulated snow, the climate is naturally very cold, and the minimum temperature is around 0°C-10°C. The Lianpan Orchid has thus developed the plant characteristics of cold tolerance and multiple leaves and flowers, which were shaped by the natural environment. With the changes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the climate rises starting from spring, from -10°C up to 5-25°C, and in autumn drops to 10-15°C. The most suitable temperature for Lianpan Orchids is 13-25°C. Maintaining this temperature allows them to grow very well. Below 13°C growth slows, and below 7°C growth stops and they enter dormancy; flower bud formation occurs, and this is the most suitable temperature for vernalization. 

II. Lianpan Orchids should be stored away in winter 

Everyone who grows orchids knows about storing them in winter and exposing them in autumn; these are the results of growers pampering orchids. Especially in modern orchid growing, in order to make orchids produce more shoots, different types of heat-retaining and moisture-retaining orchid rooms and orchid shelves have been built, and some have even built modern constant-temperature orchid houses, forming systematization and serialization, keeping orchids at around 25°C with humidity within 70%, so that they sprout in all 12 months of the year to meet market demand. When the broad community of orchid lovers buys orchids cultivated in greenhouses, without those conditions the orchids will grow slowly or even stop growing, and only after half a year or a year of adaptation will they sprout and grow and suit the environment. Therefore, it is still better to grow orchids naturally. When winter comes and it is cold, move the orchids from outdoors into the indoors to overwinter, and the orchids will grow very well, with lush leaves and thick roots. In the north, in winter they should be moved into a greenhouse with the temperature kept at 5-10°C, fully providing vernalization to the orchids; doing so can promote flower bud formation and smooth flowering. 

III. Watering orchids in winter 

From observations in nature, after winter arrives in our Yunnan, rainfall decreases, moisture in the air decreases, and humidity drops. Based on this characteristic, the water given to orchids should also be correspondingly lower, with indoor humidity at around 50%, but the moisture in each pot of orchids should be kept moist without being dry. As the saying goes, "watering takes ten years of skill." In winter, when growing orchids outdoors, water once every 3 days. When the sphagnum moss covering the potting soil is dry, spray water, using complete saturation of the sphagnum moss as the standard; doing so can encourage the pseudobulbs to produce leaf buds early. 

IV. Orchids can also be divided into pots and divided into divisions in winter 

Generally people divide orchid pots and divisions twice a year. In recent years in our county, the practice of dividing pots once a year has been eliminated, and now twice a year is common. The first time is after the Spring Festival, from the Beginning of Spring to Qingming, and the second time is from September to early November. Why? The advantage of the first pot division and division is that spring has arrived, all things have awakened, and orchid plants easily survive, sprout, and have a high rooting rate; the second pot division and division is when the weather has cooled down, leaf buds are emerging from their sheaths, and they easily survive, with temperatures close to spring temperatures; it is autumn, so autumn buds are waiting to develop. I have explained the reasons for dividing twice a year, and now I especially emphasize the benefits of dividing pots and divisions in winter. In winter the temperature is relatively low, and orchid plants are basically in dormancy (except for greenhouse-grown orchids). After division and potting, by next spring there is no need to change the soil or pots, ensuring that the orchid plants smoothly take root and sprout. 

V. Prevention and control of orchid pests and diseases in winter 

After winter arrives, pests and diseases are relatively fewer, but one still cannot relax and needs to prevent them, especially for orchids brought indoors, which may suffer from some pests and diseases due to poor air circulation. Such as: powdery mildew, black fungus disease, anthracnose, neck rot, rust, etc. It is necessary to spray with streptomycin, penicillin, chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, and a 0.2% medicinal solution, once a month, which can effectively prevent diseases, especially providing very good prevention against pathogens caused by fungi and bacteria. Pests include snails, scale insects, caterpillars, etc., and pesticides for pest control can be used, such as quick-kill scale insect remedy, acaricide, and methamidophos. The author mostly uses methamidophos. Through more than ten years of use, it has caused no damage to orchid plants, and the orchid leaves remain very healthy. Using an aqueous methamidophos solution to drench the pots clears away all pests parasitic in the orchid pots; the concentration is 0.2%. 

In short, in winter orchids should be stored well, maintaining moderate sunlight, moderate ventilation, moderate moisture, and spraying with disease- and pest-prevention chemicals, and the orchids will grow very well.