Orchid care: be careful to avoid direct sunlight
Chunlan Shengshi Ruidie, Special Gold Award at the 22nd China (Zhenhai) Orchid Expo. This flower originates from Tiantai Mountain, Taizhou, Zhejiang. The leaves are slanted and drooping, thick, glutinous and glossy. The leaf width is medium, and the plant form is elegant. The flower shape is large, and the flower stem is tall and held above the leaves. The three outer petals are bamboo-leaf shaped, and the petals of the column are all transformed into butterfly-like form, and they do not curl even after being open for a long time. The color patches on the two side petals are completely symmetrical, contrasting...
"Shade for camellias, sun for peonies, half shade and half sun for Cymbidium ensifolium." This shows that orchids need half-shade, half-sun light conditions.
Most orchid species grow in mountain forests and have developed a shade-tolerant habit, disliking direct strong light. If the light is too strong, the leaf color quickly turns yellow, the leaf surface becomes rough, and the leaves may even scorch. With moderate light, the leaves are green, fine-textured and glossy; with too little light, the leaves are dark green and lose their gloss.
The intensity of light has a direct effect on the number, emergence time and growth condition of leaf buds and flower buds. If the light is too weak, the orchid produces more leaf buds and fewer flower buds, and their growth is poor. Therefore, appropriately increasing light for a period before flower bud formation can promote flower bud differentiation and achieve more blooming.
The flower color of orchids is mainly determined by flower pigments, and violet light and ultraviolet light in the light spectrum are the main light energy that forms orchid pigments. Therefore, when light is strong, the flower color is deeper and more vivid; when light is weak, the flower color is pale, and compared with normal plants, it may be mistaken for another variety. For example, in ancient times in Ningbo, Zhejiang, there was a type called "Snow Orchid," which was produced on shady, north-facing mountain slopes. "If planted in a pot and exposed to even a little sunlight, it immediately turns green," and so it was regarded as rare and precious. Today it is often encountered during wild collection, and it can also be obtained through artificial cultivation.
The intensity of light also affects the flowering period. In the same cultivation site, orchid pots placed in a brighter position bloom first. If you want to delay the flowering period and slow down the speed of blooming, you can place the pot in a shady, cool place.
Liking half-shade, half-sun light is a common trait of most Cymbidium plants, but there are also differences among orchid species. Species that bloom in spring, such as Chunlan, Chunjian and Songchun, need relatively weaker light, and the shade level should be controlled between 70%-80%. Species that bloom in summer and autumn, such as Xiahui and Qiusu, need slightly stronger light, and their shade level should be controlled between 60%-70%; Mojian (Cymbidium sinense) needs about 85%.
Although orchids are relatively shade-tolerant, they also have phototropism. In the same cultivation site, the flowers and leaves on the sunny side are always more luxuriant. Over time, this makes the growth of flowers and leaves uneven, and they lean to one side. For symmetry and beauty, the direction of the orchid pot should be rotated and adjusted at intervals.