What are the characteristics of Jianlan and Sijilan? Understand their care methods in one article

      Sijilan is a type within the Jianlan series, also known as Xialan, Qiulan, and so on. Jianlan is mainly produced in Fujian, and Fujian was once hailed as the hometown of Jianlan. Jianlan is widely distributed, in areas south of the Yangtze River in China or along both banks of the Yangtze River basin, and on both sides of the central mountain slopes in Taiwan, China. Damp shaded places in forests or under mixed woods at altitudes below 1500 m, and foggy places on south-facing mountain slopes, are good environments for Sijilan to grow.

The flowering period of Sijilan is diverse. Due to differences in varieties and environments, many varieties can bloom two or three times a year, or even 4 times. Some have their main flowering period in autumn, while others bloom in late spring, summer, and early winter. For example: Sichuan's Xiahui, also known as Liuyuelan, blooms from July to October. The early flowering period is in early July, late July to late August is the full flowering period, there are still flowers in early and mid-October, and late October is the final flowering period. Fujian's Qinggeng Sijilan and Baigeng Sijilan have 7-9 flowers and can often bloom 3 times in summer and autumn. They are relatively widely cultivated varieties and open in batches throughout the entire flowering period. Because the flowering period can span all four seasons, it is called Sijilan.

For the flowers of Sijilan, the formation of flower bud embryos occurs about 5 months before flowering. Flower bud development occurs during the diapause period of new shoots. When the leaves of the new seedling are half mature, the flower bud grows from the base of the leaf sheath at the base of the pseudobulb. It can bloom in about 20 days. The scape of Sijilan has 5-9 flowers, and at most up to 18. The bracts are long triangular and open, the petals are mostly slightly drooping at the shoulders, the flower stem is 4-6 cm, and the base of the bracts has nectaries. The sepals are short, rounded, and lanceolate, with 3-5 relatively deep veins. The petals curve slightly inward and lean close together. The lip is broadly rounded, with three lobes not obvious, and the middle lobe is blunt at the tip. After the flower has opened for 2-3 days, the lip turns from flat and extended to recurved.

Sijilan has both color and fragrance. The fragrance of superior Sijilan is fresh and mellow, refreshing to the heart, strong but not harsh, fragrant but not muddy, and refreshing to smell, as in the saying, "Chonglan grows at the bottom of the ravine, and its fragrance fills the secluded forest." Most Sijilan are colored-center orchids. Colored-center orchids are mostly pale yellow flowers, and there are also pale green, pale red, and snow-white ones. The petals of colored-center orchids have vein lines, and the lip has spots. The flowers of Sijilan pure-color orchids are likewise mainly pale yellow with a greenish tinge, and there are also flowers in pure white, golden yellow, bright red, pink, emerald green, and other colors. Pure-color orchids are one of the varieties sought after by orchid enthusiasts and were once regarded as the finest orchids.

The plant form of Sijilan is robust, and the leaf posture is mostly upright or semi-upright, with individual varieties showing a slight droop and semi-arched shape. The leaf posture is graceful, with leaves 20-65 cm long and 1-2.6 cm wide. The leaf color is green or deep green and glossy. The leaf base is relatively narrow, the leaf surface is fish-belly shaped, the leaf tip is tapering or bluntly pointed, the leaf surface has a thin leathery texture, the leaf surface is flat, and the midrib mostly protrudes toward the back. When viewed against the light, the midrib appears as a transparent bright band, yellow and bright, and is especially obvious in pure-color orchids. The leaf margin has fine teeth; the marginal teeth of colored-center orchids are relatively coarse, while those of pure-color orchid leaves are relatively fine.

The pseudobulb of Sijilan is oval. Sizes vary, with a diameter of about 0.6-1.2 cm. The roots are fleshy, with a root diameter of 0.5-0.7 cm and a length varying from 5-6 cm, and some have branching roots. The length and size of the roots are mostly consistent with the leaves; when leaves spread, roots sprout, and when leaves decline, roots rot. Generally each pseudobulb has 4 orchid roots, among which one root is shared with another maternal or filial line. There are 3-5 leaf sheaths, which are thinly leathery. After the orchid seedling matures, the leaf sheaths gradually open and no longer clasp the leaf base.

The new buds of Sijilan generally begin to develop after mid-Autumn under natural conditions. By late December, the new bud embryo can be seen with the naked eye, and in late February of the lunar calendar the new bud grows to 0.2-1.5 cm. Sijilan has a relatively high sprouting rate. Among strong pseudobulbs within three generations, most pseudobulbs can produce 2 new buds. Whether the new buds of the orchid seedling are thick and strong mainly depends on the health and nutrient reserves of the mother seedling; spring buds are stronger than autumn buds. One of the important conditions for ensuring flowering of orchid seedlings is that the orchid seedlings must be strong.

The cultivation and management of Sijilan are the same as for ordinary orchids. The requirements for flower pots are not high. Choose a flower pot with a diameter of about 20 cm and a height of about 25 cm. As long as the pot bottom has drainage holes, it can be used to plant Sijilan. Sijilan likes 3-5 seedlings clustered in one pot, which is beneficial for growth, strong seedlings, and flowering. Generally, it is not suitable to plant a single seedling. Although a single seedling can tiller new shoots, it is unfavorable for growth, and single-seedling planting does not bloom. The basic requirement for orchids to bloom is 3 plants connected together, and 5 leaves will definitely flower.

Orchid pot planting medium configuration. Fill the bottom of the orchid pot with small stones or broken tile pieces to one third of the pot height. For the planting medium, choose fired soil plus peanut shells, or pond mud dried into blocks and broken into granular form. Its fired soil granules are the best, and at the same time put a few cooked soybean seeds into the planting medium as a superior base fertilizer.

Light is the key to the growth of orchid seedlings; it determines the yellow-green of the leaf color and the height of the plant form. If the light is too strong, the leaf color tends to be yellow and the orchid seedlings are strong and relatively short; if the light is too weak, the leaf color is deep green and the orchid seedlings are slender and tall. The suitable shading degree for light is 65%-75%. Those placed on indoor tables should be chosen near the window, but must not receive direct sunlight. This prevents scorched leaf tips. Maintain ventilation to prevent the invasion of pathogens.

Orchid pot temperature. Although orchids seem noble, one must overcome the mentality of overindulging them and pay attention to their growth patterns. For watering, one must master watering when dry, not watering when not dry, and watering thoroughly. To judge whether the orchid pot needs watering, use the reference basis that the orchid soil does not stick to the hand when touched, or the orchid soil has just begun to appear white. When watering, be sure to ensure that the entire pot is evenly moistened and watered thoroughly, so as to ensure that the orchid roots are distributed evenly. A large basin can be used to hold water, and then the orchid pot is placed in the water so that water seeps in from the bottom hole of the orchid pot.

Adjustment of leaf surface humidity. It depends on the season and environment. For example, in autumn and winter, southern China has relatively high humidity, so water is generally not sprayed. The northwest has relatively low humidity, especially when placed indoors with heating, so humidity should be replenished in time. The method for observing humidity is to look at the rate at which moisture in the orchid soil evaporates. For an orchid pot watered once every half month, spray the leaf surface once every 3-5 days; if the orchid pot is watered once every 5-10 days, spray the leaf surface once every 2-3 days; if watered once every 3-5 days, spray once a day; if watered once every 1-2 days, spray twice a day. The spraying time is generally chosen in the morning and evening.

Temperature. Under natural conditions, it can be left to adjust naturally. For indoor cultivation, pay attention to the orchid's overwintering dormancy period and adjust the year-round heat-preservation state. The suitable temperature for the winter dormancy of Sijilan is optimally between 0-12°C. Get through the dormancy period well, and the flowers will be more beautiful the next year. If flowers are not sought, no dormancy period is needed.

Fertilization. As long as the orchid soil is good, fertilization is generally not needed. For fertilization, agricultural compound fertilizer can be used, with 3-5 granules per pot each month; do not apply too much. Fertilizer should not directly contact the orchid roots, and after application, cover with orchid soil. For ordinary leaf surface spraying, 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be added. The root fungi of orchids can meet their nitrogen needs, so nitrogen fertilizer is generally not applied.

Pest and disease control. Sijilan has particularly strong disease resistance, and no diseases have been found in many years of cultivation. Ordinarily, spray 75% chlorothalonil 800 solution plus 0.2% concentration laundry detergent for prevention. When spraying water, 100 mg/L streptomycin can also be added, and when watering, 0.1% potassium permanganate can be added for prevention. If lesions are found on the leaf surface, promptly cut off the diseased substrate to avoid infection. When using pesticides and chemical fertilizers, strictly control the concentration, emphasize scientific fertilization and medication, and avoid artificial fertilizer damage and pesticide damage to the seedlings.

Orchids are elegant, plain, and unadorned flowers that do not compete for splendor with other flowers; their fresh, delicate, and far-reaching fragrance is hailed as the "ancestor of fragrance," "national fragrance," and "the finest fragrance under heaven." Zheng Banqiao praised them as: "Though the wind is wild, the leaves are not harmed; the character is already elegant, and the flowers are also fragrant." Marshal Zhu De once praised orchids in a poem: "Light and simple attire is originally national beauty; who can match the clear fragrance of the orchid?" The people of our country have loved orchids since ancient times. Some say, "One orchid plant is a thousand paintings, one orchid scape is ten thousand poems." This is the most fitting description of the Chinese people's love for orchids. As early as the Spring and Autumn period 2400 years ago, the Chinese cultural sage Confucius called the orchid the "fragrance of kings." This saying has been passed down to this day, enough to prove the place Chinese orchids occupy in history and culture.

The Jinzhang Lanpu, written by Zhao Shigeng of the Southern Song dynasty in 1233, can be said to be the earliest extant work in China devoted to the study of orchids, and it is also the world's first monograph on orchids. The "Bailan" recorded in the book, according to modern orchid scholars' research, is Jianlan. The Jianlan series are mostly Sijilan, which shows that Sijilan is one of the earliest main orchid types commonly grown by Chinese people.

Sijilan, recognized in both ancient and modern times, is famous throughout China and has crossed the seas; it is easy to manage and protect, good at producing shoots, and fond of flowering; its plant form is robust, its leaf color lush, its colors plain, and its scent delicate. Enthusiasts collect it without realizing it, never selling out because orchid market prices are high, nor abandoning it because the orchid market is sluggish. The vast majority of people who love orchids always keep Sijilan on hand.