How to manage orchid shoots after they emerge from the soil during the opening stage?

Management of orchid shoots after they emerge from the soil - the opening stage

In spring, as temperatures rise and all things revive, orchids also begin to bud and grow. Taking Cymbidium goeringii as an example (the same below), under natural outdoor cultivation in the Shanghai area, orchid shoots generally begin to push through the soil surface one after another by late April, with May being the peak period for orchid shoots. From budding and emergence to becoming mature plants, orchid shoots go through three stages: the opening stage, the growth stage and the joint-forming stage, lasting more than half a year. Therefore, the management of orchid shoots means the harvest of a whole year and must not be taken lightly. The period during which orchid shoots swell underground, emerge from the soil and open can be called the opening stage, which takes about more than a month and a half. In order to make one's beloved orchids sprout earlier and more abundantly, the "spring warming for shoots" summarized by veteran orchid growers can serve as a reference for us. That is, starting from mid-March, keep the pot surface moist (water more often), raise the temperature of the potting soil (expose to more sunlight) and reduce ventilation. Some people use drugs or hormones to make orchids sprout more; this can be tried, but is not advocated. Fertilization during this period should be mainly nitrogen fertilizer, combining root application with foliar spraying, and can be slightly more concentrated. Since the temperature is not high at this time, it should not be done too frequently; once or twice is enough. Generally, when orchid shoots emerge 2-3 cm above the soil, there will be a pause in growth for more than a week as they shift to root growth. In some varieties the shoots and roots grow at the same time. When the roots reach 2-3 cm, they can transport nutrients to the new shoots. Management at this time is very important. Many orchid enthusiasts find that the stunting or even death of their orchids' new shoots is related to improper management during this period. At this time, three points of management should be noted: first, do not apply concentrated fertilizer, especially root fertilization; the root tips of new shoots are very tender and will be burned and stop growing when they encounter fertilizer; second, humidity should be appropriately higher to promote root growth (some orchid enthusiasts also have the experience that keeping the growing medium appropriately drier, especially the surface medium, forces the new roots of orchid shoots to grow downward); third, expose them to more sunlight to promote the orchid's metabolism and induce the orchid roots to grow faster. The above is my personal experience. I wish orchid enthusiasts' orchids abundant sprouting.

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