Key Points for Orchid Cultivation: The Four Precepts and Twelve-Character Essentials of Orchid Growing

    In more than a thousand years oforchid growinghistory, the people of our country have accumulated richorchid growingexperience, some of it even“secret tips”, for example the "Four Precepts of Orchid Cultivation" summarized by Gao Qian of the Ming Dynasty in his "Orchid Manual," which is the crystallization of wisdom and has been loved and passed down by people through successive dynasties.(ChinaOrchidNetwork http://www.dfac.cc）

    The orchid-growing secrets first published by Gao Qian, namely the“Four Precepts of Orchid Cultivation”。

    First precept: In spring, do not take them out; they should avoid the wind and snow of spring.

         Orchids like moisture, and spring is windy and dry, with temperatures rising and falling. To avoid damage from cold winds, orchids should not be rushed out of the room in spring; it is best to keep them in a semi-lit place indoors for care.

    Second precept: In summer, do not expose them to the sun; avoid the scorching of the blazing sun.

    Orchids like shade and coolness, and dislike direct sunlight, especially fearing exposure to the fierce sun. Therefore in summer they need to be kept in a cool, well-ventilated semi-shaded place. Among orchids, the degree of shade tolerance is greatest inCymbidium sinense,Cymbidium ensifoliumnext, whileCymbidium goeringiiandCymbidium faberineed more sunlight.

    Third precept: In autumn, do not let them dry out; they should be watered often.

    For mostorchids, autumn is precisely the bud-forming period, (China Orchid Network http://www.dfac.cc) and they like a moist, cool environment best. If the potting soil or air is dry, it is unfavorable for their growth and development; the leaves easily turn yellow and wither, and flowers and buds easily drop, also affecting flowering the following year.

    Fourth precept: In winter, do not keep them wet; it is best to store them in the ground, and they should not be exposed to water that turns to ice.

    In winter orchids are in a dormant state and need controlled watering; generally it is best to keep the potting soil alternating between dry and moist. If watered excessively, the roots easily rot.

    Later generations found his summarized orchid-growing experience easy to understand and practical, so they condensed it into“In spring do not take them out, in summer do not expose them to the sun, in autumn do not let them dry out, in winter do not keep them wet”the twelve-character essentials, passed down to the present day.

(China Orchid Network http://www.dfac.cc）