Sharing my experience reviving weak seedlings on a balcony, from Rizhao, Shandong
My balcony growing, Rizhao, Shandong --- reviving weak seedlings
http://www.dfac.cc/showtopic-116-411618-0-0-1.htm
Rizhao is located on the southeastern coast of Shandong, wherethe four seasonsare distinct, the air is fresh, the water is sweet, there is no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer, making it a great place for leisure living andgrowing orchids.
My home is on a southeastern hill slope about 5 km from the sea. I grow orchids on a south-facing balcony on the third floor. The balcony is enclosed with floor-to-ceiling double-layer glass, so light and ventilation are both good.
First: weak seedlings are not easy to grow on their own. It is best to find a pot with a similar plant shape, vigorous growth, and a well-developed root system oforchidsand plant them together using the old growing medium from the original pot. Once the weak seedlings grow into medium-strength seedlings, separate them and plant them on their own.
Second: weak seedlings are best grown in fine-particle medium. Below the pseudobulb, use a medium rich in organic matter. From the base of the pseudobulb upward, use fine-particle Kanuma soil. When potting, place a few granules of Magic Fertilizer in the middle of the pot as a base fertilizer, so that after the new seedlings develop roots they can absorb nutrients in time.
At the pseudobulb of weak seedlings, fill in even finer weathered stone. This is to keep the pseudobulb area as moist as possible, so that the new roots that emerge can promptly come into contact with the ground's moisture and prevent blind buds and blackened root tips, because weak seedlings do not have well-developed root systems,
and the roots and buds they produce are generally not strong either. If the particles around the bud points on the pseudobulb are too large, and it is dry in the early stage of sprouting and rooting, the new buds and new roots will find it very hard to grow. On top of the ultra-fine particles, cover another layer of fine Kanuma soil to prevent water from washing them away.
This is the small seedling sent up by an old Tiger Stamen pseudobulb that I acquired last year, along with the detailed treatment of the pseudobulb. The small seedling has not yet fully grown, and two more small buds have appeared Third: water and fertilizer management. When potting weak seedlings, they cannot be kept dry. When the pot surface is dry, they should be given a generous spray. After they have settled in, for every two waterings with clear water, apply one dilute fertilizer in between. When applying fertilizer, pour it along the pot wall; do not pour it into the leaf center or onto the pseudobulb.
The fertilizer I use is: in spring, rice-washing water, one packet of yogurt, some eggshells, and a handful of roasted soybeans, put into a large transparent drink bottle, left open outdoors in a sunny place to ferment. In autumn, gradually add dried orange peel, until the fertilizer turns fruity-smelling, then dilute with 50 times water and water the roots.
Fourth: light. Sunlight for weak seedlings is very important. Absolutely do not use fungicides. With sunlight, old seedlings decline quickly and new seedlings also grow quickly. Following the traditional method --- clean growing, shade growing, and regular sterilization --- will only produce a nearsighted person giving birth to a little blind one, each generation worse than the last.
Below is the growth situation of several weak seedlings I have grown.
Last year the seller gave me a toothpick-sized seedling of Old Stamen Butterfly. It sent up one 5-leaf medium seedling, and now two buds have come, and the buds are clearly growing more vigorously than the mother seedling.
Last year I introduced Chuichui. At that time it was a small seedling with one or two leaves plus a small bud. I planted it together with otherCymbidium ensifoliumand separated them at the end of the year. Now the new buds already show four leaves. Last spring I introduced Red Yipin, two small seedlings with two leaves each. In summer they recovered strength, and I separated off the old seedlings. Later the pot was knocked over twice, and then I glued them back together. After some time, strong and weak together there will be 11 seedlings. By the end of the year I'm afraid the pot will be too small, haha. Finally, here is a pot of Heart-to-Heart that has just opened fully. May orchid friends have a kind heart, a little more love, and keep a bit of childlike innocence. Growing orchids requires patience o(∩_∩)o