Orchids won't bloom for 3 years? An orchid-growing expert teaches you 1 trick to produce a prize orchid in 1 month
Orchids have always symbolized nobility and elegance, and are a type of flower that many flower lovers enjoy growing. But very few people grow orchids well. Today, Huahua will introduce how to care for orchids so they grow better.
Potting Soil Section
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
"To keep fish, keep the water; to keep orchids, keep the soil." This shows the importance of soil for orchid growth, and it is also the issue orchid growers care about most. Huahua will introduce several secret potting soil recipes to ensure your orchids bloom more and more.
1. Leaf mold + rice husks + honeycomb coal cinders
Mix leaf mold, decomposed rice husks and honeycomb coal cinders in a 2:1:1 ratio. Crush the honeycomb coal, rinse it with water, and after mixing, sun-dry for 2 days. This soil is not prone to compaction, has good fertility, and helps orchids develop thick, strong roots.
2. Coconut coir + coal cinders
Mix coconut coir and coal cinders in a 1:1 ratio. Choose coarser coconut coir that has been fermented and decomposed, and rinse the coal cinders with water. This soil has good air permeability and is suitable for orchids with weaker roots.
Watering Section
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
As the saying goes, potting an orchid is easy to grasp, but watering takes three years of skill. Watering is an oft-repeated topic, but whether you water correctly determines success or failure in growing orchids.
1. Early flowering stage
In spring, when the temperature is around 20-25°C, before the orchid blooms, spray water once every 2-3 days and give a thorough watering once a week. Too much water makes the orchid grow leggy and makes it hard for flower buds to form. Lack of water makes orchids prone to bud blast.
2. Flowering period
To make orchids bloom more beautifully, you must control water during the flowering period. When the orchid's flower stalk elongates and the flower buds are about to shed their bud sheaths, give the orchid one thorough watering. This way the flowers come out beautifully shaped and last longer.
3. Daily care
Follow the principle of not watering until dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. Insert a bamboo skewer into the soil for 10 minutes, then pull it out; if the surface of the skewer is dry, it needs watering. Water thoroughly in one go until water flows out of the bottom of the pot.
Light and Temperature Section
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
Light determines whether the orchid's flowers are beautifully colored and whether the leaves are glossy and healthy.
1. Increase the temperature difference
To promote flowering in orchids, increase the day-night temperature difference. 18-21°C during the day and 7-10°C at night is most suitable, making it easy to get more flowers.
If the nighttime temperature is too high, orchid leaves tend to soften and flower buds drop. If the temperature is too low, leaves tend to develop spots.
2. Light
Generally, orchids need 2 to 3 hours of light. Under normal conditions, glossy, firm leaves mean the orchid is fine; dark green and soft leaves mean it needs more light; pale yellow leaves mean it needs less light.
Red and yellow orchid varieties: during the flower bud formation stage, place the orchid on a brightly lit balcony or by a window, and the flowers will come out with deeper color.
Green and white orchid varieties: reduce light intensity as soon as buds appear, then increase light after flowering; this helps the flowers come out more delicate and elegant.
Fertilizing Section
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
Whether orchids develop strong roots, robust plants and abundant, beautiful flowers depends on many factors, but fertilizing is the most critical step.
1. Growth period
Apply a top dressing of fully decomposed, diluted cake fertilizer water at about 15%, or 0.1% urea fertilizer water plus 0.2% monopotassium phosphate fertilizer water, once every 15-20 days.
2. Flower bud differentiation stage
During flower bud differentiation, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, such as monopotassium phosphate, once every half month, for 2-3 applications.
3. Flowering period
During the flowering period, spray the leaves 2-3 times with a 0.2% monopotassium phosphate solution to promote the development of roots, stems and flowers.
Potting Section
Complete Guide to Flower Growing
Potting can be said to be the step flower lovers hate most, as it is both tedious and easy to damage the seedling roots. Today, Huahua will explain in detail how to pot orchids correctly.
1. Root trimming
Before potting, trim the orchid's roots first: cut off roots that are too long or too short, hollow roots, black roots and broken roots. Keep just 3-4 healthy roots per seedling.
2. Carbendazim soak
After trimming the roots, soak the entire orchid in a carbendazim solution.
3. Make an airflow cover from a plastic bottle
Poke holes in a leftover drink bottle, and use scissors to cut several small triangular notches along the bottom edge of the lower part of the bottle.
Place it in the bottom of the flower pot; it both retains water and prevents waterlogging. Fix the drink bottle in place with plastic foam blocks.
4. Putting the orchid into the pot
Place the orchid seedling in a suitable position in the pot, with the pseudobulb (the "reed head") about 1 cm above the flower pot, and add the potting medium evenly by hand.
5. Tapping the flower pot
Shake the flower pot or gently tap it so the orchid roots and potting medium fit together more closely and no large air pockets form.
That's all for today's orchid care tips
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