A Detailed Guide to Orchid Potting Medium Selection and Cultivation Methods

Promoting Chinese orchid culture, spreading orchid knowledge

What potting medium to use for growing orchids is the most direct and closest concern for every orchid grower, and it is also the key issue determining whether orchids can be grown well. Using different media according to different environments is the only way to achieve twice the result with half the effort. A thousand years of orchid growing cannot be separated from soil. The orchid media generally used include mountain soil, orchid soil (humus soil), pond mud, peat soil, tree bark, stones, tiles, bricks, etc. You can use local materials without spending money. According to your own orchid-growing environment, choose suitable soil and mix in some weathered rock, brick granules, sawdust, pine bark, etc., in proportion to make a potting medium. However, the medium must undergo sterilization procedures such as sun-drying and roasting to avoid contamination by pathogens.

With the development of orchids, more and more people are cultivating orchids with granular potting media. Granular media are pollution-free and suitable for growing orchids on urban balconies and rooftops. It is best to use Songliwang potting medium. Before use, soak the Songliwang medium in water so that it fully absorbs water, then scoop it out and drain off the excess water before use. If you cannot use it all at once, you can seal it in a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out. Growing orchids with Songliwang bark granular potting medium is convenient to manage, does not accumulate water, and contains a certain amount of fertility and trace elements.

Many people also grow orchids with brick granules and ceramsite. Brick granules are easy to obtain, absorb water quickly, have water retention, and contain some inorganic salts. The crushed potting material must be sieved, discarding the powder, and divided into several grades by size. Soak them thoroughly in water before use, especially brick granules fired from sea mud, which contain too much salt; they need to be exchanged in water several times to soak out some of the salt before use. During management, watering and fertilizing measures should be strengthened. There are also some methods like hydroponics with nutrient solution, but ordinary orchid growers cannot meet the technical and equipment requirements, and they are not suitable for ordinary orchid growers either. However, any potting medium introduced in books, if used properly, can grow orchids well. Now I will introduce my own method of growing orchids with weathered rock and humus soil (orchid soil) over many years.

Growing orchids with orchid soil is indeed good, especially for traditional varieties such as Chunlan and Huilan with petal-type flowers. The plants grow robustly, and the petals produced are thick with high ornamental value, which other potting media cannot match. The specific method of use is: first sieve the humus soil collected, remove impurities, then sun-dry the soil for three to seven days, or roast it in an iron wok to sterilize and disinfect it, and then make it into granules. Weathered rock can be used as soon as it is collected. Because weathered rock is clean and hygienic, contains no pathogens, and has good drainage, it requires no processing; just sieve it into three grades - large, medium and small - for later use.

Generally, for growing Chunlan, mix 2 parts weathered rock with 1 part orchid soil thoroughly; for growing Conglan, 3 parts weathered rock with 2 parts orchid soil is better. When planting, first place large-grade weathered rock at the bottom of the pot, put in the orchid seedling, then fill the pot with the mixed medium, shake it firm, gently press the surface with your hand, then sprinkle medium-grade granules on the pot surface, and water to settle the roots. You can also plant some Selaginella uncinata on the pot surface, and then it is all done. Orchids cultivated this way do not need fertilization in the pot for two to three years; just spray fertilizer on the leaves as needed. Weathered rock can also be used alone for growing orchids.

Finally, a reminder to some beginner orchid growers: growing orchids requires patience. Do not change your methods morning and night, and do not apply fertilizer indiscriminately, otherwise the result will be the opposite of what you want. When your heart and the king melt together, you will certainly be able to grow orchids well. For beginners, do not use soil for cultivation; it is still better to use granular potting media.

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