Comparative Analysis of the Planting Effects of Xiantu and Sand-Gravel

I used Xiantu and sand-gravel respectively to grow the same variety ofCymbidium goeringiiand the difference in results was obvious. The analysis is as follows. Planting method: the bottom third of the pot was filled with 1cm x 1cm stones, then mung-bean-sized stones up to the middle of the pot, then filled with 2 parts small stones and 1 part clean river sand, without adding any base fertilizer. The control group was planted with 3 parts Xiantu plus 1 part mountain rock.Cymbidium goeringiiwas divided from the same plant into two halves, with 6 shoots per pot; the root condition and shoot condition were basically similar, and watering, fertilizing and other management methods were the same. After two years the pots were turned out for observation. The two growing mediacultivationcomparison is as follows in the table: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | New shoots | Root system | Dead shoots | Flower buds | Plant form --------|--------|--------------------|--------|--------|----------------------- Sand-gravel | 6 | 3 old roots retained, | | | | | 10 new roots grown, | 1 | 5 | Leaves thick and glutinous, color bright and lovely, no disease spots | | white and crystal-clear, thick and strong | | | -----------------|-------- ------- ---|--------|---- ---|----------------------- Xiantu | 4 | 1 old root remaining, new roots | 2 | 3 | Some new shoots have scorched tips, color rather dull | | 8 grown, color dark and thin and long | | | and dark, new shoots on average about | | | | | 1cm longer than the sand-gravel group -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Xiantu is currentlyorchid growingthe ideal medium generally recognized by growers, with good aeration and rich minerals; as long as fertilizer and water management is proper, orchids can be grown well. Through experimental observation and analysis, growingorchidsin sand-gravel medium, apart from vegetative growth, is on the whole superior to Xiantu. Its advantages are: 1. Low cost, and the materials are relatively easy for ordinary orchid growers to obtain. 2. Good moisture retention; sand and stones drain well, and their moisture-retaining characteristic is outstanding. 3. Simple management. Fertilizer and water management and the like do not require much fuss. 4. The material is clean, and it is most suitable for growingwild-collected orchidsand diseased or weak seedlings, especiallyorchidswith poor root systems, for which the planting effect is even better. Its main disadvantages are that the pot is heavy and not convenient enough to carry, and that the nutritional conditions are somewhat poor, so slightly more nutrients should be supplemented at different stages to meet their growth needs. (Lin Sen) Address: Zhejiang XianjuOrchidResearch Institute Tel: 0576-7767999 Postcode: 317300 Email: [email protected]