Considerations for Building an Orchid Growing Site

(1) Height of the orchid stand For those without electrical facilities and growing orchids naturally with minimal intervention, potted orchids with pot feet can be displayed on the ground, while those without pot feet can be propped up with bricks. This allows the orchid plants to benefit from ground heat in winter; during the growing period, there is higher natural humidity, which can reduce the number of times water is poured or sprayed. If potted orchids are displayed on stands, the height should preferably be such that the bottom of the pot is 20-30 cm above the ground. If too low, it is not conducive to ventilation and air movement; if too high, the moisture from the ground surface cannot easily rise to the orchid plants. Whether too high or too low, it will affect the growth vigor of the orchid plants. For those with exhaust and humidifying electrical equipment,orchidsthe height of the stands can be higher, preferably with the bottom of the pot 80-100 cm above the ground. (2) Spacing between rows of potted orchids Displaying potted orchids too densely will affect ventilation and air movement, while too sparsely will waste limited space. Therefore, the distance between potted orchids must be appropriate. Generally, dwarf orchid varieties can be placed close together; the spacing for medium-dwarf orchid varieties is 2-5 cm; the spacing for medium-tall orchid varieties is 10-15 cm; when displaying drooping-leaf and long-leaf orchid varieties, a spacing of more than 20 cm is advisable. For ornamental displays of potted orchids, the spacing should be increased by more than 1 times. (3) Walls and floor of the orchid room The walls of the orchid room should be rough; do not plaster them smooth just for the sake of appearance. This is because smooth walls easily become damp, and normally have no function of regulating dryness and humidity. Only rough walls can naturally regulate the indoor dryness and humidity. The floor of the orchid room is best if it is earth with ground heat and moisture, followed by cement floor. However, with a cement floor, you can build a low retaining wall to store water or spread sand and sprinkle water to increase humidity. (4) Ventilation of the shed/greenhouse The orchid shed/greenhouse should preferably be equipped with exhaust fans, floor-blowing fans and leaf-blowing fans, or several skylights can be opened on top of the walkways, and unpowered extraction pipes can also be installed. This allows timely ventilation and air exchange, keeps the air in the shed/greenhouse fresh, and regulates the indoor dryness and humidity. (5) Humidification of the shed/greenhouse For those without electric humidifiers, a traditional unpowered humidification device can be set up: install a whole water storage bucket on top of the shed/greenhouse, connect a plastic conduit with a diameter of about 1 cm, and pierce a small pinhole every 20 cm on the pipe wall, then lay it in the upper space of the shed/greenhouse as a drip pipe. At the same time, 50-100 cm below this drip pipe, lay a larger conduit so that the water droplets falling from above land on it and splash into water mist, increasing the air humidity of the orchid room. (Xu Dongsheng)