Whether orchids are grown well or not, the growing medium is the key

Ihave been growing orchidsfor six years now, always in a state of learning, drawing on others' experience and groping my way forward. What gives me the biggest headache is that the scorched tips, black spots and rotting seedlings of orchid leaves are hard to control; they spoil both the ornamental value and the propagation, and I could not think of a single solution. This summer vacation my eldest daughter fell ill, and my wife and I went to see her (usually she is the one who comes to our home). I walked through the bedroom to the northeast-facing balcony to look at the few pots oforchidsshe grows. What astonished me was that two pots oforchidshad jade-green, glossy leaves with a shimmering dark sheen. I hurried to examine them closely. One pot ofCymbidium faberihad 7 plants, three generations of old, middle-aged and young, with no flower buds. One pot ofCymbidium goeringiihad 9 plants and had already produced two flower buds. The leaves of both pots were not very long:Cymbidium faberiwas about 50 cm,Cymbidium goeringiino more than 20 cm. Apart from two basal leaves on the old plants turning yellow, all the other leaves were oily green, with not a single scorched tip, let alone black spots. This is theorchid-growingresult I had dreamed of for years, and also the highest realm of orchid-growing skill that orchid growers all pursue. Looking again at the potting soil, it was blackish and fluffy; when I gently scraped at it with my index finger, the soil felt very loose and moist. No wonder these two pots of orchids and cymbidiums grew so well! My daughter does not lovegrowing orchidsat all; her two pots oforchidswere just two clumps my son casually dug up by the hillside when he passed by her home the year before last. How did she grow them so well? I asked her where she got the soil, and she said she had asked for it from the neighborhood greenhouse, where a lot of it was piled up. I hurried downstairs to the greenhouse. A gardener was watering flowers, so I struck up a conversation with him. The gardener said that the growing medium they use for plantingflowersis all leaf mold brought back from under the pine-oak mixed forest on the hillside. The fallen leaves accumulate and rot year after year, stewing the weathered stone soil below black. But after bringing it back it cannot be used right away; an appropriate amount of superphosphate or potassium dihydrogen phosphate and a small amount of septic tank water liquid must be added and mixed evenly, and it must be piled and composted for at least one winter and summer. He said this step is very important: after the leaf mold undergoes long, difficult composting and high-temperature fermentation, harmful pathogens and insect eggs can be killed, while microorganisms can multiply in large numbers and decompose nutrients to make them easier for flowers and trees to absorb. Truly, hearing a word from you is better than reading for ten years. Actually I understand this principle too; I just did not want to put in that much effort. In recent years I have been greedy for quantity in growing orchids and seeking completeness, spending most of my energy on going up the mountains to search for cymbidiums. I did not pay much attention to the growing medium, always holding a mentality of luck, using it as soon as I got it, and even cutting corners. As a result, haste makes waste, and the orchid-growing results were not very ideal. Some very goodCymbidium goeringiiand Cymbidium faberi seedlings had a low propagation rate, and there was even a decrease in plant numbers. Recently I saw this sentence in an ancient book: "When the roots are luxuriant, the fruit ripens; when the ointment is rich, its luster shines." I then thought of the two common sayings "deep roots and lush leaves" and "live and work in peace and contentment." I think these few sentences are of great benefit to orchid growers. To grow orchids one must grow the roots, and to grow the roots one must value the growing medium. When orchids live in rotted, clean, loose and nutrient-rich potting soil, comfortable and at ease, vigorous and free growth is the inevitable result. (Wang Zhitian) Address: Shiyan, Hubei Postal code: 442001 Home phone: 0719-8214038