A new method for padding orchid pots with a base layer – friends who grow orchids might want to give it a try

Orchids, because of their evergreen leaves and fragrant flowers, have won people's special affection. How to keep orchid leaves evergreen and grow fragrantorchids– through the ages manyorchid growershave been exploring simple and effective methods. In recent years, someorchid growersin Dali, Yunnan, have used beverage bottles to create hollow space at the bottom of orchid pots, growingorchidswith lush leaves and abundant flowers. This method is truly worth emulating. Using coarse, loose, spongy soil, with the pot body ventilated, breathable and well-draining, in a cool, bright and moist environment – these are the three essentials oforchid growing. Among them, breathability and drainage are the core points of orchid growing. That is: with breathability and drainage, orchids thrive; with blocked air and standing water, orchids die. Growers use ceramic clay pots for orchids, using ceramic clay shards to create hollow space at the bottom of the pot, intending to let the potting medium allow air to move and water to drain, constantly exchanging fresh air. This is the traditional trick and magic weapon of orchid growing. In Dali, the hometown of orchids in Yunnan, in recent years many orchid growers have used beverage bottles to innovate the traditional pot-padding method, achieving good orchid-growing results. Here, a new method of padding orchid pots is introduced – the perforated bottle bottom-padding method. Orchid growers in Dali like to use traditional clay waist-drum-shaped pots for growing orchids. Clay pots keep soil warm in winter, keep the pot cool in summer, do not chill roots in cold, do not scorch seedlings in heat, keep soil moist without becoming waterlogged, and the pot does not dry out too often – breathable yet moisture-absorbing, an ideal home for orchid growth. Using perforated bottles instead of ceramic clay shards to pad the pot, air naturally circulates in the perforated bottle, both ventilating and lightweight, solving the problem of ventilation, air exchange and water passage in the orchid pot body, with very ideal results. The method of making the perforated bottle is extremely simple and costs nothing. Take a plastic beverage bottle, use a 0.5cm diameter steel rod to burn holes in the bottle body, from the bottle bottom to the bottle sides and the bottle cap. You can burn them in horizontal rows, vertical rows, or randomly. The holes should be closely spaced, burned into a honeycomb pattern, with holes throughout the entire body. When planting orchids, stand the perforated plastic bottle upright in the center of the pot, place rotten wood or decayed leaf root debris between the bottle wall and the pot wall to stabilize it, then add soil and plant the orchid. The air in the pot naturally circulates, stale air continuously flows out, and fresh air continuously flows in. When using the perforated plastic bottle, you can choose the length of the bottle body, the size of the bottle, and the number of bottles according to the height and width of the orchid pot. The height of the perforated bottle is generally best at one-half of the orchid pot, and the hollow space of the orchid pot should occupy one-third. Using perforated plastic bottles to pad pots for growing orchids is equivalent to installing an air conditioner in the potting soil – it is simple high-tech orchid growing, effective upon first use, miraculous upon first padding, and beneficial in one planting. (Chen Gui) Address: Dali Daily Newspaper Office, Xiaguan, Yunnan Postal code: 671000 Telephone: 0872-2129694