How to grow orchids? Orchid enthusiasts in Zhenhai share their experience of growing orchids on balconies

Almost all orchid enthusiasts in Zhenhai city are part of thebalconyorchid-growingcommunity.Orchid growerscan only exercise their talents in the small world of the balcony. Through years of practice inbalconyorchid growing, orchid enthusiasts have delightedly discovered that this small world not only allows them to groworchidswell, but also offers advantages over growing orchids in a large courtyard: it is easier to manage and enjoy, and better for security against theft. Growing orchids on a balconyfocuses on maximizing strengths and avoiding weaknesses, adapting to local conditions. The biggest advantages of a balcony are good light and good ventilation,orchidpests anddiseasesare relatively fewer, reducing the trouble of disease prevention and pest control. Most orchid enthusiasts choose south-facing or east-facing balconies for growing orchids,the changes of sunlight through the four seasonsshining onto the balcony happen to match theorchidgrowth habits. In winter and spring, orchids need sunlight and warmth, and the balcony conveniently avoids the invasion of northwest cold winds and frost and snow, with warm sunlight shining from morning to night; in summer, orchids prefer wind and avoid direct sun; yet it is the season when the least sunlight reaches the balcony, as when the sun is at its zenith, the balcony roof blocks the intense midday light. Growing orchids on a balcony is like growing orchids semi-indoors,through the four seasonsit can shelter from wind and rain, reducing the trouble of moving plants in and out. Some orchid enthusiasts enclose the balcony with aluminum alloy windows and add some orchid-growing facilities to make it a true orchid room, while others use security windows to expand their orchid-growing area. Both have achieved good results. Balcony orchid growing has limited space, so it must be both beautiful and good for growing orchids. Therefore, orchid enthusiasts pay great attention to the artistry of balcony orchid growing. The number of pots matters less than quality; most households keep twenty to thirty pots, and especially those enthusiasts of high orchid connoisseurship never let inferior orchids enter this space-limited balcony. They mostly choose elegant and exquisite Yixing purple clay or ceramic pots; good flowers paired with good pots bring out the best in each other. Even when using clay pots, they select one out of ten, choosing those with good firing, beautiful shape, and no damaged rims. They also use coarse sandpaper to remove burrs. The pot surfaces are kept at a uniform height, and some use Selaginella uncinata to decorate the pot surface, with the Selaginella uncinata connecting between pots, velvety green, setting off the well-arranged orchid leaves, truly beautiful. Some also use pumice, akadama, weathered stone, or brick granules for the pot surface, with uniform granule size and varied colors, pleasing to the eye. The whole looks like a verdant landscape, and viewed pot by pot, each is an orchid pot scene. Orchid enthusiasts say that this is the realm we pursue in growing orchids: not only growing orchids well, but also beautifying the balcony; growing orchids itself is an art, a beautiful enjoyment. In balcony orchid growing, enthusiasts have found that because the balcony is far from the ground, humidity is low, so newly planted orchids often have difficulty adapting to the pot. Through years of exploration, based on the orchid's characteristic of liking "moisture," enthusiasts try their best to ensure "moisture" at every step duringcultivation. First is pot moisture: new pots are soaked for a long time before use. Second is growing medium moisture: materials generally use pumice, weathered stone, crushed brick, all soaked for more than a week, then fished out, drained, and sealed in plastic bags for a period before use. If using mountain soil or leaf mold, it is also kept at a certain humidity and piled for a period, letting any nutrients ferment. No matter what growing medium is used, it must be allowed to lose its fire and dryness and be thoroughly moistened before use.During cultivation, it is sifted into three sizes: large, medium, and small; large for the bottom, medium for the root area, small for the top surface, then the pot surface is decorated.After cultivationis complete, the settling water is poured several times, from less to more, so that the soil in the pot and the orchid roots are thoroughly moistened and fit together, so the orchid adapts to the pot quickly after planting. Normally, watering orchids is done twice: the first watering thoroughly, then after ten-plus minutes a supplementary watering; the second watering ensures even moisture distribution in the pot and thorough moistening. Balcony orchid growing requires relatively more fertilizer. Based on years of experimentation, many orchid enthusiasts have listed different formulas according to orchid growth in different seasons, in principle adhering to thin fertilizer applied frequently, often diluting with water to double the required dosage, while increasing frequency; generally, fertilizer is applied once every four or five waterings. Over several years, the results have been found to be quite good. In recent years, as more and more people succeed at balcony orchid growing and methods become simpler and simpler, balcony orchid growing has spread rapidly, and orchids have become the first choice for residents to beautify their balconies. Some estimate that at least one-third of the balconies in Zhenhai residential buildings have orchids planted on them. Some traditional varieties such as 'Lai Mei' and 'Da Fu Gui' have also been accepted by people and have entered "ordinary households." In the balconies of government offices and enterprise offices, planting orchids is even more common. For example, the long corridor balcony on the second floor of the Zhenhai District Labor Bureau has sixty to seventy pots of different orchid varieties growing very well, with fragrant flowers filling the building every year. The balconies and offices of the district food company, aquatic products company, and vegetable company also grow only orchids. On the balconies of Zhenhai orchid enthusiasts, there is nothing but orchids; even if there are a few exquisite bonsai, they are used to shade the orchids and serve as a foil. As the orchid enthusiasts say, other flowers only deserve to be planted in flowerbeds in the ground; only orchids can be potted and placed on the balcony. When you see balcony orchid enthusiasts holding a cup of fragrant tea, or lighting a cigarette, leisurely admiring their carefully collected and cultivated orchids on the balcony, that self-contented expression makes one feel that life is so sweet, so beautiful. Isn't this exactly the great joy that orchids bring us?