How to Grow Orchids with Coal Cinders? A Complete Guide to Methods and Techniques

Growing orchids with coal cinders, it is used as one of the substrates in mixed media, and its proportion varies, and some people even grow orchids with pure coal cinders. In short, the methods are diverse and varied, one could say each of the Eight Immortals crosses the sea displaying their own divine powers. For growing orchids with coal cinders, using either the single or the mixed method, opinions differ on which is better, each orchid grower holds their own view, one side says one thing, the other says another, opinions are widely divided. Practice has proven thatorchidplanting, on the whole, mixed media is better than a single medium. No single orchid growing substrate can contain everythingorchidsneed, and the physical and chemical properties of various orchid growing substrates also differ from one another. Once several different orchid growing substrates are mixed, they can mutually compensate and make up for each other's shortcomings, so that the orchids grow better. With theorchidindustry's continuous development, orchidcultivationsubstrates and the study of their scientific selection and blending have drawn increasing attention. When a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner prescribes treatment for a patient, the compatibility of the medicines must be based on syndrome differentiation and treatment, adding or reducing according to the person, the time, the pulse, and the symptoms, to compose more effective formulas each with its own characteristics. Likewise, the scientific matching of orchid growing substrates is the same. If the matching is reasonable, the effect is good, and the orchids grow vigorously; if the proportions are improper, the orchid plants grow poorly, or even die young. Practice has proven that in mixed media formulas containing coal cinders, the proportion of coal cinders at 10%-20% is relatively appropriate. The author used a mixed medium of 40% grain husk charcoal, 20% shiitake soil, 10% coarse river sand, 10% red brick granules, 10% coal cinders, and 10% dried cow dung to plant several varieties of down-mountain zongyi jiansu and down-mountain zongyi red flowerCymbidium ensifolium (jianlan), the orchid forest does not show variegation, the root system is good, and the sprouting rate is high. Not using pure coal cinders to grow orchids can also prevent harmful substances in the coal cinders from exceeding the standard. (Zhang Bingfu)