How to Choose and Mix Orchid Growing Media? Methods and Techniques Explained

Growing media areorchids'most basic condition for survival. In the natural wild state,orchidstake root in the soil and grow freely with nature's sunlight, rain and dew, and air. Through a very long process of selection and evolution,orchidshave long adapted to their place of origin and the environment in which they live, so the natural environment in which orchids can live and grow is necessarily the most suitable, especially the soil. However, under artificialcultivationconditions, the environment in which orchids grow has changed, and all kinds of factors have become very different. Under these conditions, even if the soil to which orchids had long adapted in the natural wild state is used, under artificialcultivationconditions it cannot satisfy theorchid'snormal growth. In the natural state, the structure and properties of the soil are relatively stable, with a strong buffering capacity against adverse conditions, but in an artificial environment, the growing medium is extremely susceptible to the influence of external factors and undergoes relatively large changes in a short period of time, such as in temperature, moisture, air, nutrients and pH value, and so on. However, in order to grow orchids well, people still try every possible way to imitate and create the environmental conditions to which orchids had long adapted in the natural wild state. Incultivationpractice, a set of relatively feasible technical measures has gradually been explored and summarized. As for theorchid'sgrowing medium, it is generally believed that it should be loose and breathable, rich in nutrients, and slightly acidic. In nature, there are many materials with these characteristics, such as tree leaves, wood shavings, grass peat, pond mud, mountain topsoil, humus, and so on. In addition, people have also manufactured many materials with these characteristics as needed, such as various commercial orchid soils, orchid stones, orchid muds, and so on. In fact, it is not possible to designate a certain material as theorchid'sfixing medium; rather, selection and mixing should be carried out on the basis of a clear understanding of the physiological characteristics of orchids, so that orchid growing can be adapted to local conditions and done well. The materials of the medium should be chosen according to the characteristics of the orchid. Orchids are perennial herbaceous plants; their fleshy roots have a very strong water-retaining capacity and live in symbiosis with orchid fungi. They prefer shade, coolness and moisture, and ventilation and breathability, and they dislike heat, dryness, waterlogging and saline-alkaline conditions. According to these characteristics of orchids, the medium for cultivating orchids is required not only to provide the macroelements and microelements that satisfy orchid growth, but also to have good water permeability and aeration. Practice has proved that a single medium can hardly possess and maintain these characteristics over the long term; growers must select and compound them according to the type of orchid in order to make a relatively ideal orchid medium. For example, when cultivating Chinese orchids, that is, terrestrial orchid species of the genus Cymbidium such asSpring Orchid (Cymbidium goeringii)、Huilan (Cymbidium faberi)、Jianlan (Cymbidium ensifolium)、Hanlan (Cymbidium kanran)andMolan (Cymbidium sinense)and other terrestrial orchid species, tree leaves can be used as the medium. The fallen leaves of broadleaf trees such as oak decay relatively quickly, and they can be mixed with the fallen leaves of coniferous trees such as pine, which can both delay decay and increase acidity. Such a medium is loose and breathable and rich in nutrients, and without applying fertilizer it can satisfy the normal growth of orchids. Its disadvantages are that after decaying, its permeability decreases and it easily breeds insects and fungi. When using it, the amount of medium should be reduced as much as possible, and a small pot can be used. If the orchid pot is relatively large, more orchid plants can be added, so that even after the medium decays there is no need to replace it. After decay the medium decreases, and it does not matter if the upper orchid roots are exposed; if many roots are exposed, some more medium can continue to be added to cover them. Practice has proved that the most important thing for orchid medium is aeration and water permeability, and it is best to choose granular materials. Such granules themselves can absorb and retain water, satisfying the orchid's water-absorption needs, and the gaps between the granules can exchange air and transmit oxygen, satisfying the orchid's oxygen-consumption needs. If they can also provide the various nutrient elements orchids need, that is even more ideal; if not, this can be solved by fertilizing. For artificially manufactured orchid media, they can be applied directly according to the instructions. For self-selected and self-mixed orchid media, it is best to carry out a small amount of cultivation testing first, using ordinary orchids for trial cultivation for a period of time, and only after being sure it is feasible, then cultivate precious orchid varieties. In short, as for orchid medium, one must not simply follow what others say; one must certainly practice. Only technology that has been repeatedly tested by oneself and skillfully mastered can form a certain understanding and can be used flexibly and freely in actual application without deviation, so that even when using locally available materials, one can still grow orchids well. (Yang Wei)