Orchid Growing Tip: Cleverly Use Wire to Help

Every orchid enthusiast hopes theirorchidsproduce more shoots and grow quickly. Especially for precious varieties, to increase numbers, the plants are divided every year and grown as single shoots, hoping for a multiplied increase in quantity. Single-shoot planting is also a way to increase numbers. But it brings weak shoots, commonly known as "shoot decline." The reason is that a single-shoot orchid plant has few roots; it is already good if a new shoot has three or four roots, and although the mother plant has more roots, many are dead-tipped roots. For the orchid plant to be strong, you must work hard on the roots. After a single plant is potted, its foundation is not firm and it sways in the wind. Even if it then produces 4 new roots, when the root tips touch the potting medium, the swaying of the orchid plant will wear away the root tips, and bacterial infection will then stop their growth and cause them to lose the ability to supply nutrients. This is one of the reasons it becomes weak. To solve this problem, you only need to use a single solid copper-core wire to secure the orchid plant. Bend the wire and press it tightly on the orchid head so that no matter how the wind blows, water splashes, or rain beats down, it will not move, and only then can the new roots extend freely. See the figure for the wire installation method. This method can be used with any potting medium. After planting, sterilize thoroughly once, that is, use any fungicide, open it with water according to the amount, and pour it over the potting medium. One week later, apply a root-promoting agent. A single orchid shoot has at least 8 root growth points; when the new bud grows to the point of opening leaves, it produces 4 roots. When the mother shoot is divided, it already has 4 roots, and after being divided into a single plant it can be stimulated to produce another 4 roots; with one to two new buds, that is very satisfactory. As long as the orchid roots grow well, why worry that it will not grow into a robust orchid plant? Orchid enthusiasts with determination might as well give it a try. (Xie Canrong)