What planting material is better for growing Cymbidium kanran

Tocultivategood pure-bredCymbidium kanran, besides creating superior ecological conditions such as light and air humidity for it, the planting material is the foundation, and water management is the key. The selection and ratio of planting materials must take into account not only the characteristics of being loose and breathable, but also being moist without becoming waterlogged, dry without becoming parched, and having moderate drainage and water retention. There are many types of planting materials that can be used tocultivateorchids, and each planting material has its own advantages as well as its own disadvantages, so one should promote their benefits and avoid their drawbacks. In order to seek a mixed planting material formula suitable forcultivatingpure-bredCymbidium kanran, the author conducted a variety of experiments, among which there were lessons of failure as well as the joy of success. The author once filled the area around the root clusters of several pots of wild-collected pure-bredCymbidium kanranfrom different producing areas entirely with tree fern, then filled in with a mixed planting material. After one year of cultivation, upon repotting and observation, none of the new roots had grown, and the old roots were hollow. The reason was that tree fern drains too quickly, the potting soil dried out easily, and excessive dryness caused the roots to dehydrate, forming hollow interiors (hollow roots) over time. Through years of exploration, the author found that using the following two mixed planting material formulas to cultivate pure-bred Cymbidium kanran gives good results: Formula One: shiitake soil 5O%, rice husk charcoal 3O%, coarse river sand 20%, plus an additional 10% dried cow dung and 10% bone charcoal. (This formula is also suitable for cultivatingCymbidium goeringii) Formula Two: rice husk charcoal 4O%, shiitake soil 2O%, red brick granules 20%, coarse river sand 10%, dried cow dung 10%, plus an additional 10% bone charcoal. (This formula is also suitable for cultivating variegated-leaf orchids) Shiitake soil, that is, the spent mushroom substrate left after cultivating shiitake spawn, contains nutrients, is loose and breathable, and is beneficial for root extension. Using it to plant orchids makes orchid leaves prone to developing snake-skin variegation. Dried cow dung is permeable to water and air, and its fertilizer effect is long-lasting. Cow dung from cattle fed dry feed in winter is superior, because after the dry grass feed is ruminating, although the plant fibers are finely broken, they are still elastic and contain a certain amount of nutrients. This kind of cow dung is soft and contains fertilizer, and is extremely suitable for the aerobic habit of orchid roots. Rice husk charcoal is incompletely burned but already blackened rice husk. It is rich in potassium, and adding it to the growing medium helps loosen the soil and also plays a role in raising soil temperature. Bone charcoal is rich in phosphorus fertilizer, its fertilizer nature is not violent, its fertilizer effect is long-lasting, it can make the soil loose, and it is also beneficial for variegation. The above several planting materials are available everywhere, convenient to obtain, and low in cost. In different seasons, under different weather, and at different growth stages of the orchid plant, the orchid fungi have different requirements for the dryness and wetness of the soil (planting material), and this can be addressed through different water management. Generally speaking, spring should be moist, summer and autumn should be wetter, and winter should be on the dry side. Pure-bred Cymbidium kanran is not easy to grow well, and pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran is even harder to grow well. At present, pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran is extremely scarce, and things are precious when they are rare, so pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran is highly favored by people. Among pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran there is a kind of false plain-heart: when the flower first opens, the whole flower is plain and clean, closely resembling a fully plain flower, but within three days of blooming, colored markings appear on the lip. For pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran, generally only if no colored spots or colored markings appear on the lip after three days of blooming can it be considered truly plain. Orchid enthusiasts should pay special attention to this point when buying pure-bred plain-heart Cymbidium kanran, otherwise they may have to pay tuition. Zhang Bingfu